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God is all knowing, and Jesus is God. So, why would Jesus not know the day nor the hour?

But of that day and houre knoweth no man, no, not the Angels of heauen, but my Father onely.—Matthew 24:36 (KJV-1611)

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Hi Michael. I have some questions for you: 1) Is there any reason you picked the 1611 version? 2) What is it (from the text) that makes you think Jesus would know the day and hour? I've closed the question, since it's unclear to me what you are asking. We can always reopen it later if you (or someone else) were to edit it to be more clear. – Jon Ericson♦ Mar 4 at 23:43
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Michael, Welcome. I attempted an edit of your question in effort to re-open it. I did so based on the direction it seemed you were coming from and on how it seems those who answered you understood the question. Don't feel stuck with it though. I'd love to hear from you what you are seeking to find out so you can get your question answered. – Sarah Mar 15 at 6:19
Michael I know the landscape here can be a little confusing, but I think the answers to @JonEricson's questions will help clarify what this question is about and we can help get you started in the right direction. As it stands, the conflict you are questioning seems to come from confusion on a doctrinal point rather than a textual one since you aren't providing a text that says anything about him knowing. If that is the case, you might be looking for an answer from a Christian perspective, in which case we might be able to help over on Christianity, but we still need feedback from you. – Caleb♦ Mar 20 at 12:13

closed as not a real question by Jon Ericson♦ Mar 4 at 23:40

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

2 Answers

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'The Son' under any given context may distinctly refer to Christ in his human nature or his dive nature. The basic Christian doctrine is that Christ was fully human and fully divine, having both natures in his person. To maintain his humanity, the man Jesus could only know a finite amount of things, while yet according to his divine nature having no limits in any of his attributes. If his human nature knew everything it would not be a human nature.

Where mention is specifically made about Christ not being able to do or know something indicates that it was not the Father's will that the Son of man should know or do. (Ref Matthew 24:36)

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Jesus of Nazareth was a mortal man with the limitations inherent to any mortal--for example, he collapsed when carrying his cross to Golgotha because of sheer exhaustion. The Christian New Testament, however, still views him as divine because of his eternal life. The emphasis is not upon omniscience (all-knowing) or omnipotence (all-powerful), but upon his eternal life.

Unlike all other mortals who are born spiritually dead, he was born spiritually alive at his physical birth, because he was eternal life. The eternal God had incorporated his own eternal life in the body of mortal man, so that he could die spiritually as man but on the cross, and therefore absorb the condemnation of all sinners, which is spiritual death. Jesus therefore did not die because of the nails or the crown of thorns, but because of his spiritual death caused by his body becoming the sin of the world.

The whole idea of animal sacrifices in the Hebrew Bible was therefore the depiction of something absorbing sin, so that the sinner could be forgiven and cleansed. Sin always results in separation from God, and thus spiritual death (and thereby physical death as well) then ensue. If God, however, could incorporate his eternal life in man, and die for all men, then his invincible eternal life would "kill" death. If death were conquered, then the condemnation of sin is of necessity permanently removed.

The humanity of Jesus of Nazareth therefore has nothing to do with omniscience or omnipresence, but with the eternal life of the eternal God robed in mortal flesh. This body was the sacrifice for sin -- the lamb of God, if you will. The whole genre of sacrifices in the Hebrew Bible therefore is the depiction of the sacrifice of the life of God, who took the penalty for the sinner. The animal sacrifices therefore were not the depiction of the life of the sinner, but the life of God. Thus the stringent requirement that such animals be not only clean, but also without spot or blemish.

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