Gary, it is my pleasure to answer the question the best I can.
Oftentimes people read the scripture where Jesus says The Father and I are one to mean that Jesus is saying that He and the father are one and the same person. Lets look at the scripture in context ~
John 10:29-31 (KJV)
29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. 31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him
To intrepet scripture we must use other scriptures. Look at a few scriptures where jesus desires believers to become one as he and the father are one ~
John 17:11- (KJV) 11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are
John 17:21 - (KJV)
21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
From what I can see the New Testament there are a a few scriptures that seem to be saying jesus and the father are the same person but there are hundreds and hundreds ,maybe even thousands of New testament scriptures that tell us Jesus and God the Father are actually seperate individuals. I don't understand it but i simply accept it.
Below are a few of those verses I've found~
Original Question.~ Are Jesus and God the Father the same person, or are they seperate individuals with a will of their own?
Matthew 26:39- "And he ( Jesus) went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
Here we see that Jesus did have a will of his own. Also If God the Father & Jesus were not seperate individuals who was Jesus praying to in this verse? Himself?
In John 20:17 Jesus said - 17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Also in In Matt. 27:46 jesus said -_And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Again, Jesus refered to him and his Father as seperate individuals by using the term we- John 14:23 -Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
1 Tim. 2:5 -- shows them as seperate individuals - 5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; For as long as I can remember one and one makes two This verse speaks of two individuals. One and one.
Jesus calls us his brethern -
hebrews. 2:11-13- For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12Saying, I will declare thy( God's) name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.............. We belong to Christ, 1 Corn. 3:23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
Here is an interesting scripture - Read this one carefully -21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Even in the Old Testament they are seperate individuals- in John chapter 1 we see Jesus is the word of God and without him nothing was made , In Genesis . 1:26 it says - And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Who was God speaking to when he used the word US? It was Jesus because scriptures tells us that he was with the Father from the beginning.
Now many take the scriptures "he who has seen me has seen the Father or My Father and I are one "to mean Jesus was saying he and the Father are the same person . Not so. The bible speaks of man and his wife in marriage to become ONE. Matt. 19;15. And in In John 17:21 Jesus prayed to the Father that all Christians may become one. It does not mean they become the SAME person but become one in agreement.
The ministry of Christ continues even now - HERE ARE SOME SCRIPTURES THAT SHOW US WHERE CHRIST IS, AND WHAT HE IS DOING AT THIS PRESENT TIME IN WHICH WE LIVE, KEEP IN MIND THIS IS AFTER HIS DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION.
1 John 2 -My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate ( Jesus) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: An advocate is a lawyer who speaks on your behalf.
Hebrews 10:12 - 12But this man ( Jesus) , after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
1 Peter 3:22- ( Jesus) Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Romans 8:34 -Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Hebrews 7:25- Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them
JESUS WILL DELIVER THE KINGDOM UP TO HIS FATHER AT THE RESURRECTION ~
1 Corinthians 15:20-25 - But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Jesus asked his diciples a question. ~
1When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 16:13-17
If Jesus and the Father were the same person Jesus would have rebuked Peter and told him he was wrong, but in fact he commends Peter and says ` flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father which is in heaven, Matthew 16:17.