John 20:17, My Father and your Father

[Christian2]

John 20:17

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

What is Jesus saying? Why didn't He say "our Father?"

Commentary by M. Anderson.

Some have objected `How can Jesus be divine if He acknowledges God to be His God, as in the words to Mary, `Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God"'' (John 20:17)

It is to be noted that when Jesus said `I am ascending to My Father and your Father and to My God and to your God', He did not to say `I am ascending to our Father and our God.' Jesus had to make the distinction between My Father and your Father and My God and your God.

It is also to be noted that in Jesus' statement we see the two natures of Christ. The statement, "My Father", points to the divine nature of Christ. When Jesus healed the man who was paralysed for 38 years the Jews objected to the healing because it took place on the Sabbath.

For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, `My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.' Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. (John 5:16-18)

The Jews understood the statement `My Father' as a claim to divinity. Had the Lord Jesus said `Our Father has been working' there would have been no problem. However, Jesus intentionally made the distinction as He did in John 20:17.

When Jesus said, `My Father ', there was the reference to the divine nature in Him. When He said, `your Father', it was because they were adopted as children due to His work of redemption. When Jesus said, `My God', there was the reference to His human nature which He acquired through the incarnation. When He said, `Your God', it was because they were His creatures. Thus the one who is a Son by nature becomes a slave by the incarnation, in order that those who are slaves by nature become sons by adoption.

Do you all agree with Anderson? Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[PaulSacramento]

Pretty much agree.
John has a very poetic right to it at times and it by far the most "Christological" of all gospels.

The writer believed Jesus to be God (in nature).

The "My God and your God" thing is used by some that try to deny the Trinity but the reality is that Jesus having the same Nature as His Father ( That nature being GOD) does NOT mean that He can't say that His Father is His God.
A comment on nature and a comment on "position of authority/reverence" are two different things.
My father and I share the same nature, but him being my father makes him "superior" to me in terms of authority.
The Son being the same nature as The Father ( both God) does not rule out one ( The Father) having a "higher" position of reverence and authority.

[Christian2]

Pretty much agree.
John has a very poetic right to it at times and it by far the most "Christological" of all gospels.

The writer believed Jesus to be God (in nature).

The "My God and your God" thing is used by some that try to deny the Trinity but the reality is that Jesus having the same Nature as His Father ( That nature being GOD) does NOT mean that He can't say that His Father is His God.
A comment on nature and a comment on "position of authority/reverence" are two different things.
My father and I share the same nature, but him being my father makes him "superior" to me in terms of authority.
The Son being the same nature as The Father ( both God) does not rule out one ( The Father) having a "higher" position of reverence and authority.

Yeah, I hear it all the time from Muslims: "How can God (the Christ) have a God?"

The Father is the highest authority to Jesus of Nazareth as a man and even as the second person of the Trinity. The Father sends the Son and the Son obeys and comes. The Son never sends the Father.

Thank you.

[PaulSacramento]

There is a core way of understanding God relation to Christianity, Islam and Judaisim and it may help you to understand how it is very hard for Muslims and some Jews to understand Christianity:

The OT God says OBEY
Allah say SUBMIT
Christ says CHOOSE

I person brought up with the understanding that God demands submission ( like a Muslim is) well have a very hard time fathoming a God that ASKS us to CHOOSE.

[Christian2]

There is a core way of understanding God relation to Christianity, Islam and Judaisim and it may help you to understand how it is very hard for Muslims and some Jews to understand Christianity:

The OT God says OBEY
Allah say SUBMIT
Christ says CHOOSE

I person brought up with the understanding that God demands submission ( like a Muslim is) well have a very hard time fathoming a God that ASKS us to CHOOSE.

Thank you.