What Jesus Didn't Know

Biblegems #93

Question: If Jesus is God, why did Jesus not know the "day and the hour" of His Return, even though God did? Matt. 24:36

Why Jesus didn’t know the day or hour, even though God did, is a fair question. After all, God is omniscient (He knows all things), therefore Jesus—if He is God— would also be expected to be omniscient. Right?

No, not exactly.

The Scripture is clear that Jesus and God are one being:

         John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

         John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

         John 8:58 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

The Scripture also makes it clear that within that unity God exists in three persons—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and that there is a one-another relationship, love and deference that goes on continually between these three persons in One God. The very verse in John that declares that Jesus (the Word) “was God” also says that “the Word was with God.” Likewise, when Jesus says in John 10:30 “I and the Father are one,” He is stating that the “One” being who is God is also a relationship between persons—the Father and Jesus.

The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is also portrayed by Jesus as sharing in this divine union. Notice in John 14:18, when Jesus speaks of the coming Holy Spirit, He claims to be that Spirit:

         John 14:16-18 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

When Jesus entered the human race He intentionally deprived Himself of certain divine attributes, such as omniscience and omnipresence. It was necessary that the Savior of mankind come in the sinless purity of His God nature, while at the same time be perfectly human, yet without sin.

         Heb. 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Jesus did not know the day or the hour of His Return because He intentionally surrendered His ability to know all things in order to become like us and have to depend upon God for everything. He yielded His position of equality with God so that He could identify completely with us and offer His life in exchange for sinful mankind, a perfect sacrifice:

         Phil. 2:5b-8  …Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!