Why Did Jesus Say: My Father Is Greater Than I

“My Father is greater than I.”

Muslims think that this statement means Jesus is denying that He is God.

Why did He say this and what did He mean?

Had someone asked Him: “Who is greater, you or the Father?”

No.

The very fact that Jesus is making such a comparison is mind-blowing, if you think about it.

Has any prophet ever needed to affirm to his followers: “Please, please make sure you all understand very clearly that God is greater than I” ?
Did Moses or David or Elijah, anyone?

Do human beings like you and I need to go around saying: “I want you to know something, God is greater than I”.

This is ridiculous. For you to think it might even be necessary for you to make such a statement is like a dog needing to assert that, “My master is greater than I.”
Isn’t the distance between God and man even greater than a man and his dog?

It would be silly for a mere man or even an angel to say, “God is greater than I”

In what sense is it any kind of a revelation? Duh.

No man need to make such a statement.

For Jesus to even make such a comparison, shows that the comparison has validity in ways that may not be immediately apparent.

Note that Jesus did not say, “GOD is greater than I.”

He said: “My Father is greater than I”. So the comparison has to do with Father and Son.

When Jesus said, “My Father is greater than I”, He is saying the Father is greater than the Son, in regard to the incarnation.

The Father is infinite and invisible. The Son who WAS also infinite and invisible, came to the earth in a finite and visible way, as a human being, named Jesus.

Which is greater? The Invisible and Infinite OR the visible and finite?
Hence, the statement: the Father is greater than the Son.

This does not mean the divine Son ceased being God in essence.
If Jesus was NOT divine in essence, it would be absurd for Him to compare Himself to the Father.