“Before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33)

Since Jesus is God, can we say that the Son is the Father?

Is the Son of God our heavenly Father?

As we read through the New Testament, it seems that every page answers this question. Here is just one example. Note carefully what Jesus says:

Matthew 10:32–33 (NIV) — “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Jesus speaks of his Father in heaven and of the future judgment when he will acknowledge BEFORE HIS FATHER those who acknowledge him now before others. He will disown BEFORE HIS FATHER those who disown him now before others.

The Bislama is equally clear:

“…bambae mi tu, mi talemaot nem blong hem LONG FES BLONG PAPA BLONG MI long heven… bambae mi tu, mi talemaot LONG FES BLONG PAPA BLONG MI long heven, se hem i no man blong mi.”

Jesus will acknowledge to his Father in heaven all those who belong to him, and he will disown or denounce before his Father in heaven all those have disowned or denounced him on earth.

In that future judgment, there will be a transaction between the Son and his Father whereby the Son’s action of acknowledging us or disowning us will determine whether his Father allows us entry into his heavenly kingdom.

Clearly while the Father is the one true God, and while the Son is also the one true God, the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Father. Jesus, the Son of God, will acknowledge or disown us BEFORE HIS FATHER on the basis of our relation with him, Jesus the Son.

John 14:6 (NIV) — Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.