This is an important question that deserves careful examination of the biblical evidence. John 17:3 records Jesus praying to the Father and saying, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” On the surface, this verse seems to indicate that Jesus was denying His own deity and affirming that only the Father is “the only true God.” However, when we look at the totality of Scripture, we see that Jesus made other statements that point to His own divine identity. So how do we reconcile Jesus’ statement in John 17:3 with His claims to be God elsewhere?
The Deity of Jesus Christ
First, it’s important to establish what the rest of the Bible says about Jesus’ divine nature. Scripture teaches that Jesus existed eternally as the Word of God and as God Himself (John 1:1-3, 14). Jesus claimed divine authority to forgive sins (Luke 5:20-24). He accepted worship on numerous occasions (Matthew 14:33; 28:9, 17; John 9:38). He demonstrated His power over nature by calming storms, walking on water, and multiplying food (Mark 4:39; 6:48; 8:5-9). He claimed to have the authority to raise Himself from the dead and said that He is equal with God the Father (John 2:19; 5:18; 10:30). The apostles also taught Christ’s deity in passages like Colossians 2:9: “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” And of course, there is Thomas’ exclamation when he saw the resurrected Christ, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). The cumulative evidence overwhelmingly confirms that Jesus is fully God.
The Distinction Between the Father and Son
At the same time, Scripture is also clear that there is distinction between the Father and the Son. This is seen, for example, in the frequent references Jesus makes to the Father sending Him into the world (John 5:30, 36-38; 6:38-39; 7:16; 8:16). He prays to the Father (Matthew 26:36-44). It’s the Father who gives Jesus authority (Matthew 28:18). And Jesus is said to be the visible image of the invisible God – pointing to distinction between them (Colossians 1:15).
Therefore, it’s no surprise to find Jesus making a distinction between Himself and the Father, even while affirming His own deity. This distinction of persons between the Father and Son has been described as an “eternal loving relationship.” The early church fathers wrestled with how to understand the interrelationship between the persons of the Trinity. Various inadequate analogies were suggested, but in the end, it remains a divine mystery that the Father, Son, and Spirit are one God, yet exist in some sense as distinct persons.
The Father as “the Only True God”
So when Jesus calls the Father “the only true God” in John 17:3, He is primarily making a distinction between Himself and the Father to highlight the unique aspects of the Father’s role, while in no way denying His own deity. Indeed, just a few verses later in John 17:5, Jesus claims to have shared the Father’s glory before the world existed. The phrase “only true God” does not mean that no other beings can be “true God” also, but that the Father is the supreme God over all creation.
There are a few reasons why Jesus may have emphasized the Father as “the only true God” in this particular passage:
- As noted above, it highlights the distinction between the Father and the Son.
- It underscores the Father’s unique role in Jesus’ mission – the Father “sent” Jesus (John 17:3).
- Jesus was about to face the cross, where He would cry out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). He trusted the Father even unto death.
- Jesus had just finished declaring many times that He came not of His own initiative but was sent by the Father (John 8:42; 12:49; 14:24). He was emphasizing the Father as the ultimate source.
- This prayer was for the sake of the disciples, that they may know the Father, who would send the Spirit after Jesus departed (John 14:26; 15:26).
Therefore, we cannot isolate this single verse and claim that it proves Jesus denied His own deity. We must read it in its context and in light of the full counsel of Scripture.
Jesus Claims to be “I AM”
In fact, on several occasions Jesus explicitly claimed divinity using the divine name revealed to Moses at the burning bush – “I AM.” When the Pharisees asked Jesus who He was, He responded, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). And when Judas came to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said “I AM” – at which point the soldiers fell back onto the ground (John 18:5-8). By taking the name “I AM” onto Himself, Jesus was clearly claiming to be the same God who appeared to Moses in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14).
Thomas Calls Jesus “My Lord and My God”
After the resurrection, when Thomas doubts, Jesus appears to him and invites him to touch His scars. Thomas then exclaims, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). If Jesus was merely a prophet and not divine, He surely would have corrected Thomas. But instead, Jesus affirms what Thomas said without any hint that He was wrong to call Him God. The other disciples were also present and did not correct Thomas’ declaration either.
This passage provides powerful and unambiguous proof that Jesus accepted praise as God. If Jesus were only a creature, even a highly exalted one, it would have been blasphemous and idolatrous for Thomas to address Him as “my God.” But Jesus graciously accepts the titles Lord and God from Thomas.
The Absolute Uniqueness of Jesus
A helpful way to understand Jesus’ identity is to consider His absolute uniqueness in Scripture. Jesus is the only person ever said to be without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He is the only person to raise Himself from the dead (John 2:19-21). He is the only person ever said to have existed with God in the beginning as God Himself (John 1:1-3, 18). The Bible is unambiguous that Jesus is the divine Son of God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.
At the same time, while here on earth, Jesus temporarily surrendered some of His divine privileges and took on human flesh in order to fulfill the Father’s mission (Philippians 2:5-8). He prayed often to the Father to demonstrate His dependence on God even though He Himself is God. But at no point did Jesus deny His own deity.
The Name Above All Names
The name and status that is ascribed to Jesus Christ at the end of His earthly ministry confirms His divine identity beyond any doubt. Philippians 2:9-11 declares that in consequence of Christ’s voluntary death on the cross, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus was not merely a prophet or righteous man, but the very divine Son in whom resides “all the fullness of deity in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).
The only plausible reason every knee will someday bow to Jesus and every tongue confess Him as Lord is if He is Himself Almighty God, one with the Father. This level of global exaltation could not be given to any creature, no matter how great. It is a name and status reserved for God alone.
Conclusion
In summary, although Jesus refers to the Father as “the only true God” in John 17:3, this does not mean that Jesus Himself is not fully divine. Scripture clearly teaches Christ’s deity in the totality of its witness. When Jesus claims divinity for the Father, He is primarily highlighting a distinction of roles, while affirming His own divine nature and eternal relationship with the Father. Jesus and His apostles teach that He is God incarnate (John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8). The Father and the Son, along with the Holy Spirit, are the one true God revealed in three co-equal divine Persons. Understanding this triune nature of God is key to making sense of Jesus’ identity.
