7. If Jesus is God, why did He pray to God the Father when He was on the earth?

Answer: The Bible states that Jesus said He is God over and over again: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. Before Abraham was born, I AM. If you do not believe that I AM the great I AM, you will die in your sins. If you had known Me you would have known My Father also. He who has seen Me has seen the Father. The Father who dwells in Me does the works. I and My Father are one. He who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me. All should honor the Son just as they honor the Father; he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word, and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." (Luke 10:16; John 5:23,39,45-46; 6:37; 8:24,56,58; 10:30; 14:6,9,23).

Jesus said that a person must believe that He is God and surrender to Him as God before he or she can be saved (John 8:24-58; John 5:23). The Bible states that Jesus was the part of God that created all things (John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16). When Jesus came to earth, His body was 100% human (Son of God, Son of man) and His Spirit was 100% God (see above Scriptures). Jesus had the weaknesses of the flesh while on earth: He had pain, hunger, temptation, tiredness, weakness; therefore He needed to pray to the Father (the greater part of His Spirit while on earth: John 14:28) to overcome the weaknesses of the flesh. Although Jesus was tempted in every way, He showed evidence He was God by being the only human that never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). The Messiah had to be perfect, without sin in order to be the sacrifice (without blemish or defect) for our sin and pay the penalty for our sin (Isaiah 53:3-5).

After Jesus was resurrected, He had a perfect body and no longer had any weaknesses of the flesh. He is worshipped in heaven as God with equal glory and equal power with God the Father and God the Spirit (Matthew 28:18; John 5:23; Revelation 5:13). God is one God who has revealed/manifested Himself in three ways: Father, Son Jesus and Spirit. When the Spirit comes into a person's heart to save the person, the Father and Son Jesus come into the person by their Spirit as one God (John 14:23). When we enter heaven, the Father will be the Great Spirit of God, Jesus will be at the right hand of God (in His perfect body as one with God the Father) and the Spirit of God will proceed from the Father, through Jesus and into every believer, so we will all be with the Lord forever (Romans 8:34; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Many cult members try to prove Jesus was not God by mistranslating John 14:28 when Jesus said: "My Father is greater than I." As mentioned above, when Jesus spoke these words, He was in the weak flesh of man, He had the pains and temptations of the flesh and He had a dependency upon the greater part of His Spirit who was the Spirit of the Father in heaven. Therefore, the Father was greater than Jesus only while Jesus was in the weak flesh of man on earth and only because Jesus was in the weak flesh of man; Jesus always had equal glory with the Father, this is the reason Jesus always received worship as God from man (Matthew 8:1-4; 9:18-26; 14:33; 28:17; Luke 24:52-53; John 9:38) . As mentioned above, after the resurrection, Jesus had a perfect body with no weaknesses and has equal power and glory with the Father and will eternally have equal power and glory with the Father (Matthew 28:18; John 5:23; Revelation 5:13).

To hear a sermon on this topic go to: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FJCEBCNU