If Jesus Is God, Why Did He Not Know The Time Of The Hour (Matthew 24:36)? Series

Jesus Knows Everything.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. As God, Jesus possesses all the attributes of God, including omniscience (all-knowing). However, during His time on earth, Jesus' divine attributes were sometimes veiled, leading to questions about His knowledge.

One such instance is Matthew 24:36, where Jesus says, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." At first glance, it seems Jesus didn't know the time of His return. Let's explore this passage and others to understand Jesus' omniscience.

Understanding Matthew 24:36

In Matthew 24:36, Jesus is speaking about the timing of His second coming. While He says He doesn't know the day or hour, this verse can be understood in a few ways:

Jesus' statement might be about His role as mediator: As the mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5), Jesus might be emphasizing that He receives knowledge from the Father for the purpose of revelation.

Limitation in His human nature: During His earthly ministry, Jesus lived in dependence on the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14). In His human nature, He might have chosen not to access certain knowledge, demonstrating His reliance on the Father.

Examples of Jesus' Omniscience

Despite the nuance in Matthew 24:36, the Bible clearly shows Jesus' divine knowledge in many instances. Here are examples:

Knowing the thoughts of others: Jesus knew what people were thinking (Matthew 9:4; Luke 5:22), demonstrating His divine insight.

Predicting the future: Jesus foretold His own death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21; 20:17-19), showing His knowledge of future events.

Seeing Nathanael under the fig tree: Jesus knew Nathanael's character and actions before meeting him (John 1:47-50), indicating His supernatural knowledge.

Knowing the Samaritan woman's past: Jesus revealed the woman's marital history without being told (John 4:17-18), showcasing His divine awareness.

Predicting Peter's denial: Jesus knew Peter would deny Him three times before it happened (Matthew 26:34; John 13:38), demonstrating His foreknowledge.

Knowing who touched Him: When the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus, He felt power go out of Him and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" (Mark 5:25-34), showing His awareness of the specific action.

Foretelling the fall of Jerusalem: Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (Matthew 24:1-2; Luke 19:41-44), displaying His knowledge of future historical events.

Knowing Judas would betray Him: Jesus identified Judas as the betrayer (John 6:64, 70-71; 13:21-27), demonstrating His knowledge of individual actions.

Seeing all people: Jesus saw the crowds before Him, knowing their needs and conditions (Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34), showing His divine compassion and insight.

Knowing the Father and the Father knowing Him: Jesus spoke of the intimate knowledge He shared with the Father (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22), highlighting their divine unity and knowledge.

Giving sight to the blind man: Jesus knew the man's faith and healed him (Mark 10:46-52), demonstrating Jesus' awareness and divine power.

In His role as mediator between God and humanity, Jesus might not have been given this specific knowledge by the Father for the purpose of revelation.

To Keep People Vigilant and Prepared

Encouraging readiness: By not revealing the exact time, Jesus emphasizes the importance of being prepared and vigilant. This is a recurring theme in the New Testament, particularly in the parables of Jesus (Matthew 25:1-13; Luke 12:35-40).

Focus on faithfulness, not timing: The Bible encourages believers to focus on living faithfully and obediently, rather than speculating about the timing of Jesus' return (Matthew 24:42-51; 25:14-30).

The Father's authority: According to Matthew 24:36, the reason Jesus doesn't know the day or hour is that "only the Father" knows. This underscores the Father's sovereignty and authority over the timing of Jesus' return

Despite the functional differences and roles, Jesus and the Father are one in essence and nature (John 10:30; Philippians 2:6). Jesus' statement about the Father being the only one who knows the day or hour doesn't diminish His divinity but highlights the distinct roles within the Trinity.

Jesus' submission to the Father and the Father's sovereign decision-making don't contradict Jesus' divinity.

The Bible affirms Jesus' divinity in several passages, such as John 1:1, where Jesus is described as the Word who was with God and was God, and Colossians 2:9, which states that in Jesus "all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.

Mystery of God: The Bible speaks of the mystery and depth of God's nature (Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16).

Partial knowledge: Humans have partial knowledge, but God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Faith in God's character: Even when we don't fully understand, we can trust in God's loving character and sovereign control over all things.

Focus on relationship: Our relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ allows us to experience His love, grace, and guidance, even if we don't comprehend every aspect of His nature.