Do you actually hear what you are saying? Father gave Jesus all authority, as King, as judge, as Lord and has exalted Him to recieve glory, to rule and reign. If Jesus was God, then why would God have to give Jesus authority?
I thought the explanation of Jesus being a servant, made lowly, God becoming Man to save all men, was sufficient as to 'why' He was given place as Judge and King.
Consider, the Word(with God, and
was God) became flesh, dwelt among us.(John 1) A man. Not half man, nor half God. Fully man. Fully God. God, the Word, IN flesh(is the Son). When Jesus rose from the dead, ascended as no other had done, was His position as Man no longer viable? Did it make the Man Jesus disappear and exist as such no longer? Of course not. That would defeat the purpose. We know He reappeared to the disciples with scars to prove it was Him. Understand, He LEFT glory which He did have, came to earth, did the work that needed to be done, and returned, but not as He was. He WAS the Word, in glory, and BECAME the Word IN flesh. He returned, still with that flesh. It is the Father, who remained in heaven, in glory, that gave Him back the glory which He had. God did not separate into 2 Gods. God, is and was an US and a WE, from the beginning.
I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me TOGETHER with Yourself, with the glory
which I had with You before the world was. (John 17:4)
God shares His glory with no one. Jesus had glory, together with the Father before the world was. Together. THEY are God. God is a THEY. When the Word's time came, to dwell in flesh, it is then that the SON was begotten. But He was always there, with the Father, as the Word.
Maybe just grasping that one concept, that one FACT of US and WE, will open up understanding to the eternal plan of salvation. No man was found worthy, blameless, sinless. God knew that from the beginning also, so the Word
OF God came to us, to BE man for us, and end the curse. The word OF God, became the Son OF God.
No one comes to Father but by Him. Jesus came to earth not to be served, but to serve. Because He CHOSE that position, as servant, to do the work His Father and ours gave Him to do, to save the world, does that take away His divinity? To do the work His Father gave Him to do. Not to do what He wanted, but to be a servant.
The question, 'does that take away His divinity?' was not answered. Does doing work take away His divine nature? Jesus came to serve man and as a lowly man Himself, to also serve God, setting an example for all men. Matt. 20, from which Jesus said, the Son of Man did not come to be served....was said to show that servanthood is wherein true greatness lies. Serving does not take away His divine nature. See watcher's post above even.
God made Himself lower than the angels, in His Son, that the Son would be exalted in due time. God didn't make Himself lower than the angels, but Jesus was made lower than the angels. If God had made Himself lower than the angels, then He wouldn't have been omnipotent or above all.
You said: Jesus WAS MADE lower than the angels. I said: God MADE Himself lower than the angels, IN HIS SON. Which is the very same thing. God is an US remember? I didnt say the Father made Himself lower, He remained in heaven. The Son came to earth. Gods omnipotence, and being above all, remained, while at the same time, dwelt on earth and saved us all. True omnipitence and soveriegnty.
If Jesus heard the truth from God, then He would have had to have been speaking to Himself.
Hm, now you're getting it! And God said:Let US make man in our image. Speaking to?
He goes on to say: If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. Jesus plainly said that He didn't come of Himself. He came from God. He proceeded forth (to come forth from a source - Webster) from God.
Notice 2 parts to that sentence. Part 1 ...for I proceeded forth and came from God. As you said, came forth, from His source. To come forth from a source means first existing in/with/as that source. Part 1 explains in what/Whom in this case, He pre-existed. Part 2....nor have i come of Myself, but He sent Me. Nor, beginning part 2, explains the reason or motive for which He proceeded forth. Simply, His (1)pre-existance AND His (2)motive both are God. So if God, is your Father, you would love Him(Jesus) as well.