“I and the Father are one” is one of Jesus’ most famous and controversial claims.
By saying this in John 10:30, Jesus claims to be God.
Many people today argue that the Bible doesn’t provide evidence for Jesus’ claim.
This is false.
In this article, you will find irrefutable evidence from the Bible showing that Jesus and the Father are truly one.
This article shows that the same characteristics and functions that Yahweh has in the Old Testament are assigned to both Jesus and the Father in the New Testament. This proves that Jesus is God and equal in power, purpose, and essence with the Father.
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What does “I and the Father are one” mean?
The phrase “I and the Father are one” is found in John 10:30 and is a significant declaration by Jesus about His divine nature. Jesus asserts His unity with God the Father, emphasizing that He and the Father share the same essence and purpose.
The statement “I and the Father are one” highlights Jesus’ divinity and underscores His unique relationship with the Father. This relationship is a cornerstone of the Christian belief in the Trinity, where God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit are distinct persons but of one essence.
Thus, Jesus claims to be God and not merely a creature or a messenger of God. In the context of John 10:30, He claims to have equal power with the Father, as you will see later in the article.
When the Jews heard Jesus’ claim in John 10:30, they understood the gravity of His words. They perceived His claim as a declaration of divinity, a claim to be God, and their reaction was disbelief and anger. They wanted to stone Him for what they saw as blasphemy (John 10:33). Jesus, however, does not correct their understanding. Instead, He reinforces His claim in John 10:34-38 by asserting His identity as the Son of God.
Jesus’ claim to be one with the Father wasn’t blasphemy, but the truth and the seven proofs below will show it beyond any doubt.
Context of “I and the Father are one”
The context for Jesus’ famous comparison “I and the Father are one” in John 10:30 begins three verses earlier. When you examine verses 27-29, you learn the context for verse 30. The context concerns sheep (believers), hands (power), and eternal life.
John 10:27-29
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
In verses 27-29, you will also see how Jesus equals Himself with God the Father. This is also the first proof in our list that proves Jesus’ claim; “I and the Father are one.”
1st: Jesus and the Father have equal power
Hand in the Bible means power (Isaiah 1:25, Luke 1:66). John 10:27-29 shows that Jesus has the same power as the Father, the Power of God.
Jesus claims that he gives eternal life to His sheep. This is something that only God can do. If Jesus has the authority to do this, he must also be able to do it. If Jesus has the authority to give eternal life to believers but not the ability, he is not God. Here, Jesus claims He has the authority and ability; therefore, He is God.
See also how, in verse 28, He says that no one will snatch the sheep out of His hand. Then, in verse 29, He says that no one can snatch the sheep out of the Father’s hand, equalling His hand to the Father’s. In other words, Jesus says He has the same power as the Father.
That is the context of John 10:30, where Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” The Jews understood that Jesus claimed to be God and picked up stones to stone Him again, as you can read in verse 31.
The following three verses from the Old Testament will strengthen the above proof. In Isaiah 43:13 and Deuteronomy 32:39, Yahweh says, “There is no one who can deliver out of my hand.” In John 10:28, Jesus says no one can deliver out of His hand.
In Psalm 95:6-8, the believers are “the sheep of God’s hand,” like in John 10, they are the sheep of Jesus’ hand. The Psalm continues, “Today, if you hear His voice,” meaning that God’s sheep hear God’s voice, just like in John 10, the sheep hear Jesus’ voice.
Isaiah 43:13
Yes, since the day was, I am he.
There is no one who can deliver out of my hand.
I will work, and who can hinder it?”
Deuteronomy 32:39
“See now that I myself am he.
There is no god with me.
I kill and I make alive.
I wound and I heal.
There is no one who can deliver out of my hand.
Psalm 95:6-8 (ESV)
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
The above six verses from the Old and the New Testament prove that “I and the Father are one” by showing that Jesus and the Father have the same power to give eternal life to believers, which only God can do.
Let’s move on to the second proof.
2nd: Jesus and the Father share the same priests
The following proof comes from Isaiah 61, which Jesus famously read in a synagogue in His hometown, Nazareth. The quote from Isaiah and Jesus’ words after the reading enraged the audience so much that they were about to throw Jesus off a cliff (Luke 4).
The first verses of Isaiah 61 talk about the Messiah and how God has sent him to preach good news to the humble and to proclaim liberty to the captives.
The chapter describes how the believers will be called “trees of righteousness” and, in verse 6, “Yahweh’s priests.”
You would most certainly agree that one could not be a priest of God and of a creature at the same time, right?
One couldn’t serve both God and an idol as a priest simultaneously. That would be blasphemous.
Yet, the Bible in Revelation 20:6 says that the believers will be “priests of God and of Christ” both and “will reign with Him (singular!) one thousand years”.
In these two verses, the Bible irrefutably demonstrates that Jesus is God. Jesus can’t be other than God if He has the same priests as the Father.
The verses also show how the Scriptures handle the different persons of the Godhead. The Father and the Son are both God (as is the Spirit), yet God is one, singular “Him.”
Isaiah 61:6
But you will be called Yahweh’s priests.
Men will call you the servants of our God.
You will eat the wealth of the nations.
You will boast in their glory.
Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.
3rd: Jesus and the Father share the same throne
God’s throne is in the highest heaven. The Old Testament tells us that God’s throne is holy (Psalm 47:8), that His kingdom rules over all (Psalm 103:19), and that His throne is eternal (Psalm 9:7).
Revelation 22 tells us that in New Jerusalem, there is only one throne, which God and the Lamb occupy.
In the Old Testament, God’s throne belongs to Yahweh. In the New Testament, a decisive shift occurs; the Father and the Son share God’s throne; therefore, Jesus and the Father are one.
And we are not done yet. On to the 4th proof next.
Psalm 9:7 (ESV)
But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,
Revelation 22:1
He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,
Revelation 22:3
There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him.
4th: Jesus and the Father are the everlasting temple
Ezekiel 37:26-28 paints a picture of the future when Yahweh will make an everlasting covenant with His people. His sanctuary, temple, will be among His people forever.
In Revelation 21, we read that the everlasting City of God does not need a physical temple, for the Father and the Lamb are its temple.
In these two verses, we see that in the Old Testament, the everlasting temple set among God’s people belongs to Yahweh. In the New Testament, the everlasting temple is Jesus and Lord God, the Almighty.
That is solid but wait until you see the 5th, 6th, and especially 7th proof.
Ezekiel 37:26-28
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will place them, multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forever more. My tent also will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. The nations will know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forever more.
Revelation 21:22
I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.
5th proof: Jesus and the Father are the only light in New Jerusalem
To give you more proof for the “I and the Father are one” claim, we now turn to Isaiah 60 and Revelation 21 and 22.
Isaiah 60:19 says that there will be a day when the sun or moon will no longer be a light for believers, but Yahweh will be their everlasting light.
Revelation 21 and 22 describe New Jerusalem, the everlasting City of God. In the City of God, God’s servants will reign forever without needing the sun, moon, or any other created light.
They don’t need created light because, according to Revelation 21:23, the Lamb, Jesus, is the lamp in the city and will illuminate it. And according to Revelations 22:5, the Lord God will illuminate the city.
Once again, we see a striking parallel between the Old Testament prophecy about what Yahweh will do and the New Testament revelation about what Jesus and the Father will do. This parallel again proves the unity of Jesus and the Father.
But our journey of evidence doesn’t end here. There’s more to come. The next proof will reveal to whom God’s first fruits belong.
Isaiah 60:19-20
The sun will be no more your light by day;
nor will the brightness of the moon give light to you,
but Yahweh will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Your sun will not go down any more,
nor will your moon withdraw itself;
for Yahweh will be your everlasting light,
and the days of your mourning will end.
Revelation 21:23
The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
Revelation 22:5
There will be no night, and they need no lamp light or sun light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.
6th: Jesus and the Father have the same first fruits
The Old Testament in Jeremiah 2:3 discusses how Israel is Yahweh’s first fruits. This means that God will include more nations in His harvest, but the first fruits is Israel.
The New Testament in Revelation 7:4 says that 144,000 people “out of every tribe of the children of Israel” are set apart. In Revelation 14:1, the same 144,000 have the name of the Lamb and the Father written on their foreheads. Then verse 14:4 says that these people “were redeemed by Jesus among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb,” equalling Jesus with the Father again.
Even though the six proofs shown so far should be enough to convince anyone open-minded that Jesus and the Father are truly one, there is perhaps the best proof yet to be presented.
Jeremiah 2:3
Israel was holiness to Yahweh,
the first fruits of his increase.
All who devour him will be held guilty.
Evil will come on them,”’ says Yahweh.”
Revelations 14:4
These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
7th: The first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega
In the Old Testament, Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 48:12 state that Yahweh is the first and the last, and besides Him, there is no God.
The first and the last speaks about God’s totality. It is about His eternal existence, the fact that everything comes from Him and that He sustains everything.
In Revelation 1:8, the Lord God is the Alpha and the Omega. In 1:17, the first and the last is “the Living one who was dead, and who is alive forever and ever,” hinting that it is Jesus Christ.
Now, we will connect the Alpha and the Omega and the first and the last irrefutably to Jesus Christ.
In Revelations 22:13, someone says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” In Revelations 21:5-6, someone sitting on the throne in heaven speaks the same words. It is evident in Rev 21:5-6 that God says it because who else would be sitting on the throne in heaven other than God?
Who is talking in Rev 22:13?
To know who is talking in 22:13, we must read a couple of other verses. Let’s start with Revelation 22:7, which says, “Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Remember “I come quickly” from this verse.
In Revelation 22:12, we see “I come quickly” again.
Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work.”
Revelation 22:20 reveals who says, “I come quickly.” It is Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22:20
He who testifies these things says, “Yes, I come quickly.”
Amen! Yes, come, Lord Jesus.
So, Jesus is talking in verses 22:7, 12-13, and 20. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last.
This is further solidified when we see who repays to all according to their deeds in the Old and the New Testament.
In the Old Testament, Yahweh repays each man according to his works: Psalm 62:12, Jeremiah 32:19, Jeremiah 17:10, Ezekiel 18:30, Proverbs 24:12.
In the New Testament, Jesus comes and repays everyone according to his works: Matthew 16:27, 2 Corinthians 5:10, and Revelation 22:12.
You can see how multiple verses demonstrate that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega and the first and the last to the extent that it is beyond doubt that He truly is the first and the last.
Therefore, Jesus is God and one with the Father.
Isaiah 44:6
This is what Yahweh, the King of Israel,
and his Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies, says:
“I am the first, and I am the last;
and besides me there is no God.
Isaiah 48:12
“Listen to me, O Jacob,
and Israel, whom I called!
I am he; I am the first,
and I am the last.
Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, ” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:17
When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.
He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last,
Revelation 21:6
He said to me, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life.
Summary of “I and the Father are one”
The phrase “I and the Father are one” in John 10:30 emphasizes Jesus’ divinity and unity with God the Father. The Jews at Jesus’ time understood this claim as a declaration of divinity.
The seven proofs in this article demonstrate to anyone fair-minded that Jesus’ claim to be one with the Father is 100% true. The Bible treats Jesus as God, equaling His power, characteristics, functions, and purpose to that of the Father.
Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart because…
Revelation 22:13
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.