WHY WITNESS TO JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
In addition to quoting from the available scrolls, Jesus often used illustrations relevant to his listeners. Our website provides links to resources for anyone who’s interested in researching the scriptures to validate that Jesus is God himself.
Still, many Christians need a relevant illustration to explain how Jesus and Jehovah could be equal when Jesus himself made the statement that the Father was greater than he was (John 14:28) or that the Father had knowledge which the Son did not possess (Matt 24:36). One illustration I can use is from my own dual nature as a clown.
My name is Julie. But I also play a clown character named Jubilee. Are they two people or are they one person? Difficult concept? Jubilee was birthed from Julie, but not like my firstborn daughter who is a separate person from me even though she was born from me. Jubilee was born from Julie, and yet she is the same person. How can it be? Well, Julie, the ‘greater’ one, made a decision to limit all that she is and just be a clown for a while named Jubilee. So Jubilee is lesser. You see, Jubilee doesn’t do all the things that Julie can do. Jubilee only does little jokes and tricks but she doesn’t write articles like this, clean house, cook dinner, mow lawn, or pay the bills. Julie is greater than Jubilee because she is all things, whereas Jubilee is limited to being a clown. And yet, you will never see them both in the same room at the same time existing as two separate entities as you would see Julie and her daughter because Jubilee and Julie are the same person. That is why Jesus also said “anyone who has seen me has also seen the Father” (John 14:9)
So now, bring this illustration into the realm of the scripture which often gives people trouble concerning the Trinity. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. (John 14:28)
Now read it as my dual characters: You heard me, Jubilee, say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to Julie, for Julie is greater than I.(Additions 14:28)
You see, Jubilee needs to take off her makeup now and go back to being Julie because Julie can be an adult and drive the car home and be taken seriously by others (hopefully). Jubilee was limited there wasn’t she?
Now note this about Jesus….
……Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
God had to humble himself, or limit his godliness. He had to become just like us and feel hunger, pain, tiredness, temptation, etc. so he took on flesh. Once he was flesh (the man named Jesus) he could not consider equality with God even though that is who he was! Jesus did use some of his godly powers on earth, yet not all of them. He fell asleep (hey, the Bible says God doesn’t need sleep!), he ate food (God is Spirit, since when does he need food?), he was tempted in the wilderness (can the Almighty really be tempted?) So can you see why Jesus said the Father was greater than he was? Jesus knew he was limited just like Jubilee knows she’s limited and waits until she gets back to being Julie before she takes on certain tasks. Now note what it says in 1 Cor 15:27-28
27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:27-28)
Jesus limited himself as a man and allowed himself to be in subjection to the Almighty while he was here on earth. In a sense, Jubilee obeys Julie in this same way while in makeup. My clown remains in subjection to my greater self, after all it was Julie who made the decision to limit herself to a clown! If Julie decides a certain joke won’t be grasped by a particular age group, then Jubilee does not use it. If Julie decides it’s appropriate to tell the knock knock joke to little Timmy, Jubilee obeys and tells it. Like Jesus who admitted he could do nothing by himself but only what the Father showed him, Jubilee is unable to perform unless Julie first approves it (John 5:19-20). Jubilee is in subjection to the one greater than herself which is Julie. Where it says “God may be all in all” it’s a bit like when Jubilee goes back to being Julie. When I take off my clown make up, I am “all” and seen as Julie but within me there is still Jubilee.
If a child saw me in my Jubilee disguise and asked when my birthday was, I’d reply much like Jesus who said “no one knows about that day or hour but only the Father knows.” (Matt 24:36) Julie knows her own birthday, but Jubilee? She has no idea of such things. So Jesus also was saying in essence, “don’t expect me to be God here, I’m trying to stay in character!” So he did not consider equality with God and suffered as a man (Phil 2:6-7).
If you would like to know how my clown name “Jubilee!” was involved in my exodus out of the Watchtower, please read my article here: http://fruitageofthespirit.wordpress.com/2010/04/27/jubilee/
Keep yourself in God’s love,
Julie (and Jubilee! too)
