Who Is Jesus to Jehovah's Witnesses?

A Different Jesus

When you knock on a door and say you want to talk about Jesus Christ, both Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses will express interest. Both groups believe Jesus is central to God's purposes. Both claim to follow His teachings. Both await His return.

But the Jesus of Watchtower theology is radically different from the Jesus of historic Christianity. Understanding exactly what Witnesses believe about Jesus—and why—is essential for meaningful engagement. The identity of Jesus isn't a secondary matter; it determines whether we're trusting in the eternal Creator or a created being.

The Watchtower View of Jesus

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus Christ is:

A Created Being

The Watchtower teaches that Jesus was the first creation of Jehovah God. Before anything else existed, Jehovah created a spirit being—His first and greatest creation. This being existed in heaven for unknown ages before coming to earth.

They base this primarily on Colossians 1:15, where Jesus is called "the firstborn of all creation." They interpret "firstborn" to mean "first one created" rather than "preeminent one" (the actual meaning of the Greek term prototokos).

Michael the Archangel

Witnesses identify Jesus with Michael the Archangel mentioned in Daniel 10, Daniel 12, Jude 9, and Revelation 12. They believe Michael was Jesus' name in heaven before his earthly life and after his resurrection.

Their reasoning includes:

• Michael's name means "Who is like God?"—fitting for God's chief representative
• Michael is called "the archangel" (Jude 9) and Jesus returns "with the voice of an archangel" (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
• Michael is depicted as battling Satan (Revelation 12:7), as is Jesus
• There's only one archangel mentioned by name in Scripture

Therefore, they conclude, Michael and Jesus must be the same being at different stages of existence.

"A God" but Not "God"

The New World Translation infamously renders John 1:1 as:

This translation choice reflects their theology: Jesus is divine in some sense (a god, a mighty one) but not Jehovah God Himself. They argue that the Hebrew word elohim can apply to angels, judges, and powerful beings—so Jesus can be called "a god" without being the Almighty God, Jehovah.

A Perfect Man (Not God-Man)

When Jesus came to earth, Witnesses teach, his life force was transferred from heaven into Mary's womb. He became a perfect human man—nothing more. He was not God incarnate, not the union of divine and human natures, but simply a sinless human being like Adam before the fall.

This matters because they believe Jesus' ransom sacrifice required him to be exactly equivalent to Adam—one perfect human life to correspond to the one perfect human life Adam forfeited. If Jesus were God, the ransom would be "unbalanced."

Not Bodily Raised

Perhaps surprisingly, Witnesses teach that Jesus was not bodily resurrected. His physical body either dissolved or was hidden by Jehovah to prevent it becoming an object of veneration. The risen Jesus was a spirit creature who merely manifested different physical bodies to convince disciples of his resurrection.

Today, Jesus exists in heaven as an invisible spirit being—Michael the Archangel once again, now ruling as King of God's Kingdom since 1914.

Why This Matters

The Witness view of Jesus isn't just a theological technicality. It has profound implications:

For Salvation

If Jesus is a created being, his sacrifice—however valuable—cannot have infinite worth. A creature, no matter how exalted, cannot offer what only God can offer.

The Bible teaches that our sins are ultimately against the infinite God and require an infinite sacrifice (Psalm 51:4). Only God Himself can provide such a sacrifice. If Jesus is merely "a god," we're placing our hope in a creature rather than the Creator—precisely the idolatry Scripture condemns.

For Worship

The Watchtower officially teaches that Jesus should not be worshiped—only Jehovah deserves worship. (Interestingly, earlier Watchtower publications did endorse worshiping Jesus, but this changed in the 1950s.)

Yet the New Testament repeatedly shows Jesus receiving worship:

• The disciples worshiped him (Matthew 14:33, 28:9, 28:17)
• Thomas called him "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28)
• Angels are commanded to worship him (Hebrews 1:6)
• Heavenly beings worship the Lamb (Revelation 5:8-14)

If Jesus is a created being and receives worship, the apostles were idolaters. If Jesus rightly receives worship, He must be God.

For the Gospel

The gospel is not merely that a good man died for us but that God Himself entered our condition:

The good news is that God demonstrates His own love—not that He sent a creature to die in His place. A created intermediary—however exalted—cannot accomplish what only God Himself can do.

What Scripture Actually Teaches

The New Testament presents Jesus as far more than the Watchtower allows:

Jesus Is Called God

Multiple New Testament passages directly identify Jesus as God:

Note that Jesus accepts Thomas's confession—He doesn't correct him for calling Him God.

Here the Father Himself addresses the Son as "God."

Jesus Shares Jehovah's Identity

The New Testament repeatedly applies Old Testament passages about Jehovah directly to Jesus:

• Isaiah 40:3 (prepare the way for Jehovah) → fulfilled in John the Baptist preparing for Jesus (Matthew 3:3)
• Isaiah 45:23 (every knee will bow to Jehovah) → applied to Jesus (Philippians 2:10-11)
• Joel 2:32 (whoever calls on Jehovah's name will be saved) → applied to calling on Jesus (Romans 10:9-13)
• Isaiah 6:1-10 (Isaiah saw Jehovah's glory) → John says Isaiah saw Jesus' glory (John 12:41)

Jesus Possesses Divine Attributes

Scripture attributes to Jesus characteristics that belong to God alone:

Eternality:

The phrase "I am" (ego eimi) echoes God's self-identification to Moses (Exodus 3:14). The Jews understood this claim—they picked up stones to kill him for blasphemy.

Compare with Revelation 22:13, where Jesus says: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

Omnipresence:

Omniscience:

Immutability:

Jesus Was Bodily Resurrected

Contrary to Watchtower teaching, the New Testament emphasizes Jesus' bodily resurrection:

Jesus promised to raise the same body that was destroyed—not to abandon it and create a spirit substitute.

Responding to Watchtower Arguments

Several common Witness objections deserve response:

"Jesus said the Father is greater than him."

In John 14:28, Jesus did say "the Father is greater than I." But "greater" can refer to position or role, not necessarily nature. A company president is "greater" than a vice president in position, though both are equally human.

In his incarnate, servant role, Jesus voluntarily submitted to the Father's authority while remaining fully God by nature. Philippians 2:6-7 describes this: though he was "in the form of God," he "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant."

"Jesus didn't know the day or hour of his return."

Jesus acknowledged in Mark 13:32 that "about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." This reflects the voluntary limitations of the incarnation—the Son chose not to access certain knowledge in his human state. It doesn't mean he lacks a divine nature.

"Jesus is called 'firstborn' and 'only begotten.'"

"Firstborn" (Greek: prototokos) doesn't mean "first created." In Jewish usage, it indicated preeminence and special inheritance rights:

• Israel was God's "firstborn" (Exodus 4:22) though not the first nation created
• David was called "firstborn" (Psalm 89:27) though he was Jesse's youngest son
• Ephraim was called "firstborn" (Jeremiah 31:9) though Manasseh was born first

"Firstborn of all creation" means supreme over all creation, not first thing created.

"Only begotten" (Greek: monogenes) means "unique" or "one of a kind," not "created." Isaac was called Abraham's "only begotten" (Hebrews 11:17) though Abraham had other sons. The term emphasizes Jesus' unique relationship to the Father.

"John 1:1 should read 'a god.'"

The NWT's rendering "a god" in John 1:1 is rejected by virtually all Greek scholars, including non-Trinitarian ones. The grammar (an anarthrous predicate nominative preceding the verb) emphasizes quality or nature, not indefiniteness.

The same grammatical construction appears in John 1:14 ("the Word became flesh")—but the NWT doesn't translate it "a flesh."

Moreover, translating it "a god" introduces polytheism into John's Gospel—there would be the Almighty God and a lesser god. This contradicts Isaiah 43:10, which the Watchtower frequently cites:

If no god was formed before or after Jehovah, how can Jesus be "a god" who was formed (created) by Jehovah?

Approaching Conversations

When discussing Jesus with Witnesses:

Focus on Scripture. Witnesses respect the Bible. Using their own New World Translation to demonstrate Christ's deity can be especially effective. Even the NWT preserves many passages that point to Jesus' full deity.

Ask questions. Rather than lecturing, ask questions that help Witnesses think:

• "Why did Thomas call Jesus 'my God' and Jesus accepted it?"
• "Why does Hebrews 1:6 say angels worship Jesus if only Jehovah should be worshiped?"
• "How can Jesus be 'a god' when Jehovah says there are no other gods (Isaiah 43:10)?"
• "Why does the Father call the Son 'God' in Hebrews 1:8?"
• "If Jesus is Michael the Archangel, why does Hebrews 1:5 say God never said to any angel 'You are my Son'?"

Emphasize the gospel implications. Help them see that this isn't abstract theology but affects the core of salvation. If Jesus isn't God, can his sacrifice really atone for all the sins of all who believe? If he's not God, should we trust him with our eternal destiny?

Pray for illumination. Only the Holy Spirit can open blind eyes. Our arguments won't accomplish what only God can do. But He can use our faithful witness as a means of grace.

Conclusion: The Jesus Who Saves

The Jesus of Watchtower theology is a great and glorious creature—the first creation, the highest angel, a perfect man, a valuable sacrifice. But he is not the Jesus of Scripture—the eternal Word who was God and was with God, the exact representation of God's being, the Creator and sustainer of all things, the one in whom all the fullness of deity dwells bodily.

This isn't a minor difference. The identity of Jesus determines everything:

• Whether our salvation rests on the work of God Himself or merely a creature
• Whether our faith is in the Creator or the created
• Whether our worship is directed rightly or is idolatrous
• Whether we know God Himself or only know about Him through an intermediary

When we engage Jehovah's Witnesses, we're not arguing about theological abstractions. We're contending for the glory of Christ and for the souls of people who genuinely think they're serving Him—but have never met the real Jesus.

May God give us wisdom and compassion as we point them to the One who said, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58)—the eternal Son of God, who alone can save.