JesusDraft · awaiting advisor review
If Jesus prayed to God, how can he be God?
In short
Christians believe Jesus is fully God and fully human. As a man he prayed, grew tired, and chose not to draw on everything he was, such as knowing the day of his return. The same Gospels show him claiming God’s place. Prayer shows his real humanity and his relationship with the Father, not that he was less than God.
The Objection
Jesus prayed to God, said “the Father is greater than I”, called the Father “the only true God”, didn’t know the day of judgement, and cried “My God, why have you forsaken me?” God doesn’t pray to himself, forget things or forsake himself. So Jesus was a man and a prophet, not God.
Put as its strongest advocates would put it.
The Christian Case
- Scripture
Paul describes the Son as being in the form of God, yet taking the form of a servant and being born as a man. Christians read Jesus’ prayers, hunger and limits as part of that real humanity.
- Scripture
“The Father is greater than I” is said by the Son who came from the Father and is going back to him; in the same Gospel he says “I and the Father are one.” Greater in position as the one who sent him is different from greater in nature.
- Scripture
In the prayer where Jesus calls the Father “the only true God”, he also asks to be glorified with the glory he had with the Father “before the world existed”.
- Scripture
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” are the opening words of Psalm 22, a prayer that ends in vindication. On the cross Jesus bore the separation that sin causes, in his humanity, and prayed Scripture as he did.
- Scripture
Not knowing the day or the hour is said of “the Son” during his earthly life; Christians understand it as part of his chosen human limitation, not a lack in God.
- Christians differ
Christians agree that Jesus is one person with two natures, but theologians explain his human limits in different ways, for example how far the Son “emptied himself” of using divine powers.
Where the Evidence Is Weaker
The union of God and man in one person is a mystery, and no explanation removes every difficulty. Verses about Jesus’ humanity are real and shouldn’t be explained away; they belong alongside the verses about his divinity.
Arguments to Avoid
- Answering with verses about Jesus’ divinity while ignoring the verses about his humanity.
- Suggesting Jesus was only pretending to pray.
Read for Yourself
Philippians 2:5–11
5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
John 17:1–5
1These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Mark 14:32–36
32And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. 33And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; 34And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. 35And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Further Reading
- Putting Jesus in His Place · Robert M. Bowman Jr. and J. Ed Komoszewski (2007)
- How God Became Jesus · Michael F. Bird and others (2014)A reply to Bart Ehrman’s How Jesus Became God.
Drafted with Opened AI and awaiting review by Opened’s apologetics advisors. Labels show the kind of support each point has: Scripture is what the Bible says; historical evidence and philosophical arguments can be checked by anyone; “Christians differ” marks questions on which faithful Christians disagree.
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