If Jesus was God, why did He say the Father was greater than Him (John 14:28)?

1. The Context of John 14:28

John 14:28 states, “You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.”

In the broader passage of John 14, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure. He comforts them by teaching about the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–17), warning about upcoming trials, and promising peace (John 14:27). When He remarks that the “Father is greater,” He is not denying His deity; instead, He is emphasizing His role and position in His incarnation on earth, as contrasted with the Father’s position in heaven.

2. The Doctrine of the Incarnation

Scripture teaches that Jesus, in His eternal nature, is fully God (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9), yet He took on human flesh and walked among humanity (John 1:14). Philippians 2:6–7 clarifies this by saying, “Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.”

Because He “emptied Himself” and lived as a fully human man, Jesus voluntarily assumed a subordinate role. This subordination is functional, never implying inferiority of essence. It is only within the earthly, incarnate context that Jesus speaks of the Father’s “greater” status, reflecting His humble posture and mission as the Messiah.

3. Understanding “Greater Than”

The word “greater” in John 14:28 draws from the context of position, rank, or function rather than intrinsic nature. Jesus assumed a servant’s status to accomplish redemption (Mark 10:45), while the Father in heaven remained in unbroken glory.

• Positional Subordination: On earth, Jesus experienced hunger, fatigue, and the limitations of flesh (Matthew 4:2; John 4:6). The Father, enthroned in glory, did not go through human frailty.

• Eternal Co-Equality: John 10:30 states, “I and the Father are one.” John 20:28 records Thomas addressing Jesus as “My Lord and my God!” These passages affirm that even though Jesus described the Father as “greater” in position during His earthly ministry, He never relinquished His divine nature.

4. Scriptural Parallels and Affirmations of Christ’s Deity

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is consistently portrayed as sharing the same divine nature as the Father:

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

- Colossians 2:9: “For in Christ all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”

- Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.”

These affirmations show that Jesus is not a lesser god, a created being, or an emissary separate from the divine. Instead, He is fully and forever God, co-eternal and co-equal with the Father, yet took on a functional difference during His earthly mission.

5. The Principle of Humility in Christ’s Teachings

Jesus consistently taught servanthood and humility. In John 13:14–15, He washes His disciples’ feet, saying He has set a pattern for them. By stating “the Father is greater than I,” Jesus exemplifies the attitude He modeled: voluntary submission for the sake of service and redemption.

- Philippians 2:8 says, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.” This ultimate act of humility underscores how Jesus, though equal to the Father in His divine nature, willingly lived and died under the constraints of human servitude to fulfill salvation.

6. Early Church Understanding and Consistency in Manuscripts

Historically, the earliest Christian communities affirmed Christ’s deity. Even though John 14:28 may appear to modern readers as a contradiction, the earliest manuscript traditions (including Papyrus 66 and Papyrus 75, which date close to the time of the original composition) present John’s Gospel with consistency, preserving the same theological conviction of Jesus’ divine nature.

Archaeological and textual discoveries, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls (though these predate the New Testament, they demonstrate the remarkable preservation of Scripture’s transmission processes) and thousands of ancient New Testament manuscripts, show that the Gospel texts remain internally consistent in their witness to Jesus as fully God.

7. Harmonizing with the Entirety of Scripture

Scripture is meant to be read as a cohesive whole. Isolated verses like John 14:28 must be harmonized with the rest of biblical teaching:

- The High Priestly Prayer in John 17:5: “And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.” Jesus affirms that, before His earthly ministry, He possessed the same glory as the Father.

- Equality in John’s Prologue (John 1:1, 1:14): Highlights Jesus, the eternal Word, being God and taking on humanity.

These passages minimize confusion by framing John 14:28 within the full narrative of Jesus’ incarnation, revealing He was not denying His deity but rather expressing His humble, relational role during His earthly life.

8. Practical Implications

Recognizing that Jesus’ statement reflects His incarnational role has practical benefits for understanding:

- The Nature of Christ’s Mission: His self-humbling was necessary for atoning sacrifice and effective intercession (Hebrews 7:25).

- The Believer’s Attitude: Believers are called to emulate Christ’s humility and service.

- Reconciliation of Seeming Contradictions: The statement in John 14:28 aligns with the broader message that Jesus, though divine, entered fully into the human condition.

9. Conclusion

When Jesus says, “the Father is greater than I,” He underscores His voluntary submission and humbled earthly status rather than suggesting a disparity in essence or deity. As testified by Scripture from beginning to end, Jesus is fully God yet willingly chose a servant’s role to bring salvation. This teaching stands at the heart of the Christian message: the Son, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, became incarnate to redeem humanity.

John 14:28 should thus be understood in light of the full witness of Scripture, which affirms Jesus’ divine nature, the unity of the Godhead, and the humility of Christ in His redemptive mission.