If Jesus is God, why does He call the Father "the only true God" (John 17:3)?

1. The Context of John 17:3

John 17 records a prayer Jesus offers shortly before His crucifixion. In verse 3, Jesus prays, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” This prayer takes place amidst the broader theme of the unity between the Father and the Son throughout the Gospel of John. The focus on eternal life, divine intimacy, and Jesus’ relationship to the Father sets the stage for understanding how Jesus, as God the Son, can address the Father as “the only true God.”

Understanding this verse in the larger context of Scripture means noting that Jesus is not diminishing His own divinity. Rather, He highlights a unique relational dynamic within the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—while emphasizing the Father’s central role in this part of redemption history.

2. Scriptural Testimony to Jesus’ Divinity

The New Testament repeatedly affirms Jesus’ divine identity:

• John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

• John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”

• John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.”

• John 20:28 – Thomas addresses Jesus as “My Lord and my God!”

These passages illustrate how the early Christian community recognized Jesus as God. Additionally, Philippians 2:6–7 describes Jesus “being in very nature God” but taking on “the form of a servant.” Furthermore, Hebrews 1:3 calls the Son “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” All these passages affirm that Jesus shares fully in the divine nature.

3. The Meaning of “the Only True God”

When Jesus calls the Father “the only true God” in John 17:3, He is drawing attention to the exclusivity of God as opposed to false gods or idols. In His cultural context, many deities were worshiped. Affirming that the Father is the “only true God” declared that all other gods were illegitimate. This expression does not exclude the Son or the Holy Spirit from also being the one true God; rather, it highlights that the triune God alone is the true and eternal Creator, in contrast to the idols of pagan religions (cf. Isaiah 44:6–8).

Numerous Old Testament passages likewise proclaim Yahweh alone as God (e.g., Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5). In the Gospel of John, Jesus consistently identifies Himself with that same divine identity (John 8:58). Hence, His language underscores monotheism without negating His own divine status.

4. Harmony with the Triune Godhead

Scripture reveals God as three co-eternal and co-equal Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—yet one Being in essence. This triune nature, though beyond full human comprehension, is inferred throughout Scripture:

• Matthew 28:19 – Jesus instructs baptism “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

• 2 Corinthians 13:14 – Paul closes his letter with a trinitarian blessing: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

John 17:3 does not contradict this triune understanding, for Jesus is not renouncing His deity. Rather, He is glorifying the Father and affirming that everything Christ does is in unity with the Father and the Spirit. The exclusive language refers to God’s uniqueness against polytheistic worship, not to an exclusion of Jesus from the divine identity.

5. The Purpose of the Father’s Primacy in John 17

In John 17, Jesus’ prayer centers on the mission of redemption and the glorification of the Son, so that all may receive eternal life. It was the Father who sent the Son (John 17:8, 18), and the Son’s role in this prayer is both divine and mediatory. Jesus speaks of the glory He enjoys alongside the Father “before the world existed” (John 17:5). By acknowledging the Father as “the only true God,” He highlights the Father’s position in sending Him, while simultaneously preparing to reassert their shared glory.

6. Restating the Dilemma: “If Jesus Is God, Why This Phrase?”

At first glance, John 17:3 might appear to contradict the tenets of Jesus’ divinity. Yet in the biblical context:

1. Jesus Submits to the Father – In His earthly ministry, Jesus willingly took on a position of functional submission. He does the will of the Father (John 6:38), prays to the Father (Luke 22:42), and glorifies the Father (John 17:1). This does not nullify equality of nature but highlights a difference in role.

2. Affirmation of Monotheism – Jesus consistently upheld the teaching that there is only one true God. Declaring such was vital in a world of polytheistic concepts. For Jesus to affirm the Father in this way is fully consistent with the oneness of God—an attribute shared by the Father, Son, and Spirit.

3. No Contradiction with Deity – Nothing in the immediate or broader context implies Jesus is a lesser deity. John’s Gospel overwhelmingly affirms Jesus’ divine glory (John 1:18, John 5:23, John 8:58). The language of John 17:3 must be read within the entire testimony of Scripture, which consistently proclaims Christ’s deity.

7. Textual Reliability and Consistency

Early manuscript evidence for the Gospel of John, such as the Rylands Library Papyrus (P52), shows a consistent text dating back to the second century. The wording of John 17:3 is preserved across the oldest and most reliable manuscripts, affirming it was recognized and transmitted by the early church without alteration. Early church fathers, including Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus, also upheld passages affirming both the monotheism of God and the deity of Christ, indicating that the original intended meaning did not pit Jesus against the Father’s identity as God but rather saw them as unified in divine nature.

8. Conclusion and Reflection

John 17:3 does not challenge the belief that Jesus is God. Instead, it testifies to the continuity of biblical monotheism and highlights the Father’s role in sending the Son for the redemption of humanity. When Jesus prays to the Father as “the only true God,” He is:

• Identifying the Father over and against the multitude of false gods.

• Underscoring His harmonious relationship with the Father.

• Maintaining the biblical teaching that God is one in essence (Deuteronomy 6:4), while affirming His own divine glory as evident throughout the Gospel.

From the overall narrative of Scripture and the textual evidence, the best synthesis is that John 17:3 is a declaration of God’s uniqueness and a reflection of the Father-Son relationship within the triune nature of God. Jesus’ deity remains firmly established, as does the unified oneness of the Godhead.