Articles
Is Jesus God?
While Jesus was upon the earth, men held different opinions about who He was. Matthew 16:13-16 demonstrates some thought He was John the Baptist, some Elijah, some Jeremiah, some one of the prophets, and some the Christ the Son of the living God. All of these opinions as to who Jesus is could not have been right then. Today, when people hold diverse opinions about who Jesus is not all of them can be right either. People today may claim Jesus was a fraud, a good teacher but not God, or God manifested in the flesh. In order to arrive at a correct understanding, let’s examine some pertinent Bible passages on the topic.
- Isaiah 7:14 - Here is a prophecy made about the birth of Jesus by a virgin. Matthew 1:22-23 will speak about how this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus. Matthew tells us what the word “Immanuel” means. “Immanuel” means “God with us.” If Jesus is called “Immanuel” and “Immanuel means God with us, then Jesus must be God.
- Isaiah 9:6-7 - Here is a prophecy made about Jesus who would come and reign upon the throne of David forever. One of the terms applied to Jesus in verse 6 is the phrase, “Mighty God.” According to Isaiah 9:6-7, Jesus is God.
- Micah 5:2 - Here is a prophecy regarding the birth of Jesus (Matthew 2:1-6). The prophecy speaks of an individual, “whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (NKJV). God is the only being who is everlasting (never having a beginning or an end) and yet such is what is asserted here about Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is God according to Micah 5:2.
- John 1:1-3, 14 - The book of John begins by talking about an individual who becomes flesh spoken of as the Word. The Word is plainly stated to be God in John 1:1. Jesus is the Word which John is speaking about in these verses because Jesus is the One through whom all things were made (Colossians 1:16). Since Jesus is the Word of John 1:1 and the Word was God, then Jesus is God.
- John 5:18 - Jesus’ enemies clearly understood Him to be claiming to be on an equality with God. They viewed Jesus though as a man and were ready to stone Him for blasphemy. However, Jesus was truly what He claimed to be and that is more than a mere man but to be equal with God. If Jesus was not claiming equality with God, why did He not correct their misconception on this occasion. Rather, He goes on to point out people should honor Him just as they honor the Father (John 5:22-23).
- John 8:58-59 - Jesus will speak about existing before Abraham and will use the phrase “I AM” to refer to Himself. The phrase “I AM” is the same phrase which was used by God at the burning bush to refer to Himself (Exodus 3:14). Therefore, Jesus is making it clear He is God (the “I AM”).
- Acts 20:28 - Paul speaks to the Ephesians elders about their need to, “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (NKJV). Whose blood was shed to purchase the church? It was the “precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19; Ephesians 1:7). Since Jesus’ blood purchased the church and God purchased the church with His own blood, Jesus must be God.
- Philippians 2:5-6 - This passage speaks about Jesus “being in the form of God.” If Jesus were not God, such a statement would have to be false.
- Colossians 2:8-10 - Christ is said in verse 9 to possess the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Jesus is just as much God or deity as the Father is even while upon the earth according to this passage.
- Titus 2:13 - Here is passage which refers to Jesus as both our great God and our Savior. Obviously Jesus must be God.
- Hebrews 1:8-12 - Here are statements made in the Old Testament which applied to God but the Hebrew writer says they were addressed to Jesus. Unless the Hebrew writer is in error then, it must be true Jesus is God.
Other passages exist which could be used to demonstrate the truth that Jesus is God but these are more than sufficient to clearly establish this essential fact we must believe about Jesus (John 8:24).
