Who was, and who is, Jesus Christ? People by the millions have discussed this question for two thousand years.
Some people who present themselves as New Testament scholars spend their time trying to persuade everyone that there’s nothing supernatural in the New Testament at all. Jesus was “just a man”, and his disciples were either deluded, deceived, or misquoted. According to these “experts” and to numerous other teachers of varying descriptions, Jesus “never claimed to be God”. He was “misrepresented”.
So much for the wolves in very scanty sheeps clothing, because, thank the Lord, there are also New Testament scholars who will reason powerfully that the opposite is true. Not that I need “experts”: I don’t. Scripture is abundandly clear that Jesus Christ claimed to be the Son of God, was seen to be divine, and was recognized by his disciples to be so. History paints the picture of an incredible message that turned the world upside down. Decide who you will believe: I will side with the believers. Jesus is my Lord and my God. The wise conclusion from what I share here is that we need to get down on our knees and worship He who inhabits eternity.
The Bible is our main source for the identity of Jesus. You wouldn’t check for the virtues of the Democratic Party in a Republican Party publication because of the obvious threat of bias. For the same reason, you shouldn’t go to an unbeliever to find out if you should believe. If you go to a shoe shop to get a phone, you likely won’t find one. You need to consider the Book that claims to be that divine message from our creator; you need to go and find out what it claims about who the Christ is. In this post I’ll outline some of the central Biblical arguments behind the Jesus-is-God belief, and then I will document some of the Scriptural references.
MOTIVATION FOR THE MURDER OF THE CHRIST
You could study the divinity of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures for the rest of your life, because the Bible is the living Word of God. It is deeper than any of us can fathom. The more you delve the more you can find to demonstrate the fact that Jesus Christ was and is no mere man. Not only did the followers of Jesus recognize him to be the Son of God, but his enemies knew without doubt that he claimed to be so. That’s why they crucified him: how could you miss it? Anyone reading more than a few verses of the gospels would see it in one way or another. Here’s one example:
For this reason they tried all the more 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 5:18).
It’s no good trying to make out that we’re all ‘gods’ or that we can become gods: it was Jesus who the Jews specifically focused on, and Jesus acknowledged and proclaimed lordship over all his disciples-not equality with them. Here’s an example from another gospel:
And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!
(Matthew 26:63-65 NKJV).
WALL-TO-WALL MIRACLES
Ask yourself what man can do miracles. I mean real miracles, and not the fakers who are running around claiming to be healers, or claiming to be apostles. With a word or a touch Jesus Christ healed lepers, made the blind see, and raised the dead. Is that the work of a man? Jesus said he “came from heaven”. He walked on water. He fed thousands of people. He turned water to wine. He is, according to the testimony of those who knew him, and of the ancient prophet Isaiah, God made flesh: he is “God with us”. He is, says Scripture, The one and only, and not just “a” Son of God.
THREE PERSONS-COMMON ATTRIBUTES
Please don’t understand me: I am not a “oneness” believer. The Biblical God is a trinity. He is three persons in one. Numerous times in Scripture the Son of God-the Christ-is described with the same attributes, characteristics, powers, plans, and authority as the Father himself. Here are some examples. You will find most of the Scripture references below at the lower part of the post.
OUR SAVIOUR
The Bible asserts that God is our Savior. In fact, according to His words in Isaiah, He’s the only one:
I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior (Isaiah 43:11).
However, Scripture also states that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and at that, the only one. Peter said:
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
John said:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
THE FIRST AND THE LAST, AND OUR CREATOR
The Bible tells us that God is “the first and the last”, but it also states that the Son of God is “the first and the last”. In scripture, God is said to be our creator, but the Son of God is also declared to be our creator. (See references below).
THE JUDGE, THE ETERNAL ONE, THE WATER-WALKER
In Biblical Scripture, God is the eternal One, and Jesus Christ is the eternal One. God is the Judge, and the Son is the Judge. God “treads on the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8) and Jesus Christ walked on water (Matthew 14:26). Notice here what the disciples did after seeing Jesus walk on the water:
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God” (John 14:33).
THE “I AM”, and “THE ONE THEY HAVE PIERCED”
In describing God, the Old Testament says he is “the one they have pierced”, and in the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the one who was pierced for our sins. God the Father calls himself the “I AM” (Exodus 3:14) and in the New Testament, Jesus Christ calls himself the “I AM” (John 8:58).
THE COMING ONE
God is the one who will “come”, and Jesus is the one who will “come”, in “power and great glory” (See remaining references below).
THE LIFE-GIVER
In the New Testament, God raised Jesus from the dead, and Christ raised himself from the dead. God is the giver of eternal life, and Jesus Christ is the one who gives eternal life.
THE KING, THE SHEPHERD.
God is our shepherd; the “King of Israel”, and “the King of the whole earth”. The Son also fulfills all these roles. Here’s an example:
“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…He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom…” (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus stated plainly that he was One with the Father. The apostles called him God and “my Lord and my God”, and he did not correct them. Jesus accepted worship from them, something no man should do. Satan offered him the kingdoms of the world. Jesus called himself “Lord of the Sabbath”. He said that he was greater than Jonah and greater than the temple of God. He said that he is “The way, The truth, and The life”, and that he is “the bread of life”.
REFERENCES
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).
1: THERE IS ONE SAVIOR…
GOD
“Apart from me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:11 and verse 3);
“I am the Lord your God…no savior except me” (Hosea 13:4);
“…the living God, who is the Savior of all men…” (1 Timothy 4:10);
“God our Savior” (Titus 1:3 and Jude 25).
THE SON
“…a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11);
“This man really is the savior of all the world” (John 4:42);
“…the Father sent his Son to be the Savior…” (1 John 4:14);
“…appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13);
“God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior” (Acts 5:31).
2: THE FIRST AND THE LAST…
GOD
“I am the first and I am the last…” (Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12);
SON
“I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever” (Revelation 1:17-18);
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End…I Jesus have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches…” (Revelation 22:12, 13 and 16).
3: THE CREATOR…
GOD
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1);
FATHER AND SON
“…in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe” (Hebrews 1:2);
“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26).
SON
“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; without him nothing was made that has been made…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:1-3 and verse 14);
“But about the Son he says…In the beginning. O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands” (Hebrews 1:8-10);
“For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth…He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church…” (Colossians 1:16:-18).
4: THE ETERNAL ONE…
GOD
“…you are from all eternity” (Psalm 93:2; Isaiah 26:4; Romans 1:20).
SON
“…the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5);
“Before Abraham was born, I AM” (John 8:58).
5: THE JUDGE…
GOD
“God, the judge of all men” (Hebrews 12:23);
“Fear God…the hour of his judgment has come…” (Revelation14:7).
“Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side” (Joel 3:12);
“…this is what the sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats” (Ezekiel 34: 17).
SON
“When the Son of Man comes in all his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory…and he will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats…”(Matthew 25:31-33);
“Have you come to torture us before the appointed time?” (Matthew 8:28-29);
“…the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father” (John 5:23).
6: HE WALKS ON WATER…
GOD
“He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8).
SON
“…when they saw him walking on the lake they thought he was a ghost. They cried out because they all saw him and were terrified” (Mark 6:49-50).
THE ONE THEY HAVE PIERCED
GOD
”And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and will mourn…” (Zechariah 12:10).
THE SON
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood…””Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; all peoples of the earth will mourn…” (Revelation 1:5-7).
THE I AM
GOD
“Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
“God said to Moses, ‘I AMWHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’”.
THE SON
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “Before Abraham was born, I am!”
THE COMING ONE
GOD
“The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood…before the coming of the day of the LORD” (Joel 2:31)
THE SON
“…the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light…”At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:19-32).
GOD RAISED JESUS, JESUS RAISED JESUS
GOD
“God raised him from the dead” (Romans 10:9).
THE SON
“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up again in three days”…”the temple he had spoken of was his body” (John 2:19,21).
THE GIVER OF ETERNAL LIFE
GOD
“The gift of God is eternal life’ (Romans 6:23, also 1 John 5:11).
THE SON
“I give them eternal life…” (John 10:28);
“I will raise him up” (John 6:40).
OUR SHEPHERD
GOD
“We are his people, the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100).
“The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23).
THE SON
“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11);
“They too will listen to my voice. There will be one flock and one shepherd (John 10:16);
“When the chief shepherd appears” (1 Peter 5:4).
THE KING OF ISRAEL
GOD
“Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 64:6);
“Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty” (Zechariah 14:16).
THE SON
“Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ “Yes, it is as you say’ Jesus replied” (Matthew 27:11);
“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…He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom…” (Isaiah 9:6).
THE KING OF THE WHOLE EARTH
GOD
“The LORD will be king over the whole earth” (Zechariah 14:9).
THE SON
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him… (Matthew 25:31-32).
BOTH
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11: 15).
EVERY KNEE WILL BOW
GOD
“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other….Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear” (Isaiah 45:22-23).
THE SON
“…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
THE CHURCH WAS BOUGHT WITH HIS BLOOD
GOD
“Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).
THE SON
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath? (Romans 5:9);
“Then I saw a lamb, looking as if it had been slain…You are worthy to take the seal and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God” (Revelation 5:6-9).
Fuel for Faith 