The Garden of Gethsemane
One of the questions which always arise when discussing the Godhead, specifically pertaining to Jesus is: “If Jesus is God, who was he praying to in the garden of Gethsemane”?
Turn to John 17 and let’s dissect the passage through study and by asking questions of our own.
Divinity of Jesus in His Own Words
John 17:1-2 “These 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: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him”
First question: To whom was Jesus praying? Was it to himself? To the first person of the Trinity? Was it his mind praying to his own spirit? Modalists (often known as “Jesus Only”) attempt to explain this by separating the humanity of Jesus from His divinity. The claim is that the human side of Jesus was praying to the Spiritual side. In other words, the claim from that group is that Jesus (the human) was praying to the Father, because He IS (or WAS) the Father. In further explanations from the Jesus Only crowd, this statement is sometimes associated with the dual nature of man, however, mankind only has a dual nature once they are born again. To assign the same attributes to Jesus as one would assign to a lost, sinful soul (mankind), is a serious error.
Those who hold Trinitarian viewpoints often see this as the dual nature of man praying to God, but upon examination of documented church teachings and of discussions, some confusion exists in attempting to explain God sitting on a throne in heaven in an ever-watchful, listening mode while Jesus is on earth agonizing over the will of his Father. In some explanations, we’re told it’s just a great mystery which is too difficult for us to comprehend.
The eternal question which must be answered is this: Where in scripture do you ever see God the Father sitting on a throne? If we could point to one verse showing this, surely we would see 3 thrones simultaneously with the Father, and the Holy Ghost sitting on 2 in heaven and an empty one when Jesus was on the earth. Could it be that we’re just not seeing all 3 thrones at once? W e’ll cover all this and more a bit later, but first let’s get back to John 17.
To whom was Jesus praying? Regardless of your interpretation of the Godhead, it is clear according to the written scripture, that Jesus was praying to “the Father” (John 17:1).
John 17:2 presents another question for us. “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.” The question? Who gave Jesus power? Himself? No! That’s not scripture and it’s certainly not what Jesus himself declared. “THOU” (God the Father) gave him power over all flesh. Power over what? All flesh (this is a deeper conversation and study I’ll address in a completely separate teaching).
When we reach John 17:5, Jesus declares he had “glory” with God, before the world was (literally meaning before the world was brought into existence).
There is more to John 17 with relation to our teaching which we will come back to review later in this study. Please turn to 1 Corinthians 15 and let’s review a passage which some may find difficult to reconcile.
1 Corinthians 15 gives us a powerful summary of the gospel, the grace of God, victory over sin and death, the resurrection, the future of believers and the very end of all time (as we know it).
1 Corinthians 15: 24-28: (24) Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (25) For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (26) The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (27) For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.(28) And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
In typical “Paul” speak, this can be a bit difficult to digest but let’s break it down verse by verse. Remember, we are attempting to establish whether Jesus was praying to himself, or to his ‘spiritual side’ (within himself). I’ve added some notes within the passage for clarity.
Verse 24: “Then cometh the end, when he (Jesus) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he (Jesus) shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
Verse 25: “For he (Jesus) must reign, till he (Jesus) hath put all enemies under his feet.
Verse 26: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
Verse 27: “For he (God – see verse 28) hath put all things under his feet. But when he (Jesus) saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he (God) is excepted, which did put all things under him (Jesus).
Verse 28: “And when all things shall be subdued unto him (Jesus), then shall the Son (Jesus) also himself be subject unto him (God) that put all things under him(Jesus), that God may be all in all.
This presents quite a dilemma to many people and it poses a question which begs a biblical answer! Who was Jesus praying to in John 17? A shocker for many is that Jesus was NOT praying to himself. Is Jesus the Father? Some say yes, some say no, others aren’t sure. Let’s go back to John 17.
John 17:2. “As thou (God) hast given him (Jesus) power over all flesh, that he (Jesus) should give eternal life to as many as thou (God) hast given him.”
Who gave Jesus power over all flesh? Friends, you either have to believe the scriptures as they’re written or you have to modify them (DANGEROUS!) to fit what you believe. It simply cannot be both ways!
The Bible clearly references throughout its pages “the Father”. Who then, is “the Father”?
Jesus declares in John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 1:18 reveals this as: “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” Furthermore, this is repeated through the Bible informing us that God (the Father) is invisible, that no one has seen him, and that He (God) is a spirit which fills the universe. Ref: Hebrews 1, Colossians 1, 1 John 4:12, 1 Timothy 1:17, 1 Timothy 6:16.
How then, do we explain John 14:8-9 concerning the conversation between Jesus and his disciples? “Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” If no man has seen God, how then can Jesus truthfully say this?
Most will answer that it’s because Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1:14). This is 100% true but in what sense? Is God (spirit) completely confined and contained within the physical body of Jesus or is God still everywhere at once?
Let’s answer that and more!