Jesus is Not All-Powerful, and Not All-Knowing

Christians and Muslims agree that God is all-powerful and all-knowing.

The Gospels show that Jesus was not all-powerful, for he had some limitations.  Mark tells us in his gospel that Jesus was unable to do any powerful work in his hometown (ch. 6, vv. 5-6).  Mark also tells us that when Jesus tried to heal a certain blind man, the man was not healed after the first attempt, and Jesus had to try a second time (see Mark ch. 8, v. 22-26).  Therefore, although we have the utmost love and respect for Jesus, we need to understand that he is not the all-powerful God.

Mark’s Gospel also reveals that Jesus had limitations in his knowledge.  In Mark ch. 13, v. 32, Jesus declared that he himself does not know when the last day will occur, but the Father alone knows that (see also Matthew 24:36).  Therefore he could not have been the all-knowing God.

Some will say that Jesus knew when the last day will occur, but he chose not to tell.  But that complicates matters further.  Jesus could have said that he knows but he does not wish to tell.  Instead, he said that he does not know.  We must believe him.  Jesus was a man of truth.

The Gospel of Luke also reveals that Jesus had limited knowledge.  Luke says that Jesus increased in wisdom (ch. 2, v. 52).  In Hebrews too (ch. 5, v. 8) we read that Jesus learned obedience.  But God’s knowledge is always perfect, and God does not learn new things.  He knows everything always.  If Jesus learned something new, that proves that he did not know everything before that, and he was not God.  Can he become God later? No!  Because there is only one God, and He is God from everlasting to everlasting (see Psalms 90, v. 2).

Someone may say that Jesus was God but he took the form of a servant and therefore became limited.  Well, that would mean that God changed.  But God does not change.  He said so Himself in Malachi ch. 3, v. 6.  Jesus never was God, and never will be.  In the Bible, Yahweh alone is God and Yahweh declares:

   “Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.  I, even I, am Yahweh . . . “ (Isaiah ch. 43: vv. 10-11).

Some will say that Jesus had two natures, that he was both man and God at the same time.  They will say that the limitations we pointed out are limitations in the human nature of Jesus, but his God nature is still unlimited.  Notice that the Bible never confirms that Jesus had these two natures.  This is a desperate solution offered by those who do not wish to believe what the Bible plainly says.  The plain teaching of the Bible, as we have shown, is that Jesus was not God.

This dual-nature solution complicates matters further still.  Take for illustration the fig-tree episode in the Gospels (see Mark ch. 11, vv 12-25).  Mark tells us as follows:

   “Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit.  When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs” (Mark 11:12-14).

Jesus then put a curse on the tree, so that no one could eat fruit from it again.  The tree withered from the roots by next morning.

Now, it is clear from this passage that Jesus had a lot of power to curse the tree and make it wither from its roots.  It is also clear that Jesus' knowledge was limited on two counts.  First, he did not know that the tree had no fruit until he came to it.  Second, he did not know that it was not the right season to expect figs on trees.

Proponents of the dual-nature theory will have to admit that the power to curse was in Jesus’ God nature.  They will have to also admit that his lack of knowledge was due to his human nature.  They will have to then conclude that the God nature acted at the behest of the limited knowledge stemming from the human nature.  But God does not act on ignorance.  Surely He would know, as Mark knew, that it was not the season for figs, and that when fig season arrives that tree will provide fruit for God’s creatures.  Why would God curse a good tree which he created?  Some would like to believe that the tree was barren and therefore deserved to be destroyed.  But, if Mark was right, the reason the tree had no fruit is “because it was not the season for figs” (Mark 12, v. 13).

These Bible references clearly show that Jesus was not the all-powerful, all-knowing God. But there is more, much more.  Please read on.