Johann
Well-known member
The Deity and Authority of Jesus Christ
Orthodox Christianity claims that Jesus of Nazareth was God in human flesh. This doctrine is absolutely essential to true Christianity. If it is true, then Christianity is unique and authoritative. If not, then Christianity does not differ in kind from other religions. This chapter will move from the historical to the theological, from Jesus of Nazareth to Jesus the Son of God.
The basic logic of this apologetic for Christianity is:
(1) The New Testament is a historically reliable record of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (see Chapter 16);
(2) Jesus taught that he was God Incarnate (Chapter 17a);
(3) Jesus proved to be God Incarnate by fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, by a miraculous life, and by rising from the grave (Chapter 17b). Therefore, Jesus of Nazareth is Deity.
An Examination of the Claims for the Deity of Jesus Christ
We have already shown that the New Testament documents are historically reliable. The New Testament has been confirmed to be accurate not only in its general outline of history but in its specific detail as well. We have noted also that the ear– and eyewitnesses of Christ passed down contemporary accounts of Christ’s words and deeds (Chapter 16).
These words of Jesus were not only memorized but were written down by qualified witnesses (Luke 1:1–3). Furthermore, the New Testament writers made a clear distinction between their words and the words of Jesus (Acts 20:28; I Cor. 7:10, 12; 11:24, 25). Hence, a red–letter edition of the Bible which distinguishes the words of Jesus from those of the authors of the Gospel is a realistic possibility. That is, since there is both proven integrity and accuracy of the New Testament writers, there is consequent historical reliability in their quotations of Jesus.
It is not necessary to assume that the New Testament relates always a word–for–word record of Jesus’ teachings. It will be sufficient to hold that it presents the essence of his teaching on the subject at band. Building on this basis, we will now examine precisely what it was that Jesus claimed with respect to his own origin and nature. Following this we will examine what his most immediate followers taught about his deity.
An Examination of Jesus’ Claims to Be Deity
There are several lines of evidence that prove (whether or not the claim is true) that Jesus did claim to be God. This can be seen from his claims to be the Jehovah of the Old Testament, from his acceptance of the titles of deity, from his messianic claims, from his acceptance of worship, from the implications of many of his actions, from the authority of his commands, and from the reaction of the first century monotheistic Jews to his claims and actions.
Jesus’ Claim to Be Jehovah.
The most forthright claims of Christ to be God are revealed in his identification with the Jehovah of the Old Testament. “Jehovah” (or Yawey) is the spelling given to the tetragrammaton or designation for God (i.e., JHWH, or YHWH) in the Old Testament. This word for God is spelled with all capital letters in the English Old Testament of the King James (1611) and Revised Standard versions (1952), namely, L-O-R-D. The American Standard Version (1901) transliterated it as “Jehovah.” In every case these terms refer to deity.
Unlike the word adonai (usually translated “lord”) which sometimes refers to men (cf. Gen. 18:12) and other times to God, the word LORD (Jehovah) always refers to God. To avoid confusion we will quote here from the ASV Old Testament which uses the term “Jehovah.” For example, “I am Jehovah and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them” (Exod. 6:2, 3). So sacred was this name, JHWH, that devout Jews would not even pronounce it.
Many take the word to mean “underived existence” or “He who is” from the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14, but the meaning of the term is not certain. It is known for sure that Jehovah is the I AM of Exodus 3:14 and that for the Jews he alone is God. Everything else is an idol or false god. Nothing else was to be worshiped or served, nor were sacrifices to be made to them (Exod. 20:5).
Jehovah was a “jealous God” and would not share either his name or his glory with another. Isaiah wrote, “Thus saith Jehovah … I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God” (44:6). Again, “I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images” (Isa. 42:8; cf. 48:11).
In view of the fact that the Jehovah of the Jewish Old Testament would not give his name, honor, or glory to another, it is little wonder that the words and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth drew stones and cries of “blasphemy” from first–century Jews. The very things that the Jehovah of the Old Testament claimed for himself Jesus of Nazareth also claimed, as the following verses reveal: Jesus said “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11), but the Old Testament declared “Jehovah is my shepherd” (Ps. 23:1).
Jesus claimed to be judge of all men and nations (John 5:27 f. and Matt. 25:31 f.) but Joel, quoting Jehovah, wrote: “for there I will sit to judge all the nations round about” (Joel 3:12). Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) whereas Isaiah says, “Jehovah will be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory” (60:19). Jesus claimed in prayer before the Father to share his eternal glory, saying, “Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.”
But Isaiah quoted Jehovah vowing, “my glory will I not give to another” (42:8). Jesus spoke of himself as the coming “bridegroom” (Matt. 25:1), which is exactly how Jehovah is depicted in the Old Testament (cf. Isa. 62:5; Hos. 2:16). In the Book of Revelation Jesus is quoted by John as saying, “I am the first and the last” (1:17), which are precisely the words Jehovah used to declare that there was no other God besides himself (Isa. 42:8). The Old Testament declares that “Jehovah is our light” (Ps. 27:1), but Jesus said “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).
Perhaps the strongest and most direct claim of Jesus to be Jehovah occurs in John 8:58 where he said to the Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” The Jews’ reaction left no doubt as to how they understood his claim. They knew he had claimed not only preexistence before Abraham but also equality with God. They promptly picked up stones to stone him (cf. John 8:58 and 10:31–33).
Jesus had clearly claimed to be the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14 that refers to Jehovah alone. The claim was either blasphemy or else an indication of deity. Jesus left no doubt as to which interpretation he wished them to take. This claim to be “I am” is repeated in Mark 14:62 and in John 18:5, 6. In the latter case the effect on those around Christ was dramatic: “they drew back and fell to the ground.”
Jesus’ Claim to Be Equal with God
On numerous occasions Jesus claimed to be equal with God in other ways than assuming the titles of deity. Jesus said to the scribes, “That you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins … I say to you [the paralytic], rise, take up your pallet and go home” (Mark 2:10, 11). Jesus had just said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven” (v. 5), to which the outraged scribes retorted, “Why does this man speak thus?
It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (v. 7). Jesus’ claim to be able to forgive sins, the scribes’ understanding of that claim, and Jesus’ healing of the man are all evidence of his authority, and make it clear that Jesus was claiming a power that God alone possessed (cf. Jer. 31:34).
Jesus solemnly claimed another power that God alone possessed, namely, the power to raise and judge the dead: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live … and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:25, 29).
Jesus removed all doubt of the intentions of his claim when he added, “For as the Father raised the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will” (v. 21). According to the Old Testament, however, God alone is the giver of life (I Sam. 2:6; Deut. 32:39) and can raise men from the dead (Ps. 2:7).
Hence, in the face of orthodox Jewish belief that God alone could resurrect the dead, Jesus not only boldly proclaimed his ability to bring the dead back but also his right to judge them. The Scriptures, however, reserved for Jehovah the right to judge men (Joel 3:12; Deut. 32:35).
Another way that Jesus made claim to be God was by his statement that all men should “honor the Son, even as they honor the Father,” adding, “he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father” (John 5:23). In this same category, Jesus exhorted his disciples, “believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1). The pretensions of this claim to a monotheistic people were evident. The Jews knew well that no man should claim honor and belief with God. They reacted with stones (John 5:18).
Jesus’ Claim to Be the Messiah-God
The Old Testament foreshadowings of the Messiah also pointed to his deity. Hence, when Jesus claimed to fulfill the Old Testament messianic predictions he thereby also claimed the deity attributed to the Messiah in those passages. For example, the famous Christmas text from Isaiah speaks of the Messiah as the “Mighty God” (9:6). The psalmist wrote of the Messiah, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (from 45:6 A.V., quoted in Heb. 1:8). Psalm 110:1 relates a conversation between the Father and the Son: “Jehovah saith unto my Lord (Adonai), sit thou at my right hand.”
Jesus applied this passage to himself in Matthew 22:43–44. Isaiah the prophet, in a great messianic prophecy, exhorted Israel, “Behold your God” (40:9). Indeed the great messianic passage from Daniel 7:13, quoted by Jesus at his trial before the high priest, is a text implying the deity of the Messiah. In Daniel’s vision, the Son of man (Messiah) is also called the “ancient of days” (7:22), a phrase that is used twice in the same passage to describe God the Father (vv. 9, 13).
When Jesus quoted this passage to the high priest who demanded that Jesus declare whether or not he was Deity, the high priest left no doubt as to how he interpreted Jesus’ claim. “Are you the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the Blessed?” the high priest asked. “And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ ” At this, the high priest tore his garment and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy!” (Mark 14:61–64).
In short, the Old Testament not only predicted the Messiah but also proclaimed him to be God. And when Jesus claimed to be a fulfillment of the Old Testament messianic passages (cf. Luke 24:27, 44; Matt. 26:54), he laid claim to possessing the deity these passages ascribed to the Messiah. Jesus removed all doubts of his intentions by his answer before the high priest at his trial.
Jesus’ Acceptance of Worship
The Old Testament forbids worship of anyone but God (Exod. 20:1–4; Deut. 5:6–9). In the Bible men were not to accept worship (see Acts 14:15) and even angels refused to be worshiped (Rev. 22:8, 9). And yet Jesus received worship on at least nine occasions without rebuking his worshipers. The healed leper worshiped him (Matt. 8:2) and the ruler knelt before him with his petition (Matt. 9:18). After Jesus had stilled the storm, “those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’ “ (Matt. 14:33).
The Canaanite women bowed before Christ in prayer (Matt. 15:25), as did the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Matt. 20:20). Just before Jesus commissioned his followers to disciple all nations, “they worshipped him” (Matt. 28:17). Earlier in the same chapter the women who had just been at the tomb met Jesus “and they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him” (v. 9).
Mark writes of the demoniac of the Gerasenes that “when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him” (Mark 5:6) and the blind man said, “ ‘Lord, I believe;’ and he worshipped him” (John 9:38).
Not to rebuke these people who knelt before him, prayed to him, and worshiped him was not only utterly pretentious but it was blasphemous, unless Jesus considered himself to be God. The repetition and the context necessitate the conclusion that Jesus not only accepted but sometimes even elicited worship from the disciples, as he did from Thomas who cried out, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
The Authority of Jesus’ Commands
Jesus not only accepted the titles and worship due Deity alone but he often placed his words on a par with God’s. “You have heard that it was said to men of old, … But I say unto you …” (Matt. 5:21, 22) is repeated over and over again. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …” (Matt. 28:18, 19). God had given the Ten Commandments through Moses, but Jesus added, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another” (John 13:34).
Jesus once taught that “till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law” (Matt. 5:18). Later Jesus put his own words on the same level as the Old Testament Law of God, saying, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). Speaking of those who reject him, Jesus declared, “The word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day” (John 12:48).
In view of his categorical and authoritative pronouncements we are left with but one conclusion: Jesus intended his commands to be on the level with those of God. His words were equally authoritative with God’s words.
Jesus Requested That Men Pray in His Name
Jesus not only asked men to believe in him (John 14:1) and to obey his commandments (John 14:15), but he asked men to pray in his name. “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it,” he said (John 14:13). Again, “if you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14). Later, Jesus added, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).
Indeed, Jesus insisted that “no man comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). It is interesting to note in this regard that not only did the disciples of Christ pray in Christ’s name (I Cor. 5:4) but they also prayed to Christ (Acts 7:59). There is no doubt that both Jesus intended and his disciples understood it was Jesus’ name that was to be invoked both before God and as God’s in prayer.
Throughout Jesus’ claims several important points emerge.
First, there is no question that Jesus often accepted and sometimes even encouraged the appellations and attitudes appropriate only for God.
Second, Jesus himself unquestionably affirmed by words and actions these characteristics and prerogatives appropriate only to deity.
Third, the reaction of those around him manifests that they too understood him to be claiming deity. The disciples responded with “you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16) or “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Unbelievers exclaimed, “Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy!” (Mark 2:7).
When Jesus claimed to be one with the Father, the Jews wanted to stone him, as they said, “for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God” (John 10:33). This they repeated on several occasions (cf. John 5:18; 8:59). The high priest reacted similarly when he heard Christ solemnly swear to his divine origin (Mark 14:62–64). Whatever one may think about the truth or falsity of Christ’s claims, it should be clear to the unbiased observer of the New Testament record that Jesus claimed to be equal to and identical with the Jehovah of the Old Testament.
Some Alleged Counterclaims of Christ
It is sometimes alleged that Jesus denied his equality with God on the basis of the following data:
Jesus said, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28);
Jesus claimed ignorance of the time of his second coming (Mark 13:32);
Jesus said that neither he nor anyone else is “good” except God (Mark 10:18);
Jesus prayed on the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).
On closer examination, none of these passages is contradictory with Jesus’ evident claims to deity just discussed.
(1) The Father was greater than Jesus in office but not in nature. Jesus claimed equality with God in essence (John 5:18; 10:30); it was only in his function as Son that he was less than the Father.
(2) Jesus was ignorant of the time of his coming again as man, just as he was ignorant of whether the fig tree had fruit (Matt. 21:19). As man Jesus tired, hungered, and thirsted; but as God he never slumbered nor slept (Ps. 121:4). Jesus the person possessed two distinct natures: one divine nature by which he knew all things and one human nature which was finite in knowledge and grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52).
(3) Upon careful examination Jesus did not deny that he was good or that he was God to the rich young ruler. Rather, Jesus said to him in essence, “Do you realize what you are saying? Are you calling me God?” Jesus’ reply left only two alternatives: either he was good and God or else he was bad and merely human.
(4) Jesus’ prayer on the cross does not imply he is not God. There are other examples of God talking to God (or, better, one person of the Godhead speaking to another person of the Godhead). Psalm 110:1 says, “The LORD said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand.” Likewise, in the Old Testament, the LORD sometimes speaks to the Angel of the LORD (cf. Zech. 1:12) who also is deity (cf. Exod. 3:2 f.; Judg. 13:15 f.).
These so-called counterclaims for deity turn out to be not only completely congruous with the uniform claim of Christ to be equal with God, but in at least one case a closer examination of them evidences a covert claim to deity.
The Claim of Jesus’ Disciples That He Was God
It is one thing for a first-century Jew to claim to be God, but it is quite another to get other monotheistic Jews to believe it. Both Jesus and the disciples knew the Jewish Shema very well: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Mark 12:29). Paul stated the Jewish belief well when he wrote, “For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth … yet for us there is one God” (I Cor. 8:5, 6).
Both polytheism and idolatry were abhorrent to a Jew, and yet these first-century Jewish disciples of Jesus found it necessary to attribute deity to Jesus of Nazareth in many ways.
Jesus Was Given the Names of Deity
John called Jesus the “first and the last” (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13), a title which Jehovah had taken to himself in the Old Testament (Isa. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12). Both Jesus and Jehovah are viewed as the author of eternal words (cf. Matt. 24:35 and Isa. 40:8). The psalmist wrote, “Jehovah is my light” (27:1) but John claimed Jesus was “the true light” (John 1:9).
Likewise, “Jehovah is our rock” is a common appellation of God in the Old Testament (see Ps. 18:2; 95:1), but the disciples call Jesus their “rock” (I Cor. 10:4) or “stone” (I Peter 2:6–8). Jehovah was also a husband or “bridegroom” to Israel (Hos. 2:16; Isa. 62:5), which is how the New Testament relates Christ to his church (Eph. 5:28–33; Rev. 21:2). “Jehovah is my shepherd,” David wrote (Ps. 23:1), Peter called Christ “the chief Shepherd” (I Peter 5:4), and the writer of the Hebrews spoke of Christ as “the great shepherd” (13:20).
Whereas the Old Testament speaks of Jehovah as the forgiver of sins (Jer. 31:34; Ps. 130:4), the apostles boldly proclaim that only in Jesus’ name are sins forgiven (Acts 5:31; Col. 3:13). The Old Testament function of “redeemer” (cf. Hos. 13:14; Ps. 130:7) is in the New Testament given over to Christ (Titus 2:13; Rev. 5:9). The same is true of the title “savior” (Isa. 43:3); Jesus is called “the savior of the world” (John 4:42).
The Old Testament Jehovah jealously guarded his glory, declaring, “I am Jehovah, that is my name; my glory I give to no other” (Isa. 42:8), and yet Paul speaks of Jesus as “the Lord of glory” (I Cor. 2:8). The title of “judge” of mankind was reserved for Jehovah in the Old Testament, but the disciples taught that “Jesus Christ … is to judge the living and the dead” (II Tim. 4:1).
Jesus Was Considered to Be the Messiah-God
Many Old Testament messianic passages make it clear that it is Jehovah who is to be the Messiah. Jehovah is called “king” (Zech. 14:9) and it is the “angel of Jehovah” who will redeem them (Isa. 63:9). Jehovah is the “stone” and yet the Messiah is to be the rejected “stone” (Ps. 118:22). The Messiah is spoken of in the Old Testament as “Lord” when it is written, “Jehovah saith unto my Lord” (Ps. 110:1), a passage which the New Testament writers apply to Christ (Acts 2:34, 35). Isaiah provided a messianic challenge to the Jews, saying, “Behold your God!” (40:9).
Indeed, there is no clearer messianic passage on the deity of Christ than Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born … and his name will be called ‘Wonderful, counsellor. Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ ” With these predictions the New Testament writers concur, declaring Jesus to be “Emmanuel” (which means, God with us) (Matt. 1:23, from Isa. 7:14). In brief, the Old Testament Messiah was Jehovah and the New Testament writers identify Jesus with the Old Testament Messiah.
One often-overlooked passage in Zechariah says literally in the Hebrew text, “When they look on me [Jehovah speaking] whom they have pierced” (12:10). The New Testament writers do not hesitate to apply this twice to Jesus, thereby affirming the identity of the Jehovah pierced and the Jesus crucified (cf. John 19:37; Rev. 1:7).
In his role as Messiah one day “every knee should bow … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:11). But the passage from which Paul takes this citation declares: “For I am God, and there is no other.… To me every knee shall bow, and every tongue swear” (Isa. 45:22, 23). The implications of this are strong: Jehovah alone is God and to him every knee shall one day bow. But Paul declares that it is Jesus-Jehovah before whom one day all will bow; they will all confess that “Jesus is Lord (Jehovah) to the glory of God.”
Jesus Was Given Powers Possessed Only by God
The disciples of Christ not only gave him the titles of Jehovah or deity but they also attributed to him powers that only God possesses. The New Testament writers declare that Jesus raised the dead (John 5, 11), and yet the Old Testament declares, “Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive” (I Sam. 2:6; cf. Deut. 32:39).
Isaiah pronounced Jehovah as “the everlasting God … the Creator of the ends of the earth” (4:9) and Jeremiah called him the “former of all things” (10:16); the New Testament writers speak of all things being created through Christ (John 1:2; Col. 1:16). Likewise, for the Jews “who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7; cf. Jer. 31:34); and yet without hesitation the New Testament writers attribute this same power to Jesus (Acts 5:31; 13:38). Such an attribution should remove all reasonable doubt as to whether they believed in the deity of Christ.
The Association of Jesus’ Name with God
The Jehovah of the Old Testament jealously guarded his name and glory; it was utter blasphemy to associate any other name with God’s. And yet without hesitation, the disciples used the name of Jesus in prayer (I Cor. 5:4). On occasion they even prayed directly to Jesus (Acts 7:59). Often in prayers or benedictions, Jesus’ name is used alongside of God the Father’s in such phrases as “grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:3; cf. Eph. 1:2).
At other times three names are associated in a “trinitarian” formula, such as the command to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). The same association is made in the apostolic benediction, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (II Cor. 13:14). Such association in a monotheistic context is tantamount to claiming deity for the person so associated with God.
Direct Declarations of Jesus’ Deity
Thomas’s pronouncement “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) is more than an exclamation; properly understood in the context of the fourth Gospel it is the climax of the disciple’s progressive understanding of who Jesus really is. In Colossians Paul forthrightly declares Christ to be the one in whom “the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily” (2:9). In Titus Jesus is called “our great God and Savior” (2:13) and the writer of Hebrews addresses Christ thus: “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (1:8).
Orthodox Christianity claims that Jesus of Nazareth was God in human flesh. This doctrine is absolutely essential to true Christianity. If it is true, then Christianity is unique and authoritative. If not, then Christianity does not differ in kind from other religions. This chapter will move from the historical to the theological, from Jesus of Nazareth to Jesus the Son of God.
The basic logic of this apologetic for Christianity is:
(1) The New Testament is a historically reliable record of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (see Chapter 16);
(2) Jesus taught that he was God Incarnate (Chapter 17a);
(3) Jesus proved to be God Incarnate by fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, by a miraculous life, and by rising from the grave (Chapter 17b). Therefore, Jesus of Nazareth is Deity.
An Examination of the Claims for the Deity of Jesus Christ
We have already shown that the New Testament documents are historically reliable. The New Testament has been confirmed to be accurate not only in its general outline of history but in its specific detail as well. We have noted also that the ear– and eyewitnesses of Christ passed down contemporary accounts of Christ’s words and deeds (Chapter 16).
These words of Jesus were not only memorized but were written down by qualified witnesses (Luke 1:1–3). Furthermore, the New Testament writers made a clear distinction between their words and the words of Jesus (Acts 20:28; I Cor. 7:10, 12; 11:24, 25). Hence, a red–letter edition of the Bible which distinguishes the words of Jesus from those of the authors of the Gospel is a realistic possibility. That is, since there is both proven integrity and accuracy of the New Testament writers, there is consequent historical reliability in their quotations of Jesus.
It is not necessary to assume that the New Testament relates always a word–for–word record of Jesus’ teachings. It will be sufficient to hold that it presents the essence of his teaching on the subject at band. Building on this basis, we will now examine precisely what it was that Jesus claimed with respect to his own origin and nature. Following this we will examine what his most immediate followers taught about his deity.
An Examination of Jesus’ Claims to Be Deity
There are several lines of evidence that prove (whether or not the claim is true) that Jesus did claim to be God. This can be seen from his claims to be the Jehovah of the Old Testament, from his acceptance of the titles of deity, from his messianic claims, from his acceptance of worship, from the implications of many of his actions, from the authority of his commands, and from the reaction of the first century monotheistic Jews to his claims and actions.
Jesus’ Claim to Be Jehovah.
The most forthright claims of Christ to be God are revealed in his identification with the Jehovah of the Old Testament. “Jehovah” (or Yawey) is the spelling given to the tetragrammaton or designation for God (i.e., JHWH, or YHWH) in the Old Testament. This word for God is spelled with all capital letters in the English Old Testament of the King James (1611) and Revised Standard versions (1952), namely, L-O-R-D. The American Standard Version (1901) transliterated it as “Jehovah.” In every case these terms refer to deity.
Unlike the word adonai (usually translated “lord”) which sometimes refers to men (cf. Gen. 18:12) and other times to God, the word LORD (Jehovah) always refers to God. To avoid confusion we will quote here from the ASV Old Testament which uses the term “Jehovah.” For example, “I am Jehovah and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them” (Exod. 6:2, 3). So sacred was this name, JHWH, that devout Jews would not even pronounce it.
Many take the word to mean “underived existence” or “He who is” from the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14, but the meaning of the term is not certain. It is known for sure that Jehovah is the I AM of Exodus 3:14 and that for the Jews he alone is God. Everything else is an idol or false god. Nothing else was to be worshiped or served, nor were sacrifices to be made to them (Exod. 20:5).
Jehovah was a “jealous God” and would not share either his name or his glory with another. Isaiah wrote, “Thus saith Jehovah … I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God” (44:6). Again, “I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images” (Isa. 42:8; cf. 48:11).
In view of the fact that the Jehovah of the Jewish Old Testament would not give his name, honor, or glory to another, it is little wonder that the words and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth drew stones and cries of “blasphemy” from first–century Jews. The very things that the Jehovah of the Old Testament claimed for himself Jesus of Nazareth also claimed, as the following verses reveal: Jesus said “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11), but the Old Testament declared “Jehovah is my shepherd” (Ps. 23:1).
Jesus claimed to be judge of all men and nations (John 5:27 f. and Matt. 25:31 f.) but Joel, quoting Jehovah, wrote: “for there I will sit to judge all the nations round about” (Joel 3:12). Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) whereas Isaiah says, “Jehovah will be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory” (60:19). Jesus claimed in prayer before the Father to share his eternal glory, saying, “Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.”
But Isaiah quoted Jehovah vowing, “my glory will I not give to another” (42:8). Jesus spoke of himself as the coming “bridegroom” (Matt. 25:1), which is exactly how Jehovah is depicted in the Old Testament (cf. Isa. 62:5; Hos. 2:16). In the Book of Revelation Jesus is quoted by John as saying, “I am the first and the last” (1:17), which are precisely the words Jehovah used to declare that there was no other God besides himself (Isa. 42:8). The Old Testament declares that “Jehovah is our light” (Ps. 27:1), but Jesus said “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).
Perhaps the strongest and most direct claim of Jesus to be Jehovah occurs in John 8:58 where he said to the Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” The Jews’ reaction left no doubt as to how they understood his claim. They knew he had claimed not only preexistence before Abraham but also equality with God. They promptly picked up stones to stone him (cf. John 8:58 and 10:31–33).
Jesus had clearly claimed to be the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14 that refers to Jehovah alone. The claim was either blasphemy or else an indication of deity. Jesus left no doubt as to which interpretation he wished them to take. This claim to be “I am” is repeated in Mark 14:62 and in John 18:5, 6. In the latter case the effect on those around Christ was dramatic: “they drew back and fell to the ground.”
Jesus’ Claim to Be Equal with God
On numerous occasions Jesus claimed to be equal with God in other ways than assuming the titles of deity. Jesus said to the scribes, “That you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins … I say to you [the paralytic], rise, take up your pallet and go home” (Mark 2:10, 11). Jesus had just said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven” (v. 5), to which the outraged scribes retorted, “Why does this man speak thus?
It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (v. 7). Jesus’ claim to be able to forgive sins, the scribes’ understanding of that claim, and Jesus’ healing of the man are all evidence of his authority, and make it clear that Jesus was claiming a power that God alone possessed (cf. Jer. 31:34).
Jesus solemnly claimed another power that God alone possessed, namely, the power to raise and judge the dead: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live … and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:25, 29).
Jesus removed all doubt of the intentions of his claim when he added, “For as the Father raised the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will” (v. 21). According to the Old Testament, however, God alone is the giver of life (I Sam. 2:6; Deut. 32:39) and can raise men from the dead (Ps. 2:7).
Hence, in the face of orthodox Jewish belief that God alone could resurrect the dead, Jesus not only boldly proclaimed his ability to bring the dead back but also his right to judge them. The Scriptures, however, reserved for Jehovah the right to judge men (Joel 3:12; Deut. 32:35).
Another way that Jesus made claim to be God was by his statement that all men should “honor the Son, even as they honor the Father,” adding, “he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father” (John 5:23). In this same category, Jesus exhorted his disciples, “believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1). The pretensions of this claim to a monotheistic people were evident. The Jews knew well that no man should claim honor and belief with God. They reacted with stones (John 5:18).
Jesus’ Claim to Be the Messiah-God
The Old Testament foreshadowings of the Messiah also pointed to his deity. Hence, when Jesus claimed to fulfill the Old Testament messianic predictions he thereby also claimed the deity attributed to the Messiah in those passages. For example, the famous Christmas text from Isaiah speaks of the Messiah as the “Mighty God” (9:6). The psalmist wrote of the Messiah, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (from 45:6 A.V., quoted in Heb. 1:8). Psalm 110:1 relates a conversation between the Father and the Son: “Jehovah saith unto my Lord (Adonai), sit thou at my right hand.”
Jesus applied this passage to himself in Matthew 22:43–44. Isaiah the prophet, in a great messianic prophecy, exhorted Israel, “Behold your God” (40:9). Indeed the great messianic passage from Daniel 7:13, quoted by Jesus at his trial before the high priest, is a text implying the deity of the Messiah. In Daniel’s vision, the Son of man (Messiah) is also called the “ancient of days” (7:22), a phrase that is used twice in the same passage to describe God the Father (vv. 9, 13).
When Jesus quoted this passage to the high priest who demanded that Jesus declare whether or not he was Deity, the high priest left no doubt as to how he interpreted Jesus’ claim. “Are you the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the Blessed?” the high priest asked. “And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ ” At this, the high priest tore his garment and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy!” (Mark 14:61–64).
In short, the Old Testament not only predicted the Messiah but also proclaimed him to be God. And when Jesus claimed to be a fulfillment of the Old Testament messianic passages (cf. Luke 24:27, 44; Matt. 26:54), he laid claim to possessing the deity these passages ascribed to the Messiah. Jesus removed all doubts of his intentions by his answer before the high priest at his trial.
Jesus’ Acceptance of Worship
The Old Testament forbids worship of anyone but God (Exod. 20:1–4; Deut. 5:6–9). In the Bible men were not to accept worship (see Acts 14:15) and even angels refused to be worshiped (Rev. 22:8, 9). And yet Jesus received worship on at least nine occasions without rebuking his worshipers. The healed leper worshiped him (Matt. 8:2) and the ruler knelt before him with his petition (Matt. 9:18). After Jesus had stilled the storm, “those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’ “ (Matt. 14:33).
The Canaanite women bowed before Christ in prayer (Matt. 15:25), as did the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Matt. 20:20). Just before Jesus commissioned his followers to disciple all nations, “they worshipped him” (Matt. 28:17). Earlier in the same chapter the women who had just been at the tomb met Jesus “and they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him” (v. 9).
Mark writes of the demoniac of the Gerasenes that “when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him” (Mark 5:6) and the blind man said, “ ‘Lord, I believe;’ and he worshipped him” (John 9:38).
Not to rebuke these people who knelt before him, prayed to him, and worshiped him was not only utterly pretentious but it was blasphemous, unless Jesus considered himself to be God. The repetition and the context necessitate the conclusion that Jesus not only accepted but sometimes even elicited worship from the disciples, as he did from Thomas who cried out, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
The Authority of Jesus’ Commands
Jesus not only accepted the titles and worship due Deity alone but he often placed his words on a par with God’s. “You have heard that it was said to men of old, … But I say unto you …” (Matt. 5:21, 22) is repeated over and over again. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …” (Matt. 28:18, 19). God had given the Ten Commandments through Moses, but Jesus added, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another” (John 13:34).
Jesus once taught that “till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law” (Matt. 5:18). Later Jesus put his own words on the same level as the Old Testament Law of God, saying, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). Speaking of those who reject him, Jesus declared, “The word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day” (John 12:48).
In view of his categorical and authoritative pronouncements we are left with but one conclusion: Jesus intended his commands to be on the level with those of God. His words were equally authoritative with God’s words.
Jesus Requested That Men Pray in His Name
Jesus not only asked men to believe in him (John 14:1) and to obey his commandments (John 14:15), but he asked men to pray in his name. “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it,” he said (John 14:13). Again, “if you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14). Later, Jesus added, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).
Indeed, Jesus insisted that “no man comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). It is interesting to note in this regard that not only did the disciples of Christ pray in Christ’s name (I Cor. 5:4) but they also prayed to Christ (Acts 7:59). There is no doubt that both Jesus intended and his disciples understood it was Jesus’ name that was to be invoked both before God and as God’s in prayer.
Throughout Jesus’ claims several important points emerge.
First, there is no question that Jesus often accepted and sometimes even encouraged the appellations and attitudes appropriate only for God.
Second, Jesus himself unquestionably affirmed by words and actions these characteristics and prerogatives appropriate only to deity.
Third, the reaction of those around him manifests that they too understood him to be claiming deity. The disciples responded with “you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16) or “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Unbelievers exclaimed, “Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy!” (Mark 2:7).
When Jesus claimed to be one with the Father, the Jews wanted to stone him, as they said, “for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God” (John 10:33). This they repeated on several occasions (cf. John 5:18; 8:59). The high priest reacted similarly when he heard Christ solemnly swear to his divine origin (Mark 14:62–64). Whatever one may think about the truth or falsity of Christ’s claims, it should be clear to the unbiased observer of the New Testament record that Jesus claimed to be equal to and identical with the Jehovah of the Old Testament.
Some Alleged Counterclaims of Christ
It is sometimes alleged that Jesus denied his equality with God on the basis of the following data:
Jesus said, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28);
Jesus claimed ignorance of the time of his second coming (Mark 13:32);
Jesus said that neither he nor anyone else is “good” except God (Mark 10:18);
Jesus prayed on the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).
On closer examination, none of these passages is contradictory with Jesus’ evident claims to deity just discussed.
(1) The Father was greater than Jesus in office but not in nature. Jesus claimed equality with God in essence (John 5:18; 10:30); it was only in his function as Son that he was less than the Father.
(2) Jesus was ignorant of the time of his coming again as man, just as he was ignorant of whether the fig tree had fruit (Matt. 21:19). As man Jesus tired, hungered, and thirsted; but as God he never slumbered nor slept (Ps. 121:4). Jesus the person possessed two distinct natures: one divine nature by which he knew all things and one human nature which was finite in knowledge and grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52).
(3) Upon careful examination Jesus did not deny that he was good or that he was God to the rich young ruler. Rather, Jesus said to him in essence, “Do you realize what you are saying? Are you calling me God?” Jesus’ reply left only two alternatives: either he was good and God or else he was bad and merely human.
(4) Jesus’ prayer on the cross does not imply he is not God. There are other examples of God talking to God (or, better, one person of the Godhead speaking to another person of the Godhead). Psalm 110:1 says, “The LORD said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand.” Likewise, in the Old Testament, the LORD sometimes speaks to the Angel of the LORD (cf. Zech. 1:12) who also is deity (cf. Exod. 3:2 f.; Judg. 13:15 f.).
These so-called counterclaims for deity turn out to be not only completely congruous with the uniform claim of Christ to be equal with God, but in at least one case a closer examination of them evidences a covert claim to deity.
The Claim of Jesus’ Disciples That He Was God
It is one thing for a first-century Jew to claim to be God, but it is quite another to get other monotheistic Jews to believe it. Both Jesus and the disciples knew the Jewish Shema very well: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Mark 12:29). Paul stated the Jewish belief well when he wrote, “For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth … yet for us there is one God” (I Cor. 8:5, 6).
Both polytheism and idolatry were abhorrent to a Jew, and yet these first-century Jewish disciples of Jesus found it necessary to attribute deity to Jesus of Nazareth in many ways.
Jesus Was Given the Names of Deity
John called Jesus the “first and the last” (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13), a title which Jehovah had taken to himself in the Old Testament (Isa. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12). Both Jesus and Jehovah are viewed as the author of eternal words (cf. Matt. 24:35 and Isa. 40:8). The psalmist wrote, “Jehovah is my light” (27:1) but John claimed Jesus was “the true light” (John 1:9).
Likewise, “Jehovah is our rock” is a common appellation of God in the Old Testament (see Ps. 18:2; 95:1), but the disciples call Jesus their “rock” (I Cor. 10:4) or “stone” (I Peter 2:6–8). Jehovah was also a husband or “bridegroom” to Israel (Hos. 2:16; Isa. 62:5), which is how the New Testament relates Christ to his church (Eph. 5:28–33; Rev. 21:2). “Jehovah is my shepherd,” David wrote (Ps. 23:1), Peter called Christ “the chief Shepherd” (I Peter 5:4), and the writer of the Hebrews spoke of Christ as “the great shepherd” (13:20).
Whereas the Old Testament speaks of Jehovah as the forgiver of sins (Jer. 31:34; Ps. 130:4), the apostles boldly proclaim that only in Jesus’ name are sins forgiven (Acts 5:31; Col. 3:13). The Old Testament function of “redeemer” (cf. Hos. 13:14; Ps. 130:7) is in the New Testament given over to Christ (Titus 2:13; Rev. 5:9). The same is true of the title “savior” (Isa. 43:3); Jesus is called “the savior of the world” (John 4:42).
The Old Testament Jehovah jealously guarded his glory, declaring, “I am Jehovah, that is my name; my glory I give to no other” (Isa. 42:8), and yet Paul speaks of Jesus as “the Lord of glory” (I Cor. 2:8). The title of “judge” of mankind was reserved for Jehovah in the Old Testament, but the disciples taught that “Jesus Christ … is to judge the living and the dead” (II Tim. 4:1).
Jesus Was Considered to Be the Messiah-God
Many Old Testament messianic passages make it clear that it is Jehovah who is to be the Messiah. Jehovah is called “king” (Zech. 14:9) and it is the “angel of Jehovah” who will redeem them (Isa. 63:9). Jehovah is the “stone” and yet the Messiah is to be the rejected “stone” (Ps. 118:22). The Messiah is spoken of in the Old Testament as “Lord” when it is written, “Jehovah saith unto my Lord” (Ps. 110:1), a passage which the New Testament writers apply to Christ (Acts 2:34, 35). Isaiah provided a messianic challenge to the Jews, saying, “Behold your God!” (40:9).
Indeed, there is no clearer messianic passage on the deity of Christ than Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born … and his name will be called ‘Wonderful, counsellor. Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ ” With these predictions the New Testament writers concur, declaring Jesus to be “Emmanuel” (which means, God with us) (Matt. 1:23, from Isa. 7:14). In brief, the Old Testament Messiah was Jehovah and the New Testament writers identify Jesus with the Old Testament Messiah.
One often-overlooked passage in Zechariah says literally in the Hebrew text, “When they look on me [Jehovah speaking] whom they have pierced” (12:10). The New Testament writers do not hesitate to apply this twice to Jesus, thereby affirming the identity of the Jehovah pierced and the Jesus crucified (cf. John 19:37; Rev. 1:7).
In his role as Messiah one day “every knee should bow … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:11). But the passage from which Paul takes this citation declares: “For I am God, and there is no other.… To me every knee shall bow, and every tongue swear” (Isa. 45:22, 23). The implications of this are strong: Jehovah alone is God and to him every knee shall one day bow. But Paul declares that it is Jesus-Jehovah before whom one day all will bow; they will all confess that “Jesus is Lord (Jehovah) to the glory of God.”
Jesus Was Given Powers Possessed Only by God
The disciples of Christ not only gave him the titles of Jehovah or deity but they also attributed to him powers that only God possesses. The New Testament writers declare that Jesus raised the dead (John 5, 11), and yet the Old Testament declares, “Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive” (I Sam. 2:6; cf. Deut. 32:39).
Isaiah pronounced Jehovah as “the everlasting God … the Creator of the ends of the earth” (4:9) and Jeremiah called him the “former of all things” (10:16); the New Testament writers speak of all things being created through Christ (John 1:2; Col. 1:16). Likewise, for the Jews “who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7; cf. Jer. 31:34); and yet without hesitation the New Testament writers attribute this same power to Jesus (Acts 5:31; 13:38). Such an attribution should remove all reasonable doubt as to whether they believed in the deity of Christ.
The Association of Jesus’ Name with God
The Jehovah of the Old Testament jealously guarded his name and glory; it was utter blasphemy to associate any other name with God’s. And yet without hesitation, the disciples used the name of Jesus in prayer (I Cor. 5:4). On occasion they even prayed directly to Jesus (Acts 7:59). Often in prayers or benedictions, Jesus’ name is used alongside of God the Father’s in such phrases as “grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:3; cf. Eph. 1:2).
At other times three names are associated in a “trinitarian” formula, such as the command to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). The same association is made in the apostolic benediction, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (II Cor. 13:14). Such association in a monotheistic context is tantamount to claiming deity for the person so associated with God.
Direct Declarations of Jesus’ Deity
Thomas’s pronouncement “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) is more than an exclamation; properly understood in the context of the fourth Gospel it is the climax of the disciple’s progressive understanding of who Jesus really is. In Colossians Paul forthrightly declares Christ to be the one in whom “the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily” (2:9). In Titus Jesus is called “our great God and Savior” (2:13) and the writer of Hebrews addresses Christ thus: “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (1:8).
