I heard an old preacher say once, “If you’re wrong about Jesus, it doesn’t matter what you are right about.”
If you have had any discussions at all about Jesus you have inevitably heard a skeptic, matter-of-factly say, “Jesus never claimed to be God.”
Islam believes Jesus was only a prophet, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was an angel, Mormons believe that Jesus was Lucifer’s brother, procreated and the first “spirit-child” of God and became a god, which is what they believe they can become, and Jews believe Jesus was just a man.
The identity of Jesus is what separates all the religions of the world from Christianity. The essential, non-negotiable belief in Christianity is that Jesus is God.
When you consider the view of Jesus from just 4 of the big religions of the world alongside Christianity, it would be logical to ask, “well, how do you know who is right”?
If we follow that line of questioning, which is a legitimate question, it should lead us to ask:
What is your source of absolute Truth?”
I know when you use a term like, “Absolute Truth”, you begin to lose New Agers and those steep in philosophy since they do not believe in “Absolute Truth” – they consider truth to be subjective. I have even heard those with this viewpoint argue against whether 2 + 2 is really 4 – it was quite bizarre to listen to.
I believe there is Absolute Truth, and the source is the Bible. I know at this point many people partially or completely check out because they “can’t except the Bible as the source for Truth.” This is understandable because they probably haven’t had their questions answered about the Bible’s validity.
They ask great questions, logical questions, such as:
“How do you know the Bible is really God’s Word?”
“The Bible was written by men, so how can it be God’s Word?”
“The Bible has been copied and re-copied so many times over the centuries there is no way we can have the original text.”
“The Bible was written by men to control the masses.”
Proving the validity of the Bible is not the focus of this post, but here’s a few bullet-points you could research:
• Old Testament prophesies fulfilled prove the Bible’s Divine Authorship
• Secular (non-religious) writings from Josephus confirm the life and death of Jesus
• The Dead Sea Scrolls discovery validates that we have the original text of Scripture
• Archeology proves the historical records found in Scripture
• Countless men and women have died translating and distributing the Bible, which seems like the world is more determined to destroy it, rather than use it to control the masses
The goal of this post is not to be critical of those with questions, many of the most determined defenders of the faith were at one time hardened skeptics. When a skeptic diligently, and with an open mind, digs for the Truth, they will find it and become more versed in defending the faith than most.
The purpose of this post is to illustrate that Scripture, beyond a shadow of doubt, claims that Jesus is God, and Jesus Himself claimed to be God.
Let’s start with the clearest of the texts:
John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
Jesus = The Word. God in this context = God the Father (I am not going to go into proof of this here, but this would be another great study for those diligently seeking Truth)
So, to re-word this verse:
John 1:1-2 In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God the Father, and Jesus was also God, God the Son. Jesus, God the Son, was in the beginning with God the Father.
“The Word”, the “Son of God”, took on the Name Jesus when He left His Heavenly home and was born of a virgin with the purpose of being Savior of the world, but He never stopped being The Word, the Son of God, and the Son of Man prophesied about in Daniel 7.
“The beginning” referred to here is the beginning of creation:
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Let’s take a look at part of the exchange with the woman at the well:
John 4:25-26 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
The Jews were waiting for the Messiah. The Old Testament foretold of a Messiah, the Christ. Not only does the Old Testament prophesy of the coming Messiah, but it also assigns Divine attributes to the coming Messiah. The woman at the well knows this, and Jesus tells her, “I who speak to you am He.”
The Messiah, the Christ, was coming to save people from the consequence of sin, to cleanse them of their sin, to forgive their sin. In John 8 Jesus makes it clear where He came from, and what He came to do, and ultimately makes a statement that is as clear as it gets:
John 8:23-24 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.”
As He continues, He gets VERY HEAVY! He basically says, “if you do not believe right now as I tell you who I am, if you do not believe on account of the signs I have shown you, you will know when they crucify Me.”
John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught Me.
As a side note, I have done 2 posts so far discussing the probabilities of Jesus’ “predictions”. Regarding His statement here about, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man” – when He uses the term Son of Man, He is referring to Himself, and He is also indicating that He is the One fulfilling what the Prophet Daniel “predicted”.
Daniel 7:9-14 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before Him; a thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Skeptics will use Jesus’ most frequent term for Himself, “Son of Man”, as proof that Jesus was just a man; however, they do not realize, when Jesus uses this Title for Himself, He is instead continually confirming His Deity.
Back to Jesus being “lifted up”. This is also what He told Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee who would know this story well:
John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.
Jesus referring to Moses “lifting up” the serpent is a reference to Numbers 21:
Numbers 21:7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
The story of the serpent on a pole being “lifted up” was a literal event, but it is also foreshadowing the coming Messiah who would be lifted up in crucifixion and all that “look upon” (trust in Him alone as Savior and Lord) will be saved from the consequence of sin.
Add this “prediction” to the list of “predictions” Jesus made, which already have astronomical odds of being fulfilled, yet, like this one, came to pass. If Jesus gets killed in any other way, or doesn’t get killed at all, then Jesus is wrong.
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
Jesus’ “I AM” reference here is referring to Exodus 3:
Exodus 3:1314 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”
Even if we aren’t convinced that Jesus was not saying He is God in John 8:58, the people that heard Him say this were not confused at what He was saying, look at their reaction:
John 8:59 So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
They were going to kill Him for the same reason they were going to kill Him in the “scene” in John 10:
John 10:31-33 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.”
Another clear reference to Jesus’ Deity was the exchange with Thomas. The world uses the term “Doubting Thomas” although many probably do not know why. Days after Jesus crucifixion, Thomas was told by the other disciples that they have seen the risen Jesus. Thomas doubted them, and said this:
John 20:25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
WOW! Consider the magnitude of that statement – I WILL NEVER BELIEVE!
Eight days passed, and in Jesus’ grace and mercy, He shows Himself to Thomas just as Thomas, “Doubting Thomas”, requested:
John 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
Consider this: Thomas really isn’t doubting Thomas, he should be considered “Logical Thomas”. Thomas knew the Jews were seeking to kill Jesus, and when Jesus tells them, in John 11, they are going to see Lazarus, Thomas logically concludes, “well, if He goes there the Jews will kill Him for sure” and Thomas says:
John 11:16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
Track with me on the logic: Thomas spends 3 years with Jesus, he sees the miracles, he hears the teachings, and it is enough for him to conclude, “I will stay by Jesus’ side and die with Him.” Then Thomas sees a beaten, unrecognizable Jesus hanging on the Cross, clearly dead, knows Jesus is buried in a tomb; but now the disciples are saying they have seen Jesus. Logically, Thomas would conclude, “Nope, I saw Him on that Cross, nobody recovers from that, besides, He has also been buried, so, nope, unless I put my hands where the nails pierced Him, I will never believe.”
That is why Logical Thomas’ reply to Jesus is so powerful! Thomas is not like Peter who has a history of speaking before his brain engages, Thomas is logical, calculating, and he said:
John 20:28 Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!”
But here’s the biggie – JESUS DOES NOT CORRECT HIM! Jesus has always spoken Truth, He has always done right, He was known by all to be a righteous Man, even a prophet as some concluded; therefore, if Jesus was not God, wouldn’t He correct Thomas? Of course He would, but He doesn’t, why? Because Jesus is God.
Christian tradition teaches that Thomas was martyred in Mylapore on July 3, 72 AD, noting that he was killed with a spear.
More to follow regarding proof that Jesus is God.
Also, more to follow in the series “Validity of the Bible”; here’s links to the first 2 posts:
Validity of the Bible (Part 1)
Validity of the Bible (Part 2)
