When did Jesus know He was God?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Scripture affirms that Jesus was fully God and fully human, yet the Bible does not detail how these two work together in His humanity. From His birth, others recognized Him as the promised King and Messiah, and by age twelve it was clear that He was conscious of being about His Father’s work. Throughout His ministry, Jesus openly declared His deity, performed miracles, and fulfilled prophecies, with His resurrection serving as the ultimate confirmation. While some believe He limited certain divine attributes during His earthly life, others hold that He retained full omniscience at all times. Regardless, Jesus’ full deity and mission were constant, and His identity as God is the foundation of our faith and trust in Him.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Jesus knowing that He was God is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• According to John 1:1, Jesus, as the "Word," was with God in the beginning and was God. Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus was aware of His divinity, and He expressed this truth on multiple occasions (John 10:30; Matthew 26:63–64).
• Jesus’ mother was told He would be the Christ (Luke 1:26-33).
• From birth, those who saw Him realized that He was a king (Luke 2:1-20).
• Simeon and Anna recognized Him as the one God sent (Luke 2:22-38).
• At the age of twelve, the religious teachers were amazed at His wisdom. Jesus also affirmed His mission, knowing that He was about His Father's business (Luke 2:41-5).
• When Jesus began His public ministry at about the age of 30, John the Baptist recognized Him as the Coming Messiah. He said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).
• Jesus called Himself the "I Am" in John 8:58 in connection with God as the "I Am" in Exodus 3:14.
• A Roman centurion who witnessed Jesus' crucifixion declared Jesus' divinity (Matthew 27:54).
• The apostle John noted, "I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34).
• When Thomas saw the resurrected Jesus, He made the clear and accurate statement, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28).
• Jesus both taught He is divine and gave evidence by His healings and miracles. His ultimate proof came through His resurrection from the dead on the third day, after which He appeared to many witnesses (1 Corinthians 15).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Some have suggested that in His human life, Jesus did not always know He is God. Philippians 2:7 talks about Jesus emptying Himself. Some say that Jesus set aside certain of His divine attributes while on earth. This does not contradict the fact that Jesus has always been and will always be fully divine. It simply means that Jesus chose to be limited in some respects (for instance requiring nourishment and sleep). Others argue that because Jesus did not lose His divine attributes or become any less divine while on earth, He was all-knowing during his earthly life. That He may not have expressed this knowledge in His early years does not detract from Jesus knowing He is God. Colossians 2:9 teaches, "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily." This is why others say there was never a moment that Jesus became less than one hundred percent omniscient (all-knowing) as a human.

Jesus was born of a woman and grew similarly to other humans. Yet He also held full deity within His human form, including full knowledge that He is divine. Though Jesus did not express this understanding until later, it is likely that Jesus always knew of His divine nature. Our faith rests on more than just Jesus’ teachings—it rests on who He is. We can trust His words and His promises because they come from the eternal Son of God, not merely a wise human teacher. Just as Jesus lived with full awareness of His mission, we are called to live with a clear understanding of our identity in Him, letting that shape our purpose, decisions, and devotion each day.

UNDERSTAND

• Jesus was always fully God and aware of His divinity.
• Scripture shows Jesus’ divine awareness in youth and ministry, though not when it began.
• Jesus’ deity never changed.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that Jesus was always fully God and aware of His divine identity shape the way you trust His words and promises?
• How does trusting in who Jesus is as fully God impact your purpose and decisions?
• How does Jesus’ example of living fully on mission challenge the way you live out your faith?

ENGAGE

• How do the New Testament accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry demonstrate His awareness of being God?
• What are the different theological perspectives on whether Jesus limited His divine attributes during His earthly life, and how can we engage with them biblically?
• How does understanding Jesus’ deity from birth strengthen our confidence in the gospel and our witness to others?