In his Gospel, the apostle John records Jesus praying to the Father and addressing Him as “the only true God” (John 17:3). Some critics of Christianity have suggested this statement disqualifies Jesus from being God Himself.
However, when evaluating a position, we should endeavor to understand and represent it accurately before attempting to critique it (steelman rather than straw man). This requires considering what Scripture actually teaches about the nature of God and the incarnation of Christ.
In their thoughtful work, The Incarnate Christ and His Critics: A Biblical Defense, Robert M. Bowman Jr. and J. Ed Komoszewski explain that “The Father and the Son are both deity by nature, coexisting eternally with the same unique and infinite power, knowledge, and glory” (p. 69).
Full Quote
“The Father and the Son are both deity by nature, coexisting eternally with the same unique and infinite power, knowledge, and glory. Their eternal unity and likeness are uniquely perfect in such a way that we can legitimately speak of them as one God. In other words, there is one transcendent, eternal Creator, revealed to Israel as Yahweh, who made and rules all things, and this Creator has revealed himself to exist eternally in the persons of the Father and the Son, as well as a third person called the Holy Spirit. In Christian theology this idea, which brings together everything the Bible teaches about God, is called the doctrine of the Trinity.”
Regarding the incarnation, they further clarify, “By becoming a man, the Son joined himself to the created world and specifically to the human race. As a result, the incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, not only relates to God the Father as his Father, but he also relates to the Father as his God” (p. 71).
Jesus’ prayer to the Father does not negate His deity. Rather, it is consistent with the biblical understanding of the Trinity and the incarnation: Jesus is God the Son, fully divine and fully human, eternally distinct from the Father yet sharing the same divine nature (Homoousios).
Therefore, the short answer to the question presented in the title is “Yes!” Jesus can pray to the father, acknowledge the father as God, all the while being God himself. When Jesus prays to the Father, He is not denying His own deity. He is God the Son incarnate, acknowledging the Father as God and praying in His genuine humanity.
Source: Robert M. Bowman Jr. and J. Ed Komoszewski, The Incarnate Christ and His Critics: A Biblical Defense, pp. 69, 71. 📕
