Jesus serve God

That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art th e most high over all the earth. -- Psalm 83:18 (KJV)

Therefore, Jehovah (also known as Jahweh or God the Father) has higher authority than Jesus.

Jesus himself said, that God sent (commissioned) him:

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as You have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (commission/sent on a mission)." -- John 17:1-3 (NKJV)

Jesus submits to God

And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. -- 1 Corinthians 3:23 (NKJV)

and

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. -- 1 Corinthians 11:3

and

Now when all things are made subject to him, then the Son himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all. -- 1 Corinthians 15:28 (NKJV)

The Father had/has a higher authority than Jesus, because:

  • God (identified as YHVH) has the highest authority (Psalm 83:18)
  • God calls Jesus "My Servant" (Isaiah 42:1, 52:13-53:12)
  • Jesus said God should be worshipped instead (Luke 4:8; Matthew:4:10)
  • Jesus was "sent" (commissioned) by the Father (John 3:16-18, 4:34, 6:57, 8:29, 14:24, 17:1-3; 1 John 4:14). This implies the Father has the authority to command Jesus.
  • Jesus obeys the Father (John 4:34, 5:19, 6:38, 8:55, 10:37, 14:31)
  • Jesus uses the metaphor where he explains that he is the "Vine" and his Father is the "Vinedresser" (John 15:1-9). Vinedressers have authority over vines, not the other way around.
  • Jesus trusted (depends on) God (1 Peter 2:23 ESV,HCSB) or Jesus stayed committed to God (1 Peter 2:23 ASV,KJV,NET,REV,YLT)

Jesus is called God's servant

The prophets expected Jesus to be a servant of God.

Peter taught:

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His servant Jesus... -- Acts 3:13 (ESV)

Peter prayed:

"Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while You stretch out Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." -- Acts 4:27-30 (ESV)

(Some translations translate "servant" as "child".)

Critiques would argue this only applies to the human aspect of Jesus and that it no longer applies. However, Paul states that Jesus still live to God after his resurrection:

For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. -- Romans 6:10 (NKJV)

Jesus teach to serve God

And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only...’ ” -- Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8

Jesus himself, quoted 1 Samuel 7:3-4 :

Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD (Yahweh)* and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD (Yahweh)* only.

LORD in this context specifically refers to יְהוָ֔ה in Hebrew or Yahweh in English and not Jesus. The instruction is to serve Him only, not also.

Paul also confess that he worship God:

But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets -- Acts 24:14

The fathers or Israel is Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus was only born thousands of years later, so they did not know Jesus. It would be impossible for them to worship Jesus as their God.

Jesus fasted

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. -- Matthew 4:1-2 (ESV)

  1. If Jesus was God, it would not make sense for him to obey another Spirit.
  2. If Jesus was God, it would not make sense for him to fast, which is a form of worship, because that would imply there has to be a greater God that deserve his worship?