"No One Knows the Day or Hour”

There! He admits it Himself… Jesus isn't God??

There has recently been an exchange of opinions regarding Jesus between me and a Muslim student. It was a quiet encounter and quite interesting because it had a touch of déjà vu about it. When speaking about the New Testament, there were times it could have been a Jehovah’s Witness, Christadelphian, Atheist, or a graduate of Yale Divinity School at the other end.

The common attribute between the Infidels and the Muslims was that neither of them demonstrated rigorous scrutiny. The same incomplete truths kept surfacing. The investigation doesn’t sift through all the evidence, which is common.

This figure shows the frequency of the ordinary types of errors in the claims of error submitted to one of the Creation Websites. It can be seen that there are not that many, and one sticks out — lack of diligence — they stop too early.

Another commonality is the recurring claim that Jesus could not be God because of what He said — He hoisted Himself with His own petard.

Islam, in particular, applies the basic Laws of Logic to this. There is a lot of impressively heavy thinking. But there is an old proverb, ‘Paying attention is more important than thinking. You may end up thinking about the wrong thing.’

The difference between the pro-Christ and the anti-Christ is that the former searches for Truth and the latter halts at anything that could possibly be construed as a lie.

Come on! Get to it.

There are a number of instances where Jesus separates Himself from the Father in Heaven. These have been well covered by other contributors to Medium; this article by Hope You Are Curious, for instance, so there is no point in re-ploughing that ground. You are strongly advised to read it.

The focus here will be on what is written in Mark 13:32–33 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”

The simple logic applied here is, “God knows everything. Jesus admits He doesn’t know; ipso facto He can’t possibly be God.”

It is admitted that this verse, in particular, has vexed me for a long time. But this morning I was given an Ahasuerus (of Esther’s Xerxes fame) moment. The penny dropped at 02:10 am when the radio was switched on to hear the exact clip of this answer.

It is written in Hebrews 2:14–18 "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Now read the famous Kenosis, expressed in Philippians 2:5–8. The key text is Philippians 2:7, where Paul writes that Christ “emptied himself” by:

• Taking the form of a servant

• Being born in human likeness

• Humbling himself to the point of death — even death on a cross

Reading these two texts together shows that Jesus took on the natural abilities of a mortal human. The Kenosis shows He didn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. In modern, cheap idiom, it could possibly be described as being in a Hiatus (between gigs). There was every intention of Him returning to His former Glory.

For reasons best known to Himself, God has ordained His Redemption Plan to be as it is.

[Don’t argue with me. Show Him where He is wrong when you get your chance.]

So, for those who think along these lines, I have a question for YOU.

Jesus was made to have the same natural abilities that YOU have. Can YOU tell the future? Remember, divination is a Capital Crime. [Guesses don’t count. YOU don’t even know if YOU will be alive tomorrow.]

I’ll gladly respond to any remotely plausible counterargument. Otherwise there’s too much important work to do.

The forgoing evidence has not been presented to convince any reader but to allow a personal decision to be made. There is much more to know about this subject. Perhaps you’ll pay another visit, sometime. If you have seen something you like, I encourage plagiarism. So, always check everything I say first, then please re-cycle, re-brand, re-structure, re-issue, re-label, or regurgitate in any manner you please. No need to acknowledge me because it is the Holy Spirit Who holds the Intellectual Rights.

All Glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

(We all have a plank in our eye. It’s bigger than we think.)

© ネ Brad Banardict