When did Jesus know that He was God?

[Andy C]

Jesus was always God. From eternity past He has been the second Person of the Trinity, and He always will be. The question of when, after the Incarnation, the human Jesus knew that He was God is interesting, but it is not addressed in Scripture. We know that, as an adult, Jesus fully realized who He was, expressing it this way: “Very truly I tell you, . . . before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58). And when He prayed, “Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5).

It also seems that, as a child, Jesus was already aware of His nature and work. When Jesus was twelve years old, Joseph and Mary took the family to Jerusalem. On their way home, they were concerned about Jesus’ being missing from their caravan. They returned to Jerusalem and found Jesus “in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46). His mother asked Jesus why He would disappear and worry them so. Jesus asked in return, “Why were you searching for me? . . . . Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (verse 49). Joseph and Mary did not understand Jesus’ words (verse 50). Whatever those around Him did not grasp, it seems that Jesus, at a very young age, did know that He was the Son of God and that the Father had foreordained the work He was to do.

After the incident in the temple, Luke says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). If at this point in Jesus’ human experience He knew everything, He would not need to “grow in wisdom.” We emphasize that this was Jesus’ human experience. Jesus never ceased being God, but in some matters He veiled His divinity in accordance with the Father’s will. Thus, the Son subjected Himself to physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual growth. The Son of God voluntarily put Himself in the position of needing to assimilate knowledge as a man.

When did Jesus know that He was God? From the heavenly perspective, the Son knew from eternity past who He was and what His earthly work was to be. From the earthly perspective, the incarnate Jesus came to that realization at some point early in life. Just when that point was, we cannot know for sure.

When did Jesus know that He was God? | GotQuestions.org

When did Jesus know that He was God? Did Jesus know that He was God when He was a baby?

www.gotquestions.org

 

[Andy C]

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?​

Scripture affirms that Jesus was fully God and fully human, yet the Bible does not detail how these two work together in His humanity. From His birth, others recognized Him as the promised King and Messiah, and by age twelve it was clear that He was conscious of being about His Father’s work. Throughout His ministry, Jesus openly declared His deity, performed miracles, and fulfilled prophecies, with His resurrection serving as the ultimate confirmation. While some believe He limited certain divine attributes during His earthly life, others hold that He retained full omniscience at all times. Regardless, Jesus’ full deity and mission were constant, and His identity as God is the foundation of our faith and trust in Him.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT​

• Jesus knowing that He was God is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT​

• According to John 1:1, Jesus, as the "Word," was with God in the beginning and was God. Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus was aware of His divinity, and He expressed this truth on multiple occasions (John 10:30; Matthew 26:63–64).
• Jesus’ mother was told He would be the Christ (Luke 1:26-33).
• From birth, those who saw Him realized that He was a king (Luke 2:1-20).
• Simeon and Anna recognized Him as the one God sent (Luke 2:22-38).
• At the age of twelve, the religious teachers were amazed at His wisdom. Jesus also affirmed His mission, knowing that He was about His Father's business (Luke 2:41-5).
• When Jesus began His public ministry at about the age of 30, John the Baptist recognized Him as the Coming Messiah. He said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).
• Jesus called Himself the "I Am" in John 8:58 in connection with God as the "I Am" in Exodus 3:14.
• A Roman centurion who witnessed Jesus' crucifixion declared Jesus' divinity (Matthew 27:54).
• The apostle John noted, "I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34).
• When Thomas saw the resurrected Jesus, He made the clear and accurate statement, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28).
• Jesus both taught He is divine and gave evidence by His healings and miracles. His ultimate proof came through His resurrection from the dead on the third day, after which He appeared to many witnesses (1 Corinthians 15).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY​

Some have suggested that in His human life, Jesus did not always know He is God. Philippians 2:7 talks about Jesus emptying Himself. Some say that Jesus set aside certain of His divine attributes while on earth. This does not contradict the fact that Jesus has always been and will always be fully divine. It simply means that Jesus chose to be limited in some respects (for instance requiring nourishment and sleep). Others argue that because Jesus did not lose His divine attributes or become any less divine while on earth, He was all-knowing during his earthly life. That He may not have expressed this knowledge in His early years does not detract from Jesus knowing He is God. Colossians 2:9 teaches, "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily." This is why others say there was never a moment that Jesus became less than one hundred percent omniscient (all-knowing) as a human.

Jesus was born of a woman and grew similarly to other humans. Yet He also held full deity within His human form, including full knowledge that He is divine. Though Jesus did not express this understanding until later, it is likely that Jesus always knew of His divine nature. Our faith rests on more than just Jesus’ teachings—it rests on who He is. We can trust His words and His promises because they come from the eternal Son of God, not merely a wise human teacher. Just as Jesus lived with full awareness of His mission, we are called to live with a clear understanding of our identity in Him, letting that shape our purpose, decisions, and devotion each day.

When did Jesus know He was God? - Compelling Truth

Jesus was always fully God and knew His divine identity, shown through His words, works, and resurrection. Though Scripture doesn’t specify when He knew, His deity never changed.

www.compellingtruth.org