The Son Who is Exactly Like the Father

The Hebrew Bible emphatically testifies that there is no heavenly being, no other god, that is comparable to Yahweh, and none among them that can do what the only true God does in the way that he does it:

Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?” Exodus 15:11

No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God… The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.” 1 Samuel 2:2, 6

Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works. All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.” Psalm 86:8-10

“And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints. For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him. O LORD God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.” Psalm 89:5-8

According to the inspired NT documents, however, Jesus Christ is exactly like God, since he is the exact representation of his eternal Being. And as God’s unique Son, Christ does everything that his Father does in the exact same way that the Father does it, such as creating and sustaining all creation by his powerful word, giving spiritual and physical life, and raising the dead from their tombs:

“Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.’” John 5:19-29

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power… And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, ‘And let all the angels of God worship Him.’… And, ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands; They will perish, but You remain; And they all will become old like a garment, And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.’” Hebrews 1:1-3a, 6, 8-12 NASB

Astonishingly, the writer not only has ascribed to Christ the role of Sustainer and the worship of the angels, which the Hebrew Bible attributes to Yahweh alone,  

“You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.” Nehemiah 9:6

He also has the Father applying to his glorious Son the very words of the following Psalm, which describes Yahweh as the immutable Creator and Sustainer of all things!

“Hear my prayer, O LORD, And let my cry come to You… But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations… Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will have no end.” Psalm 102:1, 12, 25-27

The Hebrew Scriptures further state that Yahweh is greater than all the gods and is exalted far above them all, and that he alone sits enthroned on high in the heavens above:

“Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.” Exodus 18:11

“That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.” Psalm 83:18

“For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.” Psalm 97:9

“Who is like the LORD our God, Who dwells on high,” Psalm 113:5

And yet the NT authors testify that Christ is exalted far above the heavens and above every power and authority in creation, being enthroned on high as the God who reigns forever:

“and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, FAR ABOVE all principality and power and might and dominion, and EVERY NAME that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head OVER ALL THINGS to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:19-23

“… when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high… But to the Son He says: ‘Your throne, O God (ho Theos), is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.’” Hebrews 1:3b, 8-9

“who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life… Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.” Hebrews 7:16, 23-28

“There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.” 1 Peter 3:21-22

What this shows is that Jesus is not a mere creature, nor is he simply one of the gods and sons of God in the heavenly council. Rather, Christ is the eternal, uncreated Son who is essentially coequal to the Father, which is why he is exactly like God Almighty and can do everything that God does since he too is the Almighty God, being the divine Son who is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit:

“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:16-20

Unless noted otherwise, all scriptural citations taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Holy Bible.

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