But search as we will the Son is always spoken of as being inferior to the Father in the Scriptures.
Normally. "The Father and I are one" is one of the exceptions. What we are missing are most of the writings of the early Church in which these matters were discussed in depth for centuries.
Is it truly an exception? A husband and wife are said to be one, the body of Christ is called one though having many parts.
How did Jesus mean Father and Son were One? Did he say?
Well, we cannot argue on the basis of what we don't have, something less authoritative than the Scriptures themselves, which we do have.