Was Jesus Christ just a “good man”, or is he something much more…is he God in the flesh?

This is a Biblical study for anyone who is searching for the answer to the question.

I’ve noted in a previous post that there is evidential support for the fact that the earliest Christians saw Jesus Christ as far more than a man:

https://nickyfisher.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/who-is-jesus-part-1-the-historical-jesus/

https://nickyfisher.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/what-is-the-gospel-of-jesus-christ-2/

In parts one and two I gave some examples from the Bible of how the same names, titles, attributes and acts applied to the Father God are also applied to the Son. Here in the third part I will summarize some of the other inescapable evidences that Jesus Christ is God.

You could study the divinity of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures for the rest of your life, because the more you delve the more you can find to demonstrate the fact that Jesus Christ was and is no mere man, no mere prophet, and no mere avatar, guru, or ascended master.

JESUS CAME FROM HEAVEN

“I have come down from heaven…” (John 6:38);

“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5);

“For by him were all things created…And he is the head of the body, the church…” (Colossians 1: 16-18).

JESUS IS GOD MADE FLESH:

 “…Jesus Christ: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing…he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8).

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…” (Isaiah 9:6).

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made…” (John 1:1-3).

JESUS IS GOD WITH US:

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14);

“All this (the birth of Jesus) took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’, which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:22-23 – read from verse 18).

JESUS THE SON OF GOD:

“God gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16; see also verse 18 and 1 John 4:9);

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16);

“…and who through the Spirit of Holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4);

“Who is the liar”? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:22-23).

THE CHRIST IS THE, NOT “A” SON OF GOD:

“Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed one?’ ‘I am’, said Jesus” (Mark 14:61-62);

“The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath, by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ ‘Yes, it is as you say, Jesus replied” (Matthew 26:63-64).

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3);

“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” (John 5:17-18).

THE JEWS HAD JESUS EXECUTED BECAUSE HE CLAIMED TO BE GOD:

“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” (John 10:31-33);

“‘Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied…”Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?’ ‘He is worthy of death’, they answered” (Matthew 26:63-68).

JESUS CLAIMED TO BE ONE WITH THE FATHER:

 “I and my Father are one”…”the Father is in me, and I in him” (John 10:30 and 38);

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:6-11).

THE APOSTLES CALLED JESUS GOD (AND HE DIDN’T CORRECT THEM):

“My Lord and my God” (Thomas-John 20:28);

“Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Paul-Titus 2:13);

“The Word was God”… “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John-John 1:1 and 14).

JESUS WAS AND IS WORSHIPPED, AND ACCEPTS WORSHIP:

First, note that only God is to be worshipped (Deuteronomy 8:19; Revelation 22:8-9);

“Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” (Matthew 14:32-33).

“And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him’” (Hebrews 1:6);

“…many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise” (Revelation 5:11-12);

“When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted” (Matthew 28:17);

JESUS CLAIMED THE GREATNESS OF GOD:

He said he was Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8 with verse 2);

He said he was greater than Jonah (i.e. not just a prophet-Luke 11:32);

He said he was greater than the temple of God (Matthew 12:1-8);

He said he was the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:5)

He said he was the bread of life (John 6:35)

He said that even before Abraham was born he was the “I AM” (John 8:58);

He said he is omnipresent (Matthew 18:20).

JESUS DISPLAYED THE POWER OF GOD:

He healed all sicknesses and diseases (Matthew 4:23-24);

He had total power over the elements (Matthew 8:23-27);

He had power over death (John 6:40; 11:23-27);

He walked on water (Matthew 14): only God can walk on water (Job 9:8).

He was/is omniscient (John 4:16-19, 28-29; 1:47-49; 11:11-14).

CONCLUSION

If you claim the Bible at all as your guide yet reject the divinity of Jesus Christ, you are missing the entire point of it all: that God came to live in human flesh and to save us from our sin. If you are intentionally rejecting his divinity, you are dismantling the Scriptures which you claim as your inspiration and authority. John said:

“Such a man is the antichrist-he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:22-23).

No, we need to do exactly what Thomas did when he saw the risen Christ who had just walked into a locked room, and gently addressed Thomas’ unbelief:

“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’” (John 20:26-28).

• APOLOGETICS