Jesus is a distinct person from his Father

Jesus and God interacted with each other in various ways, for example:

Some would argue that when Jesus talked, prayed, obeyed and worshipped Himself, he was setting an example to his disciples. However, if he was faking interaction with another God who does not exist because he himself is God, then he would have been a liar, deceiving his disciples, unless he told them that this is only a demonstration or a show, but there are also no evidence that he ever told them that.

Some also argue that some of these interactions should be considered symbolic prophetic messages. However, most prophetic messages are either clear or explained by bible authors. No explanation of any bible author teach that we should understand that these "prophetic interactions" mean that God was interacting with Himself.

Prophecies

Some prophecies state that Jesus is distinct from God.

Jesus grew in favour

Luke wrote:

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. -- Luke 2:52 (NIV)

Either Jesus suffered from a low self-esteem or he is not God.

Instead, we read that God personally declared that he is distinct from His son.

Jesus and God are 2 distinct witnesses

If Jesus was the same person as God the Father, then his testimony about God would be dismissible.

In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.

  1. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and
  2. the Father who sent me bears witness about me.

-- John 8:17-18 (ESV)

or

Even in your own law it is written that the testimony of two persons is true [valid and admissible].

  1. I am One [of the Two] who testifies about Myself, and
  2. My Father who sent Me testifies about Me.

-- John 8:17-18 (AMP)

Jesus prays to a distinct God

While Jesus was on earth, he referred to the Father as "your Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:14, 7:11, 18:14)

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may ube praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..."

-- Matthew 5:45-6:9 (ESV)

Why would Jesus refer to a separate God from him at a different location if he is supposed to be "the Father"?

Some my argue, Jesus was setting an example for his disciples, but when Jesus also rebuked his disciples with these words:

Or do you think that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? -- Matthew 26:53 (NKJV)

Is Jesus setting an example that his disciples should pray for more than twelve legions of angels to come and assist?

Yet, Jesus has to pray to get this request granted. If he was God Himself, he would have no need to pray to someone else to send the angels.

Jesus also made the following statement while he was on earth:

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. -- Matthew 23:9 (ESV)

This disqualifies Jesus from being "the Father" by his own words. Jesus never related to anyone as his or her "Father". Instead, he said:

And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,

“Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

-- Matthew 12:49-50 (ESV)

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be distinct

In Luke 4:17 (NKJV) we read:

And he (Jesus) was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written:

Then Jesus quote Isaiah 61:1-2 which are incorrectly quoted in many modern English bibles. A more accurate quote directly from the book of Isaiah 61:1-2 itself reads:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD (YHVH) has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then he (Jesus) closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” -- Luke 4:17-21 (NKJV)

Here Jesus himself announced that this prophecy had been fulfilled in their presence which means that Isaiah 61 was talking about Jesus.

If Jesus was the "Lord God" or "YHVH" of the Old Testament, then why would Jesus have to send his own spirit to himself and why would Jesus anoint himself to preach, heal and proclaim?

Daniel prophesied that Jesus would be distinct

Daniel did not see Jesus as God, but testifies that he saw "the son of man" coming to "the Ancient of Days" and that he was "presented before Him" as a separate being:

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. -- Daniel 7:13-14 (ESV)

The Samaritans believed that God and Jesus were distinct

When the Samaritan woman argue with Jesus about which race God is:

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”

Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” -- John 4:21-26 (ESV)

Jesus refer to God as a distinct spirit Whom should be worshipped.

And in addition the Samaritan woman revealed that they believed that a distinct person would be sent by God to teach them. Jesus did not correct her, but confirmed that he was the "Messiah".

God interacted with Jesus in front of witnesses

And Jesus answered them... “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered.

-- John 12:27-28 (ESV)

The Father also publicly declared Jesus as His Son.

It is possible to separately belief in Jesus or God

Jesus said:

Let not your hearts be troubled.

  1. Believe in God;
  2. believe also in me.

In my Father’s house are many rooms.

-- John 14:1-2 (ASV)

This statement of Jesus himself makes no sense if Jesus is the same person or essence as God.

Jesus acknowledge that it is possible for people to believe God, but not him as it was the case was with the pharisees and many Jews.

Jesus and God were separated

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”

that is,

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”

-- Matthew 27:46 (NKJV); Mark 15:34

If Jesus was God:

  1. Why would Jesus ask a question if he was doing it to himself?
  2. How is it possible that one could forsake oneself?
  3. Why does Jesus call someone else "My God" if he is supposed be the God?

Trinitarians respond to these critical questions by reasoning that "forsaken" means that Jesus left His holiness to take up the sin of the world. They explain that Jesus was asking a rhetorical question to himself like "Why am I going through this suffering again?" to show how much he loved the world despite his suffering.

However, these clever reasoning fail to explain:

  • Why did he address himself as "my God" if there are no examples that he prayed for worshiped to himself?
  • Why it was necessary to cry out "with a loud voice" if he was only talking to himself?
  • If his intention was to make a public declaration through his rhetorical question, then it was not very effective because nobody said afterward: "Truly Jesus did actually love us", or "Truly we just killed our God", but instead we read:

They were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” -- Matthew 27:54 (ESV)

Again, even this shows that the people present at these events realized that they just killed a distinct person from God whom God dearly loved.

Mark saw Jesus distinct from God

A few days later Mark testify that Jesus had sat separately from God and not "as God" in the heaven:

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. -- Mark 16:19 (NKJV)

This fulfills the prophecy:

YHVH said unto my Master,

Sit thou at My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

-- Psalm 110:1 (RNKJV)

The apostles' witnesses

Stephen

Stephan noticed that Jesus was standing next God as a separate person. However, he failed to mention a third person of the Trinity.

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

-- Acts 7:55-56 (ESV)

John

"God anointed Jesus" which does not make sense if Jesus and God is the same being:

John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power... -- Acts 10:38 (NKJV)

An apostle or priests minister to God. They are not God themselves.

Paul

Likewise, Paul confirms that Jesus is the mediator between God and humans which does not make sense if Jesus is God Himself:

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus -- 1 Timothy 2:5 (NKJV)

Christ is interceding for us at the right hand of God. If Christ is God, then this would not make sense.

It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. -- Romans 8:34 (NKJV)

Author of Hebrews

However, the author of Hebrews believed that Jesus is our priest:

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him Who appointed him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. -- Hebrews 3:1-2 (NKJV)

John of Patmos

John did not see Jesus as God, but testifies that he saw "a Lamb standing among the elders" that had to went to the "One seated on the throne" to "take the scroll". This implies that the "Lamb" which is understood to represent Jesus is a separate being from the God who was "seated on the throne":

At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with One seated on the throne. And He who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind.

...

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty - four elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

...

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty - four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

-- Revelation 4:2-6,9-11; 5:6-10 (ESV)