Is Jesus Really God?

 

Who was Jesus? Many recent publications question His deity, depicting Him as a healer or magician, a gifted teacher or a social revolutionary, but not God incarnate. Some religious groups (for example Jehovah's Witnesses) teach that He shouldn't be worshipped as God, since that would result in worshipping two gods, counter to Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. The Bible indicates otherwise - Jesus is God incarnate, yet God still is one.

It is significant that the common thread among these different opinions of Jesus Christ is the denial of His deity. The Bible warns us about these teachings:

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them -- bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. -- 2 Peter 2:1-3

Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. -- 1 John 4:2

For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. -- Jude 4

What does Scripture say about Jesus Christ? First, we see in the following table that Jesus has the same attributes as God.

God (Old Testament) Jesus
Creator

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. -- Genesis 1:1

"for the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world. -- 1 Samuel 2:6

Creator

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has bee made. -- John 1:3

But about the Son he (God) 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

Reigning God

Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. --Psalm 45:6

Reigning God

But about the Son he (God) 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 hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." -- Hebrews 1:8

Redeemer

O Israel, put you hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. --Psalm 130:7-8

Redeemer

while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. --Titus 2:13-14

First and Last

"This is what the LORD says: -- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and the last; apart from me there is no God." -- Isaiah 44:6

First and Last

"..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

Judge

they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. -- Psalm 96:13

Judge

Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son. -- John 5:22

His Name

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." -- Exodus 3:14

His Name

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. -- John 8:58

Our Light and Salvation

The LORD is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life -- of whom shall I be afraid? -- Psalm 27:1

Our Light and Salvation

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved -- Acts 4:12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." -- John 8:12

The Living Water

O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water. -- Jeremiah 17:13

The Living Water

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. -- John 7:37

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." -- John 7:38


Jesus literally was "God with us", God in human form

"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 1:23 This had been prophesied in Isaiah 7:14.

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

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 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! -- Philippians 2:5

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... For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. -- Colossians 1:15-20.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. -- Colossians 2:9-10

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. -- Hebrews 1:3

Scripture Shows Jesus and God are One

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. -- John 1:1

We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. -- 1 Corinthians 8:4-6

Jesus Said He and the Father Were One

"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." -- John 10:28-38.

"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father... Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." -- John 14:9

Bible Repeatedly Refers to Jesus as God

While we wait for the blessed hope -- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. -- Titus 2:13-14

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: -- 2 Peter 1:1

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" -- John 20:28

Jesus Spoke with Authority as God

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. -- Matthew 7:24

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?" Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 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..." -- Mark 2:4

I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." -- Matthew 12:6-8

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. -- Matthew 5:21-22

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. -- Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus Spoke from God's perspective

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" -- Matthew 23:37

Scripture Provides Strong Evidence

If we believe that the Bible is the Word of God, the preceding Scripture quotations are strong evidence that Jesus is God incarnate.

 

Back to http://www.ReturnToGod.com