Jesus is God
Jesus, Never Claimed to be God.
This is a belief that is held by a large percentage of non-believers and others who have not studied the Bible.
However, Jesus did claim to be God. Jesus stating that he was God was the justification that the religious leaders gave for having him crucified. It was blasphemy, punishable by death, for claiming to be equal to God.
More important than claiming he was God, Jesus proved he was God, by foretelling the future, performing miracles to include healing the lame, bringing people back to life who had died, and ultimately raising from the dead himself.
(Luke 22:67-71 ESV)
“If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
• Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin for stating that he is THE Son of God and therefore equal to God. The clearly understand what he was saying.
(Mark 14:61-63 ESV)
But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need?
• The Sanhedrim and high priest accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be equal to God.
• “I am” is the name that had God given himself in Exodus 3:14. The high priest understood totally what Jesus was claiming.
(John 10:30-33 ESV)
“I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
• The Jews clearly understood that Jesus was stating that he is God.
(John 8:58 ESV)
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
• “I am” is the name that had God given himself in Exodus 3:14.
(John 14:9 ESV)
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
• Jesus stating that he is the same as the Father.
(John 5:17-18 ESV)
But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
• This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
(Matthew 21:15-16 ESV)
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”
• Here Jesus quotes form Psalms 8:2 which about praise to God. So, Jesus is equating himself with God and worthy to receive their praise as God.
(Mark 14:27 & 30)
And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
• Here Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7 where the shephard is God’s coequal. So, Jesus is stating he is God’s coequal.
(John 20:28-29 ESV)
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
• Thomas calls Jesus God. Jesus does not correct Thomas, but goes on to bless those who believe that he is God. The original Greek has Thomas saying “ὁ Θεός μου”, which directly translate to “the God of me”
(John 8:23-24 ESV)
He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
• Jesus stating that he is not of this world. Who is not of this world, but God.
(John 18:36 ESV)
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
• Jesus stating that he is not of this world, but from the kingdom of God.