When did Jesus know that He was God?

Response

Jesus has always been God. Since eternity, He has been the second Person of the Trinity and always will be. The question of when, after the Incarnation, the human Jesus knew He was God is intriguing, but it is not addressed in Scripture. We do know that as an adult, Jesus fully realized His identity, expressing it by saying, “Very truly I tell you, . . . before Abraham was born, I am!” «Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. », (John 8:58). Additionally, when He prayed, “Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” «And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. », (John 17:5).

It also appears that as a child, Jesus was already conscious of His nature and purpose. At the age of twelve, Joseph and Mary took the family to Jerusalem. On their way back, they were worried about Jesus being missing from their group. Upon returning to Jerusalem, they found Jesus “in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions” «And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. », (Luke 2:46). His mother inquired why He had caused them concern by disappearing. In response, Jesus asked, “Why were you searching for me? . . . . Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (verse 49). Joseph and Mary did not understand His words (verse 50). Despite the lack of understanding from those around Him, it seems that Jesus, at a very young age, knew He was the Son of God and had a clear understanding of His divine mission.The Father had foreordained the work He was to do.

After the incident in the temple, Luke says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” «And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.», (Luke 2:52). If at this point in Jesus’ human experience He knew everything, He would not need to “grow in wisdom.” We emphasize that this was Jesus’ human experience. Jesus never ceased being God, but in some matters He veiled His divinity in accordance with the Father’s will. Thus, the Son subjected Himself to physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual growth. The Son of God voluntarily put Himself in the position of needing to assimilate knowledge as a man.

When did Jesus know that He was God? From the heavenly perspective, the Son knew from eternity past who He was and what His earthly work was to be. From the earthly perspective, the incarnate Jesus came to that realization at some point early in life. Just when that point was, we cannot know for sure.