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Was Jesus praying to Himself?

by | Mar 9, 2011 | Jesus, Questions

Question: Was Jesus praying to Himself?

Answer:  Jesus prayed to inform Christians about the importance of communicating with God. Jesus taught Christians how to pray (Matt. 6:9), and Jesus is our example. John 13:15 says, “For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”

Why did Jesus need to pray at all? Why did Jesus pray out loud, audibly? Could God the Father hear His Son if He prayed silently? Of course. However, Jesus told us why He prayed right before He raised Lazarus from the dead: “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me,” John 11:41-42.

Jesus prayed audibly so that the people would believe and the Bible could be written. Jesus and the Father are one (John 10:30)–that is one in purpose and one in essence. They are totally united, one in purpose, one in thought and one in deed. Jesus is very unique as God, the only human being who is God incarnate. He is the “only begotten.” What does “begotten” mean?

Begotten(Greek=monogenes, i.e. mono=”one” genes=Father-Son relationship) or “one of a kind,” per John 1:1 and John 1:14. There has never been anybody like Jesus, and there will never be another like Him. He was totally unique, God incarnated. Jesus emptied Himself (Philippians 2:6-9) and took upon him flesh, a second nature where He experienced exhaustion, thirst, suffering, death, and resurrection.

The Bible says that Jesus is God, not “a” god, like a false god (see Isaiah 9:6, John 14:9, John 20:28, etc.). In fact, we know Jesus is the one true God because He said that He can only do what His Father does. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does,” John 5:19. Have you ever wondered why Jesus the Son cannot do something of Himself? He says that He can only do what the Father does. This is the way Jesus conveys that He has a special divine relationship with God, His Father. It is special because Jesus and the Father are One in essence!

There should be no doubt that Jesus is God. The Bible says:

“Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ 9 Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”?'” John 14:8-9.

When we see Jesus face to face, we will be face to face with God. There is no separating the One True God. See The Trinity

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