At What Age did Jesus know he was the son of God?

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Recently, I read Ann Rice’s book that tells of the life of Jesus as a child. She did not specifically say when Jesus knew he was the son of God. She did reference the Gospel of Thomas where he supposedly killed a young boy, then brought him back to life. Are there sources out there that indicate at what age Jesus actually knew he was the son of God?
 
Jerry_Nuerge said:
Recently, I read Ann Rice’s book that tells of the life of Jesus as a child. She did not specifically say when Jesus knew he was the son of God. She did reference the Gospel of Thomas where he supposedly killed a young boy, then brought him back to life. Are there sources out there that indicate at what age Jesus actually knew he was the son of God?
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The Gospel of Thomas is a heretical document and was condemned by the early Church fathers as such. Ignore anything in it because it is all rubbish.
 
Hi thistle,

There are two natures but one person in Jesus and that person is divine.

This is of course a mystery and we’ll not know on this earth the total story on the relationship between Jesus’ human and divine natures. But Jesus as a divine person knew everything that God knows.

As a man, Jesus could grow in his ability to express to himself and others what he knew. He also could grow in experimental knowledge. For example, as God, he knew what it is to get burned, but could not know how it feels.

So Jesus knew everything about Himself from the beginning. How He integrated that in his human knowledge, I do not know, but I’m sure there are others who have read on this and are willing to speculate.

Verbum
 
Verbum said:
As a man, Jesus could grow in his ability to express to himself and others what he knew. He also could grow in experimental knowledge. For example, as God, he knew what it is to get burned, but could not know how it feels.
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Did not God create pain though, and allow us to suffer it after original sin? I can understand God not knowing how it would feel to be burnt as a man begore the Incarnation, but without any respect to the Almighty, on what grounds can we say that God would punish us with pain, from the fall, when He didn’t know how it ‘felt’.
 
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42* and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be * a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
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Luke 1:41-45
It appears that Elizabeth knew He was God, and John know Jesus was God, and Mary knew He was God. One might assume that He also knew it.
 
Hi MH,

God knows pain perfectly but in a different way than we do. He cannot know it experimentally because 1) He has no body 2) He cannot suffer.

We know pain experimentallly but imperfectly.

God knows everything about pain and how it affects us better than we do. So when he imposes it upon us, he knows exactly what He is doing.

Verbum
 
Jerry_Nuerge said:
Recently, I read Ann Rice’s book that tells of the life of Jesus as a child. She did not specifically say when Jesus knew he was the son of God. She did reference the Gospel of Thomas where he supposedly killed a young boy, then brought him back to life. Are there sources out there that indicate at what age Jesus actually knew he was the son of God?
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Funny you should mention Rice’s newist book. I’ve just started listening to it on CD on my drives to and from work. I’m on the 4th CD and have not been very comfortable with the whole thing. I know it’s supposed to be fiction, but some of the ways she portrays Jesus, my Lord, don’t seem quite right. I feel like sometimes he’s shown to be a complete idiot. Yes, the Bible says that “He grew in knowledge and wisdom”, but it doesn’t ever refer to Him as being stupid or ignorant. The Church and the Bible clearly show that He was fully God and fully Human when He was on Earth. Since this is true, then I can’t imagine Him being ignorant of Who He was even from the time He was born. (Personally, I’ve had enough of Rice’s book and am returning the CDs to the library tomorrow with the rest unheard.)
 
I also recently read that book. I found it very un-Catholic, especially for someone who has Rice’s research background. She used many incidents and characters who are not part of Tradition; the clay birds and Mary’s brother come to mind. This was clearly a work of fiction, but the thing that worries me is that others will read (or have read) this book thinking that they are getting the “Catholic perspective” on Jesus’ early life because Rice made such a big deal about returning to the Church. It really needs to come with a disclaimer that while the author is Catholic, the book itself is not.
 
Loren_1of6 said:
I also recently read that book. I found it very un-Catholic, especially for someone who has Rice’s research background. She used many incidents and characters who are not part of Tradition; the clay birds and Mary’s brother come to mind. This was clearly a work of fiction, but the thing that worries me is that others will read (or have read) this book thinking that they are getting the “Catholic perspective” on Jesus’ early life because Rice made such a big deal about returning to the Church. It really needs to come with a disclaimer that while the author is Catholic, the book itself is not.
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It surprised me because it was recommended as a good book by one of our local parish’s RCIA leader to her class last week. You’re right about the danger of people believing it is a Catholic perspective. Especially those newbies coming into the Church who are eager to read everything. :eek:
 
MH84 said:
Did not God create pain though, and allow us to suffer it after original sin? I can understand God not knowing how it would feel to be burnt as a man begore the Incarnation, but without any respect to the Almighty, on what grounds can we say that God would punish us with pain, from the fall, when He didn’t know how it ‘felt’.
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God did not create pain. Suffering and death are natural in the human condition. Freedom from suffering and death were a preternatural gift from God to Adam and Eve in their original state of friendship with God. In sinning, Adam and Eve forfeited their preternatural gifts. Suffering and death are not so much a punishment as a result of original sin.

Suppose you tell your child not to drink poison. He drinks it against your will, suffers, and dies. You didn’t punish him; he experienced the consequences of his actions.

JSA
 
St. Alphonsus Liguori, in his book on the Incarnation, Birth, and Infancy of Jesus Christ, citing other saints as well, argues that He knew from the moment of His Incarnation in the womb.
 
Genesis315 said:
St. Alphonsus Liguori, in his book on the Incarnation, Birth, and Infancy of Jesus Christ, citing other saints as well, argues that He knew from the moment of His Incarnation in the womb.
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Agreed!! Not only did He know from the moment of His incarnation in the womb, but because He was fully God before His incarnation, He also knew then. In other words, He’s always known. Jesus didn’t lay down His being God to take on flesh. He was God, is God, and always will be God. It only makes sense that He also has always known (and will always know) who He is whether in flesh or in spirit.
 
I would say that Jesus Christ always knew who He was. He has never ceased to be God, not even when He was an embryo. How could He then at any age not know He was the Son of God?:confused:
 
Loren_1of6 said:
I also recently read that book. I found it very un-Catholic, especially for someone who has Rice’s research background. She used many incidents and characters who are not part of Tradition; the clay birds and Mary’s brother come to mind. This was clearly a work of fiction, but the thing that worries me is that others will read (or have read) this book thinking that they are getting the “Catholic perspective” on Jesus’ early life because Rice made such a big deal about returning to the Church. It really needs to come with a disclaimer that while the author is Catholic, the book itself is not.
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If you believe everything in the Bible then you should believe Jesus had brothers and sisters. Catholic tradition teaches this is not true because it wouldn’t fit with the whole story that Mary was a virgin.

It is clear in the bible a difference in terms of brothers and sisters and cousins. In the Bible it says Jesus COUSIN was John The Baptist. Jesus BROTHER was James.

I know most catholics don’t want to believe this because thats what their parents taught them. Just like protestant parents teach their children that Jesus did have brothers and sisters.

The bible should trump the catholic churches teachings
 
impalass said:
It is clear in the bible a difference in terms of brothers and sisters and cousins. In the Bible it says Jesus COUSIN was John The Baptist. Jesus BROTHER was James.
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I have looked through both my NAB and my KJV and have not seen the word “Cousin” applied to the relationship between Jesus and John. As a matter of fact, the word “cousin” is only used twice in the KJV: the firstis to say that Elizabeth is Mary’s cousin and the second that Elizabeth’s neighbors and cousins rejoiced with her when John was born.
 
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