John 14:28 - The Father is greater than I am

Does John 14:28 prove that Jesus is not God? Arians and other Unitarians have claimed this for 1700 years. Let’s look into it.

The argument:

John 14:28 — You heard that I said to you, ‘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, for the Father is greater than I am.

The final part of a sentence taken out of context suggests that there is a difference in greatness between the Father and the Son. Therefore Jesus can not be God.

The truth:

This is probably the most well known Arian proof text. It is one of the verses Arius himself took out of context to prove his new teachings at the turn of the fourth century.

Definitions: What does “Greater” mean?

Arians never stop to ask themselves “The Father is greater than the Son in what way?”

The word “greater” is even used in verse 12:

John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Jesus did amazing works, including expelling demons, curing sick people, multiplying food, even raising the dead. How would his diciples ever top that and do “greater works than these”?

By the quantity, not the quality. They would do their works for a greater time, in a greater area, to a greater number of people, and a greater number of times. The same way, when Jesus is saying the Father is greater than him, he is not saying this in the absolute term. In heaven, the Father is greater than the Son in position, authority and rank, but not in divinity. Many other scriptures affirm that the Son shares the same godhood as the Father. ¹ And while Jesus was on earth, active in the form of a human, the Father was temporarily also greater in divine power. But it does not mean that the Father is greater in the Son in his divinity, or godhood. The whole of John chapter 14 repeatedly affirms the divinity of Jesus, which leads us to the next point that Arians fail at.

The context of the mission of Jesus

When Jesus spoke these words, he existed as a human being on earth. As Philippians 2:5-8 points out, Jesus was originally existing in the same form as God the Father in Heaven, showing that he shares the divine essence. However he humbly “emptied himself” of his divine glory, and took on the form of a human. In other words he added a human essence to his divine essence. During his time on earth, Jesus operated through his human essence. And after his sacrifice he returned to his former divine glory in Heaven. John 14 is all about Jesus teaching his disciples about this last part, that he soon would have to leave earth and go back to his divine position in heaven. Jesus meant that his powers as a human were limited, and that the father’s powers were greater. But he also said that he would soon go back to the Father and regain these powers. So in this sense him being less great than the father was just temporary.

The context of the whole chapter

The context of John 14 is Jesus’ last admonitions to his faithful apostles.

• In John 14:1-4 Jesus talks about how he must leave them to prepare their heavenly dwellings.
• In John 14:6,7 he says he is the only way to the Father. Notice that he doesn’t say “to God”, but “to the Father”. He is speaking about a person, not a being. So even in this he is not excluding himself from godhood.
• In John 14:8-11,20,24 Jesus is literally saying that if they have seen him they have seen the Father also, showing that there is an intimate connection between them that makes their presence identical, that is their shared godhood. Jesus is not doing any distinct or separate thing, his works are the works of the father, they are intrinsically synchronized. (John 14:10,24) The Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son.
• In John 14:12 he is saying they will do greater works than he, because he is going to the Father. So the results of their future works is somehow dependent on Jesus leaving the earth. This also comes back in verse 28.
• In John 14:13,14 Jesus first says he will do anything we ask the Father in his name, and then he says he will do anything we ask him in his name. In other words, asking the Father or asking the Son is the same thing. This also proves that Jesus is omniscient, being able to hear any prayer anywhere, and also omnipotent, being able to respond and do anything. Both omniscience and omnipotence are attributes only God posess. This also proves Jesus shares the same godhood as the Father.
• In John 14:16-17 Jesus introduces the reason why he needs to leave: The Father will send the Holy Spirit to help and teach them.
• In John 16:7 he explains that unless he goes, the Holy Spirit will not come. And he says that he will send the Holy Spirit. In John 14:18 when describing how the Holy Spirit will come, Jesus also says that “I am coming to you”, identifying himself with the Holy Spirit. The Father and the Son shares an intimate identity with the Holy Spirit, namely their shared godhood.
• In John 14:23 Jesus says that both he and the Father will come and dwell with them. This shows that both the Father and Son are omnipresent, having the ability to be in any place. This is an attribute only God posesses, which shows that they share the same godhood. Also from other scriptures we know that the Holy Spirit dwells in believers. Hence the Father and Son indwells believers through the Holy Spirit. These three are one.
• In John 14:25,26 Jesus goes back to the important topic of sending the Holy Spirit, and this dovetails with John 14:27,28. Remember that it will be a blessing to them when Jesus leaves, because as a human he can only be in one place at a time and he is limited in power, but when the Holy Spirit comes, God will be with them everywhere and fill them with unlimited power.

The context of John 14:28

Which leads us to the key scripture. John 14:28. Even this scripture has context in itself which Arians ignore. Jesus says “If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I am.” While the Son is on earth, the Father is greater in power and authority than him. While on earth Jesus can not send out the Holy Spirit. (John 16:7) But the apostles have reason to rejoice, because Jesus is going back to the Father — he’s going from low to high, from earth to heaven, from a limited human back to unlimited God, from limited power to unlimited power. Only after that can Jesus send out the Holy Spirit. If the Father wasn’t greater than the human Jesus, this transaction could not take place. That is why they should rejoice that the Father is greater in power and authority than Jesus at that moment.

Summary

Jesus is saying “the Father is greater than I am” because Jesus is temporarily in a lowly position as a human. Jesus needs to go back to the Father in heaven in order to send out the Holy Spirit. The Father was greater in power than Jesus on earth was, so if Jesus didn’t go back to the Father, thus regaining the associated power and authority, he would not be able to send out the Holy Spirit.