Was Jesus truly God?
Let us find out what the Scriptures tell us about the divinity of Jesus.
A. Jesus’ trial
Mark 14:61-64 “But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” He asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.”
When the high priest asked Jesus if He was the Christ, he was really asking Him if He proclaimed to be the Messiah, the Saviour of the world and the
Anointed One. It is clear from Jesus’ answer that He had no doubt about that. In fact, He puts Himself equal to God in His answer: “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high priest understood Jesus’ response and “tore his clothes “, considering Jesus’ response a “blasphemy”.
B. Claims to be equal to God
On several occasions we find Jesus claiming equality to God the Father.
– John 10:25-33 “Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
Looking at the Jews’ reaction, they were angry and were planning to stone Jesus. Why? Because they clearly understood Jesus claiming “to be God”. They reacted the same way as the high priest in Jesus’ trial. How would you react if someone proclaimed “I and the Father God are one”?
– John 5:17-18 “Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”
For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”
Here again the Jews clearly understood that Jesus was “making Himself equal with God.”
– John 8:58 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
Not only did Jesus announce that He existed before Abraham, who lived 2000 years before his time, but He also put Himself equal to God by saying “I am.” Only God used this title when addressing Moses in Ex 3:14: “God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” The Jews understood what he said and John 8:59 “At this, they picked up stones to stone him… “ Read other claims of who Jesus proclaimed to be:
– John 5:23-24 “…that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. “
– John 8:19-20 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
– John 14:1-2 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”
– John 14:8-10 “Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
In the following instances, Jesus spoke in His own name, elevating His authority to the One of God:
– Matt 5:20 “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
– Matt 5:22 “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ Will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
– Matt 5:26 “I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
– Matt 5:28 “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
– Matt 5:32 “But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
– Matt 5:34 “But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne…”
– Matt 5:44 “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”
c. Allowing Himself to be worshipped as God
Jesus clearly understood that only God should be worshipped. In fact He boldly declared:
Luke 4:8 “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'”
Read the following Scriptures and notice if Jesus discourages anyone from worshipping Him:
– Matt 8:2-3 “And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” NKJV
– John 9:35-39 “Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” The man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
– Matt 14:33-34 “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.”
– John 20:27-29 “Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Now you may ask yourself if Jesus’ disciples ever accepted to be worshipped. Let us find out:
– Acts 10:25-26 “As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
– Rev 19:10 “At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Notice that even angels refuse to be worshipped! Jesus however never refused to be worshipped and by doing so proclaimed He was equal to God.
D. What others said about Jesus
i. The apostle Paul: Let us now see what the followers of Jesus had to say about Him. Let us start with the apostle Paul, who had miraculously met Jesus on his way to Damascus while persecuting Christians (see Acts 9). He became one of the strongest advocates of Christianity.
– Rom 9:5 “Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.”
– Phil 2:6-11 “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
– Col 1:15-18 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
– Col 2:9 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form”
– Titus 2:13 “…while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…”
It is clear that the apostle Paul proclaimed Jesus to be equal to God and that He created everything in the universe. He encouraged anyone to worship Jesus and bow his or her knees at the mention of His name. Let us see what other followers of Jesus had to say about Him:
ii. John the Baptist:
– Luke 3:22 “…and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
– John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
iii. The apostle Peter:
– Matt 16:15-18 “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”
– Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
– 2 Peter 1:1 “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours…”
iv. The apostle Thomas:
– John 20:28 “Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
v. The author of Hebrews:
– Heb 1:3-4 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
– Heb 1:8-9 “But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness…”
vi. The apostle John:
– John 1:1, 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
– 1 John 5:20 “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
It is clear that Jesus is more than a mere man in the New Testament. His disciples proclaimed that He was God and deserved our worship. The apostle John concluded that
John 20:30-31 “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
e. Indirect claims to being God
The following Scriptures will demonstrate that Jesus not only claimed by his words that He was God, but His deeds also were a confirmation of this.
i. Authority to forgive
– Mark 2:5-7 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
If someone hurts you, you are the only one who can forgive him or her. How would you feel if your boss comes along and forgives that person? Wouldn’t you reflect “who does he think he is?” Only one other person can forgive and that is God Himself. No wonder that the teachers of the law were offended when Jesus forgave that paralytic.
– Mark 2:9-12 “Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
ii. Claiming to be “Life”
– John 14:6-7 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” How would you react if someone approached you and boldly declared: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
You wouldn’t be offended if that person said he knew the way, the truth, and the life. However Jesus proclaimed He IS “the way, the truth and the life.” The apostle John confirmed this in:
– 1 John 5:11-12 “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
iii. Authority to judge
– John 5:27 “And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.”
– John 8:24 “If you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins.”
iv. Foretold by the prophet Isaiah
– John 12:41 “Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.”
f. Conclusion
No doubts remain that Jesus and His followers believed that John 5:18 “He was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”
They worshipped him and believed He was their Saviour, proclaiming to others to do the same.
Jesus is Lord and came to save you. If you repent and accept Him in your life, you will be saved. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” NIV Will you do so now by accepting Him into your heart? Answer His call at http://www.answers2prayer.org/saviours_call.html
Rob Chaffart
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Absolutely!
Trinity…. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are each equally and eternally the one true God. This is the very foundation of Christian truth.
MATTHEW 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (the devil was tempting Jesus Himself)
MATTHEW 10:40 . . . He that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me.
MATTHEW 11:27 All things are delivered unto Me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and {he} to whomsoever the Son will reveal.
MARK 9:37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
JOHN 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.
JOHN 7:29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
JOHN 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am {HE}, and I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
JOHN 10:30-33 I and the Father are one.
JOHN 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
JOHN 12:44-45 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on Him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth Him that sent me.
JOHN 13:19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am He.
JOHN 17:10-11 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And 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 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
These are some scriptures speaking the word of the Lord proving that Jesus IS God. May all be blessed in His name.
DeeDee
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Yes, Jesus is truly God, as He said that anyone who sees Himself has seen the Father.
John Sorenson