Limitations of Jesus

The scriptures describe God as almighty, omniscient, and omnipresent, without limit (Job 11:7, Luke 1:37). In contrast, the biblical accounts of Jesus of Nazareth portray a figure with distinct limitations. Jesus himself stated, "the Son can do nothing of his own accord" (John 5:19) and "I can do nothing on my own" (John 5:30). This presents a significant theological question regarding the nature of Jesus. This article examines the biblical evidence for Jesus' limitations in knowledge, power, authority, and presence to clarify how the scriptures define his nature in relation to God.

Jesus Does Not Know Everything

Whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything. — 1 John 3:20 (ESV)

But Jesus does not know everything.

And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”

— Luke 8:45-46 (ESV); Mark 5:30

This implies Jesus did not know. If he pretended not to know, he would have been acting or deceiving his disciples.

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. — Matthew 24:36 (ESV)

At the crucifixion, Jesus only noticed what they were offering him after he tasted his drink.

... they gave him (Jesus) sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when he had tasted it, he would not drink. — Matthew 27:34 (NKJV)

Jesus taught what God the Father showed him.

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that He Himself is doing. And greater works than these will He show him, so that you may marvel.” — John 5:19-20 (ESV)

And

So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but His Who sent me." — John 7:16 (ESV)

And

The word that you hear is not mine but the Father's Who sent me. — John 14:24 (ESV)

In addition, the Jews corrected Jesus, which implies he did not know what they were thinking.

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.

Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” The Jews answered him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, 'I said, “You are gods”’? Psalm 82 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

— John 10:31-36 (NKJV)

Isn't Jesus Omniscient?

His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

— John 16:29-31 (ESV)

Some argue that based on this scripture, Jesus is omniscient and that proves he is God.

However, this is not what the disciples had said. Instead, they exclaim that "we believe that you came from God". God cannot "come" from Himself and likewise it does not make sense that God would send Himself. This rather proves that Jesus is distinct from God.

What the disciples more likely meant was that unlike any previous prophets, they now believed that Jesus had full access to God's knowledge because he "came from God". This is why Jesus confirmed: "Do you now believe?"

"Know all things" is not an omniscient statement. They more likely meant that in the context of what they were discussing, Jesus knew all things about that specific subject.

Jesus Is Teachable

God is not teachable.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! — Romans 11:33 (ESV)

And Paul quotes:

Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

— Isaiah 40:13-14 (ESV)

Jesus is teachable.

So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. — John 8:28 (ESV)

Although he (Jesus) was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. — Hebrews 5:8 (ESV)

Jesus Could Not See Everything

God sees everything.

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. — Proverbs 15:3 (ESV)

But Jesus did not notice that they mixed gall with his drink.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. — Matthew 27:33-34 (ESV)

Jesus Needed the Holy Spirit

When Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” — Luke 3:22 (ESV); Mark 1:10; Matthew 3:16

If the Holy Spirit was Jesus' own spirit, then this event would make no sense.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. — Acts 10:38 (ESV)

Prophecies of the Old Testament about the Christ indicate that he would need God's Spirit:

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

— Isaiah 11:1-2

And

“Behold! My servant whom I uphold, My elect one in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon him; He will bring forth justice to the gentiles.

— Isaiah 42:1-2 (NKJV)

And

The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; — Isaiah 61:1 (ESV)

Jesus Does Not Have the Highest Authority

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. — Matthew 4:1 (ESV); Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1-2

And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. — Matthew 20:23 (KJV)

Jesus Can Be Weak

Then the devil left him (Jesus), and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. — Matthew 4:11 (ESV); Mark 1:13

And there appeared to him (Jesus) an angel from heaven, strengthening him. — Luke 22:43 (ESV)

Jesus Is Not Omnipresent

God is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10; Ephesians 4:6; Revelation 19:6), as is God's Spirit (Psalm 139:7-10), but Jesus can only be in one place at a time.

Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” — John 11:14-15 (ESV)

Now, some argue that this was Jesus in his limited human form before he was crucified, but Jesus also talks about what he will do in the future after his resurrection, ascension, and exaltation, which shows that even then his presence would still be limited in space.

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going. — John 14:2-4 (ESV); 16:28

And

You have heard me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for my Father is greater than I. — John 14:28 (NKJV)

And

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which You have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in Your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. — John 17:11-13 (ESV)

If Jesus were omnipresent:

Then Jesus would not have said that he was going away.
Then Jesus would have been able to appear to each human individually and deal with each individual simultaneously on a personal level. This would have made his disciples redundant.
Then Jesus would have no need to come back.

However, as physical human beings, we need physical care like food, shelter, encouragement, and so forth. This problem is solved by the body of Christ, which is supposed to continue the work that Christ had started.

Even Jesus' Works Are Limited

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me (Jesus) will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. — John 14:12 (ESV)

Jesus Could Be Seen

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth... No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made Him known. — John 1:14,18 (ESV)

The LORD said to Moses... "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." — Exodus 33:20 (ESV)

Common Objections

Some theological frameworks attempt to reconcile Jesus's limitations with the doctrine that he is Almighty God. Let's examine the most common of these.

The Doctrine of Two Natures

A popular explanation is the doctrine of the hypostatic union, which proposes that Jesus is one person with two separate natures: one fully human and one fully divine. In this view, his limitations are attributed to his human nature, while his divine nature remained omniscient and omnipotent.

However, the Bible does not explicitly teach a "two-nature" doctrine. Scripture presents a unified person, not one with a divided consciousness. When Jesus stated, "the Son can do nothing of his own accord" (John 5:19) or that the Father "is greater than I" (John 14:28), he spoke of himself as a single being. He never hinted at possessing a separate, all-knowing nature that he was choosing not to use. This doctrine appears to be a later theological construct to resolve a contradiction that is more simply resolved by accepting Jesus's own words: that he is the Son of God, not the Son as God Himself.

The Theory of Kenosis (Self-Emptying)

Another argument is based on the concept of kenosis, derived from Philippians 2:7, where the interpretation is that Christ "emptied himself." This is often interpreted to mean Jesus voluntarily gave up or chose not to use his divine attributes while on Earth.

The context of Philippians 2, however, describes a change in status and role—from being the King to taking the "form of a servant" and humbling himself to the point of death. It describes what he did, not what he was.

The idea that Jesus was only pretending to be limited, while secretly possessing full divine power, seems inconsistent with his character. It would imply his prayers and statements of dependence on the Father were a performance rather than a genuine reflection of his relationship with God.

Instances of Supernatural Knowledge

Finally, critics often point to instances where Jesus displayed supernatural knowledge, such as knowing Nathanael was under the fig tree (John 1:48) or knowing the Samaritan woman's personal history (John 4:17-18), as proof of his omniscience.

These events, however, do not require Jesus to be God. They are perfectly consistent with his own testimony that he only spoke and acted as the Father revealed to him (John 5:19; 8:28). This knowledge was given to him by God for a specific purpose, just as God gave revelatory knowledge to prophets like Elisha (2 Kings 6:12). The Apostle Peter affirms this model, describing Jesus as "a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him" (Acts 2:22). The source of the knowledge and power was God, working through his Son.

Conclusion

The scriptural evidence indicates that Jesus's life was characterized by limitations that stand in contrast to the divine attributes of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. The Bible records that Jesus grew in wisdom, was not all-knowing, was teachable. Furthermore, his reliance on the Holy Spirit and his deference to the Father's authority are consistently documented. These recorded limitations are a crucial component of the biblical portrayal of Jesus, suggesting a nature distinct from that of the almighty God.