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Why did Jesus pray to God if he is God?
- Thread starter Riven
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Yes, it very much has to do with the Trinity, which is a very difficult concept that no one can fully comprehend. Jesus was praying to the Father.
Hi Riven
Surely you know that Jesus was fully God and fully man. It's the hypostatic union. 100% God, 100% man.
When Jesus came to earth, the Father remained in heaven...and, as a man, Jesus prayed to Him all the time. He even taught us how to pray to Him ,,, The Lord's Prayer in the gospel of Matthew, maybe chapter 7 or thereabouts.
He was also limited in knowledge.
So He was God in nature,,,,He never had the sin nature that we're born with, but limited because He was also a man.
Jesus being flesh while here on earth had to always submit to God's will in what God sent Jesus down to earth to do as there was nothing He could do on His own.
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission
Jesus was praying to the one Jesus on earth and the exalted Jesus in heaven calls "His" God and "His" Father.
I leave it to others to explain how a Jesus who always was and always was God became the Son eternally.
Because if He's not the Fathers Son I don't know whose Son He is.
He makes a distinction between the angels of God and the "Son"
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
He came from above.
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me
In that body "Jesus" was all "IN" according to the will of the Father.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Jesus was praying to the one Jesus on earth and the exalted Jesus in heaven calls "His" God and "His" Father.
I leave it to others to explain how a Jesus who always was and always was God became the Son eternally.
Because if He's not the Fathers Son I don't know whose Son He is.
He makes a distinction between the angels of God and the "Son"
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
He came from above.
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me
In that body "Jesus" was all "IN" according to the will of the Father.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Edward
2024 Supporter
Jesus did not pray to Himself.
John 20:17
17 Jesus said to her, “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.’ ”.../NKJV
He was praying to the Father. Think of it this way, your family on earth when you were growing up. The momma is usually the gentle one and the father is usually the...don't make me send Dad up there! one. Right? Dad was the one to mete out punishment so he could be said to be the one who is god in the home.
Jesus prayed to His Dad, His Father, whch is also our Father. So He prayed to His God, and our God. It's like a family. It is a Family. All of which have the same family clout when it comes to their name and namesake.
Here on earth, if someone attacks little brother, does not the bigger brother and perhaps dad respond to defend their own? Of course. So if we know how to to defend our family, how much more so the Lord?
John 20:17
17 Jesus said to her, “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.’ ”.../NKJV
He was praying to the Father. Think of it this way, your family on earth when you were growing up. The momma is usually the gentle one and the father is usually the...don't make me send Dad up there! one. Right? Dad was the one to mete out punishment so he could be said to be the one who is god in the home.
Jesus prayed to His Dad, His Father, whch is also our Father. So He prayed to His God, and our God. It's like a family. It is a Family. All of which have the same family clout when it comes to their name and namesake.
Here on earth, if someone attacks little brother, does not the bigger brother and perhaps dad respond to defend their own? Of course. So if we know how to to defend our family, how much more so the Lord?
honeypearls
Member
It may be because I'm dumb, but no matter how often I ask a Christian to explain the concept of the trinity and Jesus being 100% x and 100% y (which makes 200% in total.. logically impossible), it's still an unsolved puzzle to me..
If Jesus is God, how come the Father remain in heaven? It sounds to me there are 2 Gods now.
Here's the thing honeypearls:
The bible has nothing to do with your salvation.
It's God's way of letting Himself be known to mankind, as much as is possible because it is impossible to know God.
God is a being that we know very little about.
What you need to think about is how everything came into being.
Do you believe in the big bang theory?
Fine. So HOW did the big bang happen? Just magically? Did something CAUSE it to happen?
What put the DNA information in those small spaces? It's like a computer program.
Do you even believe a God exists?
If not, then how do you propose to understand a God that you do not even believe exists?
There's lots of stuff that must be believed before you could begin to explain the bible, or the trinity.
Have you ever heard Stephen Meyers?
I'll give you some links. See what you think.
The trinity is easy to understand once you know something about God.
The Father is The Creator.
He MUST remain in the heavenly realm. Whatever that may be.
Jesus is a "piece" of God.
There is only ONE GOD.
Christianity is a monotheistic religion.
As to the 100% and 100%, that is also easy to explain.
God made math, which is why math is a constant and can be depended upon.
Jesus was both human and divine.
So was he 50% human and 50% divine?
No.
That would mean that His NATURE was split in 2.
It was not split in two, but complete in each nature.
He was 100% human and 100% divine.
He was only one person, but both human and divine.
This is deep theological stuff and most Christians don't understand it,
and it's not something you should really be concerning yourself with.
Christianity is a rich religion and there's much to know.
But let the important beliefs come first, as I stated in my other post to you.
Ergo, the mystery of the Trinity.
But, what about this. I am 100% a man. I am also 100% a father. Does this add up to 200% and therefore my existance is logically impossible?
I think it's impossible to understand about the Trinity unless one believes in God first.
It sounds like jibberish.
1 Corinthians 2:14
14But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
honeypearls
Hi H,
This is a forum called QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
It can be for Christians or non-Christians.
However, it is not a debate forum so we can only reply to the OP, which in this case is not you.
You can start a new thread so we could reply directly to you, or, since this is a question about God, you can use the Theology forum.
I would like to reply to your questions.
See you there!
Hi H,
This is a forum called QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
It can be for Christians or non-Christians.
However, it is not a debate forum so we can only reply to the OP, which in this case is not you.
You can start a new thread so we could reply directly to you, or, since this is a question about God, you can use the Theology forum.
I would like to reply to your questions.
See you there!
Dorothy Mae
Member
The answer could be similar to why Jesus was baptized. He had no sin. John wondered why he would. But Jesus said it “was to fulfill all righteousness.”
Fastfredy0
2024 Supporter
Why did Jesus pray to God if he is God?
Google: Hypostatic UnionChrist has 2 natures:
1) divine (immutable, eternal, all powerful, all knowing, part of the Trinity, Spirit, cannot die)
2) Human (flesh, able to: learn, get tired, changing emotions, physical aging, not all knowing, weak, able to die)
THE SECOND HELVETIC CONFESSION
A RATIONAL SOUL IN CHRIST. Moreover, our Lord Jesus Christ did not have a soul bereft of sense and reason, nor flesh without a soul, but a soul with its reason, and flesh with its senses, by which in the time of his passion he sustained real bodily pain, as himself testified when he said: "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death" (Matthew 26:38). And, "Now is my soul troubled" (John 12:27).
THE SECOND HELVETIC CONFESSION
TWO NATURES IN CHRIST. We therefore acknowledge two natures or substances, the divine and the human, in one and the same Jesus Christ our Lord (Hebrews 2). And we say that these are bound and united with one another in such a way that they are not absorbed, or confused, or mixed, but are united or joined together in one person the properties of the natures being unimpaired and permanent.
NOT TWO BUT ONE CHRIST. Thus we worship not two but one Christ the Lord. We repeat: one true God and man. With respect to his divine nature he is consubstantial with the Father, and with respect to the human nature he is consubstantial with us men, and like us in all things, sin excepted (Hebrews 4:15).
THE DIVINE NATURE OF CHRIST IS NOT PASSIBLE, AND THE HUMAN NATURE IS NOT EVERYWHERE. Therefore, we do not in any way teach that the divine nature in Christ has suffered or that Christ according to his human nature is still in this world and thus is everywhere. For neither do we think or teach that the body of Christ ceased to be a true body after his glorification, or was deified, and deified in such a way that it laid aside its properties as regards body and soul, and changed entirely into a divine nature and began to be merely one substance.
https://www.gotquestions.org/hypostatic-union.html
He was weary; yet He called the weary to Himself for rest. He was hungry; yet He was “the bread of life.” He was thirsty; yet He was “the water of life.” He was in agony; yet He healed all manner of sicknesses and soothed every pain. He “grew, and waxed strong in spirit’; yet He was from all eternity. He was tempted; yet He, as God, could not be tempted. He was limited in knowledge; yet He was the wisdom of God. He said, “My Father is greater than I” (with reverence to His humiliation, being made for a little season lower than the angels); yet He also said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father,” “I and my Father are one.” He prayed, which is always human; yet He Himself answered prayer. He said, “This is your hour, and the power of darkness”; yet all power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth. He was baptized, which was only a human act; yet at the time God declared Him to be His Son. He walked two long days’ journey to Bethany; yet He knew the moment that Lazarus died. He wept at the tomb; yet He called the dead to arise. He confessed that He would be put to death; yet He had but a moment before received Peter’s inspired declaration that He was the Christ, the Son of living God. etc. etc. Author unknown
Fastfredy0
2024 Supporter
Again, this would be his human nature. His divine nature cannot forsake itself. The reason Christ human nature said this is debated. ....
Aside: to some degree the hypostatic union is a mystery. We have to natures so to speak: flesh and spirit .... the flesh dies, the spirit does not
Aside2: Muslims like to point out the Jesus did not know the timing of His return and therefore could not be God as God is all knowing. The Christian response is to say that Christ's human nature is indeed not all knowing and this is alluded to in some verse I am too lazy to look at saying Christ grew in wisdom and knowledge... something like that.
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He was not praying to himself.
Jesus was/is the permanent temporal mode of the uncreated eternal second person of deity. Ie, Jesus began at a point in time & space, and was a human being (sinless, like a new Adam). Arguably the English term [God] should be translated in different ways according to context (eg God, deific). Eg, the NT often put θεος/theos as an exclusive designation for God the father (eg 1 Cor.8:6), but sometimes indicated that another could be theos (or theotic): eg Jhn.1:1’s the Word/Logos was theos. The NT is raw data, and can be translated analytically. Systematic theology might expand Jhn.1:1 as, [the Word was with God [the father], and the Word was God/Deity [in substance].] The eternal word wasn’t/isn’t Jesus, but became Jesus (Jhn.1:14). Jesus did not do miracles by his deity (deificity), but by God the spirit (Mt.12:28).
I would not say that he was/is [God in the flesh], but in trinitarian light, would say that he was/is God-the-son ‘in the flesh’ (or better, ‘as a human being’). That way closes down on some needless confusion, whereby having said in unitarian terms that he is [God in the flesh], we add that [God is not a man] (Nb.23:19). Jesus is God-the-son (to distinguish his deific personhood from the father and the spirit), as a human being (to distinguish the incarnate son (projection) from the noncarnate son).
The Gospel picture is of a man, the messiah, being a paradigm for us. As he prayed to God [his father], so should we. As he performed miracles as a human being under the spirit, so should we. Etc.