- John 20:17 Jesus speaking to Mary Magdalene: Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ”
PROBLEM: Jehovah’s Witnesses sayJesus cannot be Jehovah because he calls the Father “my God.” They say how can the Father be Jesus’ God and He still be God?
SOLUTION: In context the word “God” here in 20:17 is referring to the Father. John focuses on the human aspect of Jesus’ identity. In His humanity Jesus was identifying himself with his “brothers” (Disciples). Jesus as God does not have brothers. Notice he uses the words “My Father and My God.” He taught others to say “Our Father” (Matt. 6:9-13) instead of “my Father.” By using these words Jesus was saying He was equal to the Father. How do we know this? In John5:17-18 Jesus says,
“But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” 18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” Jesus calling God “My Father” was a way to proclaim equality with God and the Jews knew this and wanted him dead. In Jewish law it was blasphemy to say you are equal with God. So in John 20:17 Jesus claimed to be equal with the Father.
One of the problems is the Jehovah’s Witnesses have is they assume God could not enter into human form. If the 2nd person of the Trinity enters into human flesh, how would such a divine person act? Would He be an atheist? Would He refuse to acknowledge those divine persons who had not entered into human existence? Of course not! Yet when we see the Lord Jesus doing exactly what we would expect, worshipping God the Father and saying a phrase like “my Father and my God,” the Jehovah’s Witnesses cry foul and say Jesus is a lesser god. They lack the understanding of how Jesus can be fully God and fully man.
[1] This is why they struggle with John 20:17.
- John 20:17 Jesus speaking to Mary Magdalene: Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ”
PROBLEM: Jehovah’s Witnesses sayJesus cannot be Jehovah because he calls the Father “my God.” They say how can the Father be Jesus’ God and He still be God?
SOLUTION: In context the word “God” here in 20:17 is referring to the Father. John focuses on the human aspect of Jesus’ identity. In His humanity Jesus was identifying himself with his “brothers” (Disciples). Jesus as God does not have brothers. Notice he uses the words “My Father and My God.” He taught others to say “Our Father” (Matt. 6:9-13) instead of “my Father.” By using these words Jesus was saying He was equal to the Father. How do we know this? In John5:17-18 Jesus says,
“But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” 18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” Jesus calling God “My Father” was a way to proclaim equality with God and the Jews knew this and wanted him dead. In Jewish law it was blasphemy to say you are equal with God. So in John 20:17 Jesus claimed to be equal with the Father.
One of the problems is the Jehovah’s Witnesses have is they assume God could not enter into human form. If the 2nd person of the Trinity enters into human flesh, how would such a divine person act? Would He be an atheist? Would He refuse to acknowledge those divine persons who had not entered into human existence? Of course not! Yet when we see the Lord Jesus doing exactly what we would expect, worshipping God the Father and saying a phrase like “my Father and my God,” the Jehovah’s Witnesses cry foul and say Jesus is a lesser god. They lack the understanding of how Jesus can be fully God and fully man.
[1] This is why they struggle with John 20:17.
