Why did Jesus say “The Father is greater than I” in John 14:28 whilst saying He is the great “I AM” in John 8:58
The answer to this question lies within the nature of the incarnation when God became man. See 1 John 4:2 & 2 John 1:7
“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;” 1 John 4:2 “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” 2 John 1:7
Jesus has two natures: divine and human. Jesus is fully God and also fully man while here on the earth.
Jesus was speaking in reference to his human nature. Jesus said the Father was greater than He not because Jesus is not God but because Jesus was also fully man; and as a man, he was in a lower position. See Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 2:9 and Galatians 4:4-5.
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Phil. 2:5-8
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5
However, Jesus is fully divine (See John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”) too. By taking on human nature, Jesus did not relinquish His divine nature—God cannot stop being God. When Jesus, God the Son, took on human form, something amazing occurred. Christ “made himself nothing.” In essence, what it means is that Jesus voluntarily relinquished the prerogative of freely exercising His divine attributes and subjected Himself to the will of the Father while on earth. God the Son is fully divine yet fully human.
Jesus was restricted as man – restricted to one location at a time, got tired, needed sleep, got hungry, needed food, got exhausted, needed rest, etc. Jesus suffered all things as a man; He emptied Himself of the Godhead to be made flesh, to be made sin, to die.
It was however a temporary measure, He now has the glory He had with the Father before He came to the earth; He has been restored to the fullness of the Godhead. This is why scripture says Jesus thought it not robbery to be equal with God but took on the form of a servant in Philippians 2:6
God the Father said of God the Son in Hebrews 1:8‘But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;..’
Jesus of Nazareth is God in the flesh, the Creator – fully God and fully man. Christ Jesus is the second “person” of the Triune God – One God in 3 “persons” – the blessed Trinity.**
**..The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” Deuteronomy 6:4 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26 “I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me.” Isaiah 45:5 Notice it is not no God besides us.
“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:5
God refers to Jesus “But to the Son He says:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;”Hebrews 1:6-8
Jesus said to His disciples. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19 Jesus spoke clearly of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, if you read this verse attentively, you will see that the Three have just one name. It says, “baptizing them into the name” (not names) “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” There are Three with one name. This is the Triune God, the Trinity. ONE God in 3 “Persons” not and NEVER 3 Gods. We cannot understand the Trinity fully but that is how God reveals Himself to mankind – both “I and Us”. Don’t forget we are finite and God is infinite – we may not fully comprehend God. BUT what God has revealed is sufficient for our salvation.