Springwater Ministries

𝗜𝗙 𝗝𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗦 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗗, 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗬, “𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗦 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗜” 𝗜𝗡 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟰:𝟮𝟴
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Jesus said, “The Father is greater than I” (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟰:𝟮𝟴) to His troubled disciples on the night of His arrest. Jesus had announced His imminent departure, and this puzzled them (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟯:𝟯𝟯–𝟯𝟴; 𝟭𝟰:𝟭; 𝟭𝟲:𝟭𝟲–𝟭𝟴).

Jesus tells them, “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I” (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟰:𝟮𝟴). So, if they truly loved Him, they would have rejoiced that He is going to the Father. Jesus had already promised that He would go and prepare a place for them in His Father’s house (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟰:𝟮). He also promised that He would come back and take them to be with Him forever (𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘 𝟯). This should have been a cause for joy. Another cause for joy is that “the Father is greater than I” (𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘 𝟮𝟴).

𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟰:𝟮𝟴 is often taken out of context to allege that Jesus is not God: “If Jesus is God,” the critics say, “how is the Father greater than He?” The apostle John, however, insists that Jesus is God (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭, 𝟭𝟴; 𝟱:𝟭𝟲–𝟭𝟴; 𝟭𝟬:𝟯𝟬; 𝟮𝟬:𝟮𝟴). John also insists that Jesus was obedient to His Father (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟯𝟰; 𝟱:𝟭𝟵–𝟯𝟬; 𝟴:𝟮𝟵; 𝟭𝟮:𝟰𝟴–𝟰𝟵). How do we resolve this perceived difficulty? Arians deny that Jesus is fully God, while Gnostics deny that Jesus is fully human. Both positions are unacceptable. Jesus is fully God and fully man. What, then, does Jesus mean when He says, “The Father is greater than I”?

First, the doctrine of the incarnation teaches that Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟮:𝟳–𝟴, ESV). Thus, “for a little while” (𝗛𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗪𝗦 𝟮:𝟵), the Father was greater in glory and exaltation. The Father was greater in that He was not subject to pain and illness and death—the Son was. The Father was greater in that He did not live in weariness and poverty and humiliation—the Son did. The “greatness” spoken of in this verse relates to role, not to essence.

Second, the doctrine of eternal Sonship teaches that the Father begat the Son. This is a difficult doctrine to grasp, but the Bible repeatedly affirms that Jesus had no beginning (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭; 𝟭𝟳:𝟱). In other words, there was never a time when Jesus was not. To claim otherwise is to fall into the heresy of Arianism.

Jesus has always existed: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭–𝟯, ESV).

In 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭𝟰, John writes that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (ESV). Jesus did not cease being God; He simply took on human flesh, yet without sin (𝗛𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗪𝗦 𝟰:𝟭𝟱). This is the most incredible moment in history! The omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Son of God assumed a human nature and lived as one of us: He was God and man at the same time.

Since Jesus always had a deep and intimate relationship with the Father, the disciples should have rejoiced that the Son was returning home (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟰:𝟮𝟴). Jesus would leave behind all the pain and sorrow of this world and regain the glory that He had with the Father before the creation of the world (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟱). If the disciples loved Him, they would be glad for Him. But His going home was for the disciples’ benefit, too, because, once in heaven, Jesus would send the promised Holy Spirit to be with them forever (𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟰:𝟭𝟱–𝟯𝟭).

We should praise God for the love that exists between the Father and Son, a love that was on full display when Jesus endured the shame of the cross for our sins (𝗛𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗪𝗦 𝟭𝟮:𝟭–𝟮).

~ WORD ~

*🛑 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗡 𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦*
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Across Africa, *“deliverance”* has become *big business*.
Fear of curses and demons fills churches every week.
Pastors shout, people fall, bottles of oil are sold, and *“holy”* objects are given for protection. The *man of God* becomes the center.

It *feels* powerful. It *looks* spiritual.
❓ But is it the *gospel of Jesus Christ*?

*🔍 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗦𝗘𝗘:*
😨 Fear preached more than faith
🧍‍♂️ Pastor seen as the only access to God
💰 Money demanded for prayers
🫙💧 Oil, water, or wristbands treated as spiritual weapons
🎭 Drama & manifestations replacing Bible teaching

*📖 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗬𝗦:*
*“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”*
*(Colossians 1:13–14)*

✝ *If you are in Christ, you are already free.* *(John 8:36)*

*📢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟:*
If your church glorifies the pastor instead of Christ, keeps you afraid, and sells blessings — 🏃 *run!*

*The Bible says:* *“Come out from among them and be separate.”* *(2 Corinthians 6:17)*

🙌 *Friend*, don’t trade the truth of Christ for religious entertainment.
The One who truly sets free is calling you to Himself.

✅ Join a church that faithfully preaches Christ and sets people free in Him.

~ WORD ~

𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟭𝟭:𝟮𝟬-𝟯𝟯 𝗝𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗝𝗘𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗠 𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘
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Rev Tom Robson
Free commentaries & resources website – www.Coms4.africa
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Roman forces destroyed the Jewish temple in AD 70, 40 years after Jesus here pronounced judgement on it. Just as the fig tree withered 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟭𝟭:𝟭𝟱-𝟮𝟮, so Jesus judged those spiritual leaders for corrupting the temple and signalled its end. As he died, the temple curtain tore, top to bottom 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟭𝟱:𝟮𝟰-𝟮𝟴. God tore it to show the way’s now open for sinners who repented and believed in Jesus to be forgiven and come freely come in prayer and worship to him. Also see 𝗛𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗪𝗦 𝟵:𝟭𝟭-𝟭𝟬:𝟮𝟮.

In 𝘃𝟭𝟰 Jesus cursed the fig tree and in 𝘃𝟮𝟬 the disciples find it withered. They’re surprised but Jesus says prayer (𝘃𝟭𝟰) is effective if we have faith in God. He’s not teaching how to remove mountains (𝘃𝟮𝟯) but Herod removed a hilltop near the temple in a building project and Jesus used this exaggerated illustration to make his point. Jesus says prayer in faith is effective – not making us rich but to grow his Church and to keep us faithful to him – even when we’re opposed for following Christ. But he adds, as in 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟲:𝟭𝟰-𝟭𝟱, that prayer’s ineffective when we refuse to forgive others 𝘃𝟮𝟱. In the years after his ascension the disciples would need to pray! And so do we – but we need faith and a forgiving attitude.

In 𝘃𝟮𝟳-𝟯𝟯 the leaders challenge Jesus, not that clearing the temple was wrong, but wanting his authority to do so. Jesus’ action effectively said he had higher authority than chief priests and Elders, which he did but they denied it. To grasp this, read his words in 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟴:𝟴-𝟭𝟮. His teaching ‘‘with authority’’ and miracles prove he worked by God’s approval and authority: read 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟭:𝟮𝟳-𝟮𝟴, 𝟮:𝟴-𝟭𝟭, 𝟮:𝟮𝟴, 𝟯:𝟲, 𝟲:𝟭-𝟮, 𝟵:𝟳! Corrupt people reject the signs the Father gave Jesus to do, demanding signs to suit them... but they didn’t get any. Nor will we – those in the 𝗕𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 are enough!

𝗢𝗧 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗬, 𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗬
All they offered is ours by faith in Jesus: free access to God, forgiveness and acceptance, belonging to God’s family, and God’s presence in us by the Holy Spirit! Glory!

~ WORD ~

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