“I and the Father are one.”
What does he mean by saying, “one?” A quick look in Strong’s Concordance suggests that the English translation here is every bit as clear and oblique as the Greek. One means one. It can mean ‘one’ as in one thing, or it can mean ‘one’ as in whole, or complete.
“I and the Father are one.”
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, in the second chapter and the twenty-fourth verse God says, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” What does that mean, “one flesh?” Is that the same kind of thing that Jesus is talking about or different? It is mentioned again and again in the New Testament as an example of oneness.
When Jesus says he and the Father are one, at the very least there is a sense of unity between them that makes the words and actions of one indistinguishable from the other. There is also, for me, a sense of spiritual oneness between God the Father and the Son. Yes, they are Father and Son, but the Son seems to have all of the power and authority of the Father, and the Father seems to be quite pleased with the Son.
Oneness. Kind of a nice thought for Valentine’s day. For those of us who are married, it is a day to rejoice in the union we have with our spouse. For those not married, it is a day to ponder the value of marriage and the meaning of the relationships with those we love. As Christians, the day is also a reminder of how much our God loves us.
Let’s Discuss: If you are willing, share your thoughts on what Jesus means by saying, “I and the Father are one.”
Well, to get the ball rolling, Jesus doesn’t do things on his own. He did things in the will of the Father. He didn’t just do things he thought we region, or what he felt like doing in the moment. He was one with a Holy God.
Last night in the youth guys small group we also talked about this concept and the relationship between the Father and Son in John 14. Our conversation centered around the equality and oneness of God in relationship to Jesus submission to the Fathe and his authorityr – “greater than I”.
A concept one of my professors thought was important in understanding is the “perichorisis” of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Throughout scripture and especially in the new testament gospels there are many descriptions of the spiritual mutual indwelling of the Father, Son, and Spirit – perichorisis. There is spiritual and relational unity among the three persons. As Rich said, Jesus specifically connects his message and mission to oneness with the Father.
Hear O Israel, the Lord Our God, the Lord is One. This oneness in the Shema (Deut. 6: 4), is echad. It is the same oneness used when God said the two shall become one flesh when referring to marriage. If He had meant one without relationship He would have used the word yachid. but He did not, He used a word that refers to a relationship of being of the same essence for eternity past – or before time existed. Yahweh is One, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
“One” of the things I find comforting about knowing Jesus is that knowing the Author of Life is the answer to so many things that we as people cannot know. There are severe limits on our human knowledge and without God we stumble blindly through the universe trying to understand that which is forever beyond our grasp. In this case, Jesus’ statement that he and the Father are “one” is enough for me. Knowing Jesus I know that I can trust him.