Is this teaching biblical?
Michael Todd's statement that 'Jesus didn't reach His potential' is point-blank blasphemy. If Jesus didn't reach His potential, He isn't fully God. If He isn't fully God, His sacrifice cannot save us. Scripture declares that in Christ 'dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily' (Col 2:9) — not partial fullness, not unreached potential, but ALL fullness. Jesus is 'the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person' (Heb 1:3). Todd's statement undermines the deity of Christ, the sufficiency of the atonement, and the very foundation of the gospel. This is not a minor theological error — it is a different Jesus entirely.
What did Michael Todd say?
"Jesus didn't reach His potential."
Speaker: Michael Todd
Source: Sermon at VOUS Church, Florida
What does Scripture actually teach?
Colossians 2:9
"For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
— NKJV
Paul declares that ALL the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily. Not partial fullness, not 'some potential still to reach' — ALL fullness. Todd's claim that Jesus didn't reach His potential directly contradicts this. Christ lacked nothing. He was and is the complete, full, perfect expression of God in human form.
Hebrews 1:3
"Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."
— NKJV
Jesus is the 'brightness of His glory' and the 'express image of His person' — the exact representation of God. He upholds ALL THINGS by His power. And He 'by Himself purged our sins' — completely, sufficiently, perfectly. If Jesus hadn't reached His potential, He couldn't have purged our sins, couldn't uphold all things, couldn't be the express image of God. Todd's statement logically destroys the gospel.
John 19:30
"So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."
— NKJV
Jesus declared 'It is FINISHED' (tetelestai) — completed, accomplished, paid in full. Not 'I tried but didn't reach my potential.' Not 'I did my best.' FINISHED. The work of redemption was completely accomplished. Todd's claim that Jesus didn't reach His potential makes Christ's own dying declaration a lie.
Hebrews 10:14
"For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified."
— NKJV
By ONE offering, Christ 'perfected forever' those being sanctified. His sacrifice was perfect, complete, and eternally sufficient. If Jesus didn't reach His potential, His offering wasn't perfect, and we are not perfected. Todd's theology leads to an imperfect Savior and an incomplete salvation — which is no salvation at all.
John 1:1-3
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."
— NKJV
The Word (Jesus) WAS God — not 'was becoming God' or 'had potential to be God.' He created ALL things. How can the Creator of everything have 'unreached potential'? Todd's statement reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of who Christ is. This is not the Jesus of Scripture — it is another Jesus (2 Cor 11:4).