'My Father and your Father... My God and your God'
CHAPTER 20 OF THE GOSPEL according to John not only tells of Jesus Christ’s resurrection but also points out certain truths about God linked with that most sublime and significant event. In verse 17, the resurrected Jesus said to Mary Magdalene:
“Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God‘.” (New King James Version, Emphasis Mine)
The gospel truth inherent in this statement by Christ is aptly valuable, especially today when we live in a world filled with opposing beliefs about God. Some even believe in a plurality of gods. And many Christian-professing churches, while claiming to recognize just one God, inconsistently believe in either the deity of Christ or the Trinitarian doctrine.
But what does Christ’s utterance “My Father and your Father… My God and your God” teach us about God? And what do Christ’s resurrection and ascension to heaven prove?
CHRIST'S GOD
By plain and simple definition, being a Christian means being a believer and follower of Christ (Acts 11:26; Matt. 28:19-20). And so, one cannot be a true Christian if his belief―such as about God―differs from that of Christ.
Christ’s pronouncement in John 20:17 clarifies, among other things, that His God is the Father, Who is also the Father and God of Christ’s true followers. Notice that Jesus neither introduced Himself as their God nor did He present Himself as part or “person” of the so-called Godhead as held by the Trinitarians.
Moreover, Christ’s statement clearly shows that He recognizes someone as His God. Furthermore, if we are to read the Book of Mark 15:34, we can further witness Christ’s cry to His Father, addressing Him as His God:
“…Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me’?” (Mark 15:34 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
This proves that Christ is not God, for the true God does not recognize any other God besides Himself (Isa. 44:8). In fact, Christ’s God explicitly says the following:
“I, and I alone, am God; no other god is real.”
(Reference: Deut. 32:39 Good News Bible)
“There is no God besides Me.”
(Reference: Isa. 45:5 NKJV)
“I am God, and there is none like Me.”
(Reference: Isa. 46:9 NKJV)
“Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.”
(Reference: Isa. 43:10 NKJV)
Openly, these words of the one true God negate the alleged divinity of both Christ and the Holy Spirit.
CHRIST'S FATHER
The Father of Christ is ‘the Creator of all things and for whom we live…”
(Reference: I Cor. 8:6 GNB, Emphasis Mine)
And this biblical truth further makes plain that Christ is not God.
Christ’s having a father means that He has a beginning, a progenitor. In fact, He admits that He “proceeded forth and came from God” (John 8:42 NKJV). Christ, therefore, is not God, for the true God has no beginning as He is “from everlasting to everlasting” (Ps. 90:2 NKJV).
This also highlights the fact that Jesus is different from God, His Father. The Holy Scriptures teach that God is the Creator (Mal. 2:10; I Cor. 8:6) whereas Christ, by contrast, is the firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15).
CHRIST'S RESURRECTION
The fact that Christ was resurrected all the more disproves His supposed divine nature. Take note that His resurrection just shows that He died (John 19:30, 33). The Bible adds that it is “God the Father who raised Him from the dead” (Gal. 1:1 NKJV). Now, the fact that Christ died, in turn, proves that He is a mortal man and not God―for God, unlike man, is immortal (Heb. 9:27; I Tim. 1:17).
In fact, Jesus never introduces Himself as the true God but categorically as “a Man”:
“But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. …”
(Reference: John 8:40 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
In contrast, the one true God distinctly introduces Himself as being “God, and not man” (Hos. 11:9 NKJV). In addition, God is “neither the son of man” (Num. 23:19). Whereas Christ, by contrast, Himself declared, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Mat. 16:13 NKJV) Thus, God is not a Son of Man while Christ is the Son of Man a distinction made blatantly clear by scripture.
CHRIST'S ASCENSION
Some argue that Christ became God upon His ascension to heaven. But that is proven wrong by at least two reasons: First, that is nowhere taught in the Bible; second, the apostles testified that Jesus remained to be a man even when He reached heaven. Cases in point, in verses such as I Timothy 2:5 and Acts 2:22, the apostles directly declared that Christ is a man. Considering the background and context of the verses, these were taught by Christ’s disciples when He was already in heaven. So, if it were true that Jesus attained divinity when He ascended to heaven, then the apostles should have taught and preached that He is God, which they did not.
Truth is, Christ’s ascension all the more proves that He is a man and not God. Why? Because Apostle Paul taught that in heaven, Christ sits at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1). Then, he further ascertained that the One Who sits at God’s right hand―Who is Christ―is a man, and therefore not another God:
“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”
(Reference: Heb. 10:12 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
CHRIST'S TEACHING ABOUT GOD
Being God’s nation in these last days, the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) faithfully upholds Christ’s teachings―such as the following concerning the true God:
“After Jesus had said this, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father…
And this is eternal life: to know you, the ONLY TRUE GOD, and the one whom you sent — Jesus the Messiah.“
(Reference: John 17:1,3 ISV, Emphasis Mine)
Take note that Christ makes it clear and even emphasizes that His Father is the ONLY true God, thereby proving that He (Jesus) is not God ― but the One sent by God as the Messiah. Never did He teach of a “Godhead” consisting of three so-called persons.
In the verses, the God-appointed Savior also reveals the value of knowing that the Father is the only true God―it is a requirement for attaining eternal life. Thus, any belief that is diametrically opposed to it, like the belief in the Trinity and/or the deity of Jesus, is a clear heresy.
A heresy is belief in false doctrines and is one of the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-20). Believers of heresies will not be saved, for as the Bible guarantees, those who practice [works of the flesh] “…will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21 NKJV).
So, if one wants to be saved, he should follow the Lord Jesus Christ in recognizing and believing in His God as one’s God ― the Father Who is the only true God ― and serve Him faithfully inside Christ’s true Church, the Church Of Christ.
What is at stake in not knowing this truth about God that means eternal life and salvation on Judgment Day:
“He wants to save everyone. He wants everyone to learn what is true about him. The truth is this, that there is one God, and there is only one person who can make us acceptable to him. Christ Jesus, the man, is this one person.”
(Reference: I Tim. 2:4-5 Unlocked Dynamic Bible, Emphasis Mine)
IN CONCLUSION
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WE KINDLY EXTEND our visitors an invitation to explore the pristine, unadulterated teachings of Christ and His apostles as they were taught in the first-century Church Of Christ. Learn the importance of who the true God is and how this truth means “eternal life.“:
The Truth about God and Jesus Christ
SUPPORTERS OF THE BELIEF in the divinity of Christ, also known as the Christ-is-God or the God-man doctrine, assert that God exists as a trinity consisting of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Although they are three in nature and considered distinct beings, proponents maintain that they form a single God. The concept of the Trinity lacks explicit biblical endorsement; thus, proponents often argue that it represents a profound mystery beyond human comprehension and should be accepted by faith alone.
Reach Out
If you wish to acquire a deeper understanding of our Church Doctrines and have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We would be delighted to direct you to one of our local resident ministers in your vicinity. Kindly include any queries you may have so that we may forward your inquiry in advance. Thank you.
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(Eph. 4:29, Amplified Bible)
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(1 Corinthians 13:4-5, Amplified Bible)