The Abuse of John 14:28 by Ahmed Deedat and Others

Ahmed Deedat

Ahmed Deedat always liked to use John 14:28 as an argument against the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Because of Deedat, Zakir Naik picked up on it and it’s now a popular verse to “refute” the Trinity.  What does the passage really say?

You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.

Usually Deedat would just quote the last six words of the verse that say the Father is greater than I.  If he were to quote the few words before he would read that Jesus is going to the Father.  Why is He going to the Father?

According to traditional Christian Trinitarian doctrine, Jesus is co-equal with the Father through all eternity.  Now, there is an exception and that’s during His 33 year ministry on Earth.  In St. Paul’s epistle to the Philippians we read the early tradition that St. Paul is quoting.  It may even be an early hymn.  We read:

Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

– Philippians 2:5-7

Jesus Christ is becoming less than the Father so that He can complete His mission.  He needs to be obedient to death.  Remember how Jesus said that He was going to the Father.  In John 17:5 we read:

and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.

– John 17:5

Jesus Christ is asking the Father to glorify Him with the glory He had with the Father prior to Creation. He’s asking for two things here.  The glory is given first.  When is it given?  We read the following verse at the end of the Gospel of Matthew:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

– Matthew 28:18

This is when the glory was given back to Christ.  He possessed the glory in the form of all authority on heaven and on earth.  His equality and glory with the Father was restored by the Father.  He entered into the presence of the Father when he ascended into heaven shortly afterwards.  The request made by the Lord Jesus Christ to the Father was granted.

This is why Jesus can say that the Father was greater than Himself.  This was true during the 33 year ministry.  This is not true before the world began or after He ascended to the Father.  As we speak the first and second person of the Trinity share equality.

It’s a nice soundbite that Deedat, Naik and other apologists use.  Unfortunately for them, when context is brought into the equation, they get shredded.