As recorded in Mark 13:32, Jesus said, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”
The majority of us have been taught that when Jesus...
...was on the earth 2,000 years ago, God the Son lacked a piece of knowledge that only God the Father had. The results:
In our churches, we seem to accept the teaching that Jesus was not infinitely perfect in His deity or maybe limited in His deity knowledge when He was on the earth as God-in-flesh. Would you agree?
We at His Center believe Jesus was, is and always will be infinitely perfect in all things. Because of this, we also believe the Holy Spirit wants the reading of Christ's limited deity in Mark 13:32 corrected or maybe a better word is, clarified.
Considering all He has done for us, Jesus deserves far more from us.
The Holy Spirit gives the truth…
Colossians 2:9 declares that in Jesus “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Thus:
- Jesus’ deity was absolutely and infinitely perfect when He was on the earth.
- Jesus’ deity has always been perfect… before He came to earth, (on earth) and now that He is back in glory.
- “All the fulness of the Godhead” must include knowledge.
- This means Jesus had all the knowledge that God the Father had, even when He walked the earth as 100% man and 100% God.
All things that the Father hath are mine...
When Jesus walked the earth, He had everything that God the Father had. This is not just an inference, we can draw from Colossians 2:9. Jesus actually said such a thing: “All things that the Father hath are mine…” (John 16:15).
When Mark 13:32 is read incorrectly, the Church is allowing a very harmful mentality to enter into our walk with Jesus. We have actually presumed to use this verse so that we can claim to identify where Jesus was limited in His knowledge as God.
Disrespecting the Savior?
Though (hopefully) unintentionally limiting the Savior when doing this; can a lack of knowledge translate into disrespecting the Savior? Did God give us His word so that we could identify where Jesus was limited? Or Did God give us the Bible so we can learn how Jesus is able to save us from our limitations, and from our sins. Amen (without any provisos)!
How does the Holy Spirit fit in...?
The Holy Spirit will always glorify Jesus fully, no matter what part of the Bible we are reading. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit that “he will guide you into all truth…He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:13-14).
The very next thing Jesus says in this passage is: “All things that the Father hath are mine” (John 16:15). Wherever we are reading in the Bible, the Holy Spirit is actively leading us to fully glorify Jesus…to acknowledge that Jesus has all things that God the Father has…to acknowledge that Jesus is absolutely and fully God in every way at all times.
Imperfections in Jesus...
If we are reading Mark 13:32 in a way where we claim to find imperfection in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is not leading us to that understanding, and neither is God the Father. God the Father wants us to respect Jesus the same way we respect the Father (John 5:22-23). Therefore, how are we being led to such a disrespectful reading of Mark 13:32? Not by the Holy Spirit!
When we use Mark 13:32 to claim that Jesus’ deity or knowledge was limited, it is not the fault of the Scriptures. It is not because God the Father was unclear. It is not because the Holy Spirit failed to perform His ministry to us. And it is NOT because Jesus was limited in His knowledge. Consider this...how could Jesus be limited in His knowledge of the "day and hour" in Mark 13:32, but Jesus taught the details of when the "day and hour" would and would not be on the Mount of Olives recorded in Mathew, Mark and Luke (Matt. 24:3-31, Mark 13:3-23, Luke 21:7-24)? In fact, in reading these verses, the questions by the disciples were asked in the WRONG order...Jesus, 100% God in all things, including knowledge, answered the questions in the CORRECT order. The problem with Mark 13:32 is because we are limited in our knowledge and ability to read Mark 13:32. We must rely on the Holy Spirit for “guiding (us) into all truth.” Which means the Holy Spirit has a much better way for us to read and understand Mark 13:32 that does not limit the Savior. How does that even make sense to a born again believer? THE/your Savior is limited?
BUT, what about the "but"?
The error in the Church on Mark 13:32 seems to spring from our misreading of the phrase Jesus used, “but the Father.” We think the word “but” is being used in a way that excludes Jesus from God the Father in terms of Jesus’ knowledge. We see Jesus say, “neither the Son, but the Father,” and we understand Jesus to mean, “I don’t know, but the Father knows.”
Good news! There is a perfectly acceptable, proper, and Biblical way to understand this term “but” in Jesus’ statement, so that we can hold onto Jesus’ perfect equality with the Father! Which then means Jesus does know the day and the hour…
There is a phrase we English speakers still use today, when we look on in dismay at the negative plight of people around us: “There but for the grace of God go I.” In this statement, the word “but” is used in an inclusive way. In other words, “I would be in a bad state too, but because of God, I’m still O.K.” The word “but” is used in this kind of statement not to separate us from our good state with God; it is being used to explain how we are still in a good state with God.
The same is true about Mark 13:32. The word “but” is being used inclusively. It is being used to show how Jesus still had knowledge of the day and hour of the end, despite the fact that He was 100% man and 100% God. Jesus was saying in Mark 13:32 this:
“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the
angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but for the Father”
-that is to say-
“...neither could I know, but for the fact I am one with the Father.”
What the Bible teaches about Jesus and his deity on earth... perfect harmony.
Such a reading and understanding of Mark 13:32 is true to how the Biblical text is actually stated. It is a perfectly reasonable and acceptable way to interpret the key term “but,” according to how it is used in the English language. But far, far more important: Such a reading of Mark 13:32 is perfectly consistent with what the Bible teaches about Jesus’ perfect deity while He walked the earth as a man. Amen! And such a reading of Mark 13:32 is in perfect harmony with the kind of Jesus that the Holy Spirit wants us to see. Amen!
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Jesus Christ had all the fullness of deity within Himself when He was here on earth some 2,000 years ago.
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Jesus had “all the fulness” of God, including knowledge.
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Jesus knew of the day and hour of the end. Amen!
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This was the Jesus who came to our world to show us what God the Father was like.
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This was the Jesus who knew fully about the end, and who could look into the future and know fully about you and me.
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This was the Jesus who paid the price of our sins for us, and rose from the dead for us, so that we could be saved by calling on His name through faith by grace.
Jesus, Fully God and Redeemer.
When Jesus did all that for us, He was not a watered down version of God. Jesus was not an empty shell that was being operated by God the Father’s auto pilot button. Jesus was FULLY GOD when He gave everything for us. That’s how much He loves us. Amen!
WHERE TO GO FROM HERE
How the Greek language confirms this better understanding of Mark 13:32.