Q:   If Jesus is God, why did He always refer to the Father as God? How can Jesus be worshipped as God when He called Himself the Son of God?

A:   This question refers specifically to Jesus' sonship and asks how he can be God if He is God's son? Perhaps the struggle is with terminology that would suggest Jesus was His own father. How can this be, or how can a man be himself and be his own son at the same time?

Notwithstanding, the question is based upon the supposition: "if Jesus is God." Ironically, if we can demonstrate from scripture clear evidence that Jesus was and is God, the impetus of the question is lost.

Let's begin with the nature of God: there is only one true and living God. Scripture reveals that there are three persons of God. These three persons of God are distinct from one another, and each person of God is individually referred to as God, i.e., God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

The Deity Of Christ:

The Book of John tells us much about the deity of Jesus:

1. He came from God.
1. In John 6:41, 42, Jesus stated that he is the bread of life sent from the Father.
2. In John 6:38, Jesus stated that he came down from heaven to do His Father's work.
3. In John 7:7:28, 29, He again claims to have come from God.
2. He alone has seen God.
1. John 6:46, "Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father."
3. He is equal to God
1. In John 8:56-59 He calls Himself the "I AM" (refer to Exodus 3:14).
2. In John 8:24 He taught others it was necessary to believe in Him.
4. He is the creator
1. John 1:1 The Word was God and was with God in the beginning.
2. John 1:2 All things came into being through Him.
3. John 1:14 The Word became flesh among us, and man beheld the Father's glory in Him.

The divinity of Jesus Christ is evident throughout the New Testament writings. Consider these passages:

These verses make certain that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was and is unquestionably God. It simply remains for us to understand what it means to be the Son of God.

The Sonship Of Christ:

The scriptures clearly declare Jesus to be the Son of God:

There is a sense in which all men are sons of God because we are His offspring (Acts 17:28), descendants from Adam.

However, when Jesus made the claim to be the Son of God, the people knew He did not mean mere offspring. He was claiming to be deity, which is why the unbelievers took this to be blasphemy.

We have a common understanding of sonship in our family relationships. Our sons originate from their fathers from generation to generation. We are not to think of God the same way we think of man. The spiritual relationship of Christ to the Father is not like the physical relationship men have with their sons.

The Only Begotten Son:

The term "only begotten Son" is not to be taken in the sense of a relationship of origin. The begetting is not an event with respect to time. Christ did not become the Son of God, as by conception, He IS the Son of God. W. E. Vine states, "With reference to Christ, the phrase "only begotten from the Father"... indicates that as the Son of God He was the sole representative of the Being and character of the One who sent Him. ...It suggests relationship indeed, but must be distinguished from generation as applies to man."

"Only begotten" indicates a closeness, an intimacy in sharing all the Father's councils and affections. It expresses eternal unity and divine love:

"Only begotten" is to be understood as preciousness. The value of the gift, the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross, lies in His Sonship, not His incarnation:

"Only begotten" brings to bear the full revelation of the will and character of the Father through Jesus Christ, the object of our faith. God's justice and grace is conveyed by Him whom He sent:

Conclusion:

With our finite minds and limited knowledge, it will be impossible for us to fully grasp or explain the wonders of our magnificent God. We have but to only accept by faith through His word that Jesus is both God and with God; He is both God and the Son of God. As God, He is worthy of our worship and adoration.

If Jesus is not whom he claims to be; the Son of God, one coming from God, one having seen God, and one equal to God; then he is a liar and the greatest deceiver of man.