Introduction
In the article “Is Jesus All-Knowing? – Matthew 24:36“, we will seek to understand what the Bible really teaches about Jesus’ omniscience. The concept of omniscience is usually associated with God, but what about Jesus? Many Christians believe that He, being God, is also omniscient, but does the Scriptures really confirm this view? We will analyze passages that suggest Jesus’ knowledge and others that seem to limit this knowledge, such as the intriguing statement in Matthew 24:36, where Jesus declares that he does not know the day of his return. Throughout the text, we will reflect on the context of Christ’s incarnation, his divine and human nature, and the implications of this for his supposed omniscience.
Definition of Omniscience
What does Omniscience mean? According to the dictionary:
“Characteristic or condition of being omniscient, who knows and understands everything… Absolute knowledge; abundant knowledge about everything.” – Dicio (Source: https://www.dicio.com.br/onisciencia – accessed on 08/15/2020)
Omniscience is the word used to refer to the absolute knowledge that God possesses. It is the knowledge of the past, present and future. It is the knowledge of things that have already happened without even being present, and also of things that will happen.
Omniscience: God and Creation
Human beings and created angels are limited in their knowledge. We only know about the things we have seen and heard, but we do not know about those things that are beyond our reach, much less about the future that we have never seen! God, however, is different. He knows all things, including those that have not yet happened. Proof of this are the many revelations that we find in His Word, revelations that were given decades, hundreds and thousands of years before they happened. These were not superficial revelations, but precise and detailed revelations about governments and kingdoms in this world.
Practically, most Jews, Christians and Muslims agree on the omniscience of God. We agree that God knows all things, even before they happen. On the other hand, the question arises about the omniscience of Jesus Christ. For the majority of Christians, who believe in the fullness of His deity (Jesus is the Sovereign God), they believe that He is omniscient. But what does the Bible teach on this subject? In today’s study, we will analyze some passages and interpretations made based on them.
Texts Used to Support Jesus’ Omniscience
Let us consider the following texts:
Luke 6:8 – “But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Get up and stand in the middle.’ So he got up and stood.“
John 2:25 – “And he had no need that any should bear witness of man: for he knew what was in man.“
John 6:64 – “But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.“
Matthew 24:2 – “But Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Truly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’“
John 1:48 – “Nathanael said to him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘ Before Philip called you , when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’“
What idea can we get after reading such texts in relation to the theme of “Omniscience“? We read that Jesus “I knew his thoughts well” and that “he knew well what was in the man“. He also knew “from the beginning” who would betray him. All these passages suggest that Jesus was omniscient. Such passages are presented by many who believe in this way. They use these passages as a basis to justify that Jesus is omniscient. But are they really being interpreted correctly in relation to this subject?
Do Not Disregard the Humanity of Christ!
To understand this subject correctly, we need to consider the incarnation and physical nature of Jesus. Let us read the following passages below:
Galatians 4:4 – “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law“
The apostle Paul declares that God sent His Son “born of woman“, that is, by being generated by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, Jesus assumed the physical nature of humanity. About Jesus, the apostle John says that He “became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus became like us by assuming humanity, and in this scenario, he had to assume the likeness of our nature. Any divine attributes he might have had, at that moment were “left behind” by the attributes of human nature. This is best addressed in Paul’s words to the Philippians:
Philippians 2:7 – “But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness“
Paul makes it clear that Christ “emptied himself” and it was done “similar to men“And such a thought about the physical nature of Jesus in his incarnation is unanimous among Christians. Now, if everyone believes that Christ “emptied himself” and it was done “similar to men“, why then do they use such passages to justify a supposed Omniscience of Jesus while he was here on earth?! This becomes a contradiction, as they are based on texts disregarding the greater context regarding the scenario in which Jesus was living.
How Did Jesus Know Certain Things? Is Jesus Omniscient?
Well, but if we are considering that Jesus was “similar to men“, and therefore could not manifest any divine attribute on his behalf, how then can we understand the passages that said that Jesus “I knew his thoughts well” and that “he knew well what was in the man“, as we presented at the beginning of this study? To this end, the following passages will provide us with clarification:
John 14:10 – “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me ? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.“
John 15:15 – “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.“
John 8:28 – “Then Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but just as the Father taught me, I speak these things.’“
John 12:49-50 – “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has given me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. Therefore whatever I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.“
In his human form, Jesus “emptied himself” and it was done “similar to men“, becoming totally dependent on the Father! In every situation where Christ spoke a message, those words were revealed and inspired by the Father! Jesus made this very clear when He said that “everything that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you“, and that the words he spoke, he did not speak on his own, but “the Father” that was in it “is who” did “the works” by him! Jesus did nothing by himself, but spoke everything as the Father taught him! Therefore, it is clear to understand that everything Jesus knew was because of the revelations that the Father gave him. Jesus did not know things because of the attribute of Omniscience!
There Were Things Jesus Didn’t Know!
Having understood the correct interpretation of these passages, we can conclude that Jesus could not have had Omniscience while in his human form. But what about his status as the Son of God before the incarnation and after his ascension? As I mentioned earlier, we do not have any passage in the Bible that directly tells us that Jesus is Omniscient. On the other hand, we do have some interesting passages that are related to the subject. Let us look at the following passages:
Matthew 24:36 – “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.“
In the passage above, speaking about the day of Jesus’ return, Jesus himself said that no one knew the date of this event, “neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son“, but only “the Father“. Regarding this event, only the person of the Father knows when it will happen. Jesus himself said that not even he knew when it would happen. However, in this passage we need to be fair and consider the scenario in which Christ was living. He was as a man, and as we mentioned, he was devoid of divine attributes. Was Christ here considering this fact, or was he really saying that only the Father had this knowledge and that not even he himself knew, regardless of the state in which he was living?
Expanding the Analysis
The answer to this question is controversial and we cannot reach an easy conclusion. However, I would like to emphasize something that many people overlook. Trinitarians justify Jesus’ lack of knowledge of this event because of his human form. On the other hand, what about the lack of this knowledge for the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit ?! If humanity justifies this for Jesus, what about the Holy Spirit who was not in human form ?
Why did only the Father know about this event, if for this doctrine, the third person of the trinity is also Omniscient according to the Father and the Son? Notice that this shows us that it is impossible for us to consider the Holy Spirit as a person different from the Father and the Son in the divinity, since only the Father knows the future events concerning the return of Jesus.
“Ah, But Jesus Was in Human Form“!
Let us now return to the main subject. Let us now consider the passages about the glorified Jesus. Is Jesus omniscient? Let us read two passages in the book of Revelation:
Jesus Searches the Hearts
Revelation 2:23 – “And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each of you according to your works.“
Notice the words of Jesus. He said that he “probes the kidneys and hearts“. If Jesus searches people’s hearts, then He has knowledge of what happens and what goes on in each person’s mind, but such knowledge is restricted to an investigation and probing done in the present time. This action of investigating and probing people’s hearts and thoughts is also carried out by God (1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalms 7:9; 139:1-2, 23-24). Both the Father and the Son know the things that are not seen and that occur in the present time. Another passage that can shed some light on this subject is the first verse of the book of Revelation, which says:
God Revealed Things to Jesus
Revelation 1:1 – “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants things which must shortly take place; and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John.“
What is this verse saying? That Jesus gave revelations of “things that must soon happen“. Such revelations were sent by the “your angel” and the “notified John” to “show your servants” whatever was going to happen. Many of us are familiar with this passage. We have read it over and over again, but we have never paid attention to the beginning of this passage, where it says that “Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him“. Who was it that gave such revelations to Jesus Christ?
The text is very clear, it was God who gave it to him! If the Father who is Omniscient gave such revelations to Jesus Christ, it is because he did not know the things that would happen! It would make no sense at all to understand such a passage as being about a person “revealing“something for someone else who already knows what it is “revealed“! If that were so, this wouldn’t be “Revelation“!
Therefore, it is quite likely that the text of Matthew 24:36, when Jesus states that “nor the Son” knew the day of his coming, but only the Father, this was encompassing his person without being limited to the state in which he found himself (human form).
Conclusion
Based on what we have studied, we have seen that there are justifications that are presented in an incoherent manner, as they contradict other matters that such people also believe in. We have seen the correct way to understand such passages. And finally, we understand that Jesus knows things that occur outside of His presence, as He possesses the Spirit of His Father, and through it He searches people’s hearts. His knowledge is limited to the present time. Regarding future things that have not yet happened, Christ only has knowledge of what the Father reveals to Him. This was the case in His humanity, and this is the case in His divinity.
May God bless us!
