Romans 10:9-10 (HCSB)9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
Let’s Start In the OId Testament
We Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah who was promised by God. The Old Testament tells us that the Messiah is God and the eternal Father.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 (HCSB)5 “The days are coming”—⌊this is⌋ the LORD’s declaration— “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch of David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.6 In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is what He will be named: Yahweh Our Righteousness.
Yahweh is the personal name of God!
Exodus 3:15 (HCSB)15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
Isaiah 9:6 (HCSB)6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 7:14 (HCSB)14 Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
The fulfillment of this prophecy was announced to Joseph by Gabriel!
Matthew 1:20-23 (HCSB)20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
I know that many people say that Jesus never claimed to be God. It’s true that scripture never records Jesus as saying the specific words “I Am God”, but that doesn’t mean the He didn’t proclaim Himself to be God.
John 10:25-30 (HCSB)25 “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in My Father’s name testify about Me.26 But you don’t believe because you are not My sheep.27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.30 The Father and I are one.” (Bold mine)
When Jesus declared, “I and the Father are one,” He was saying that He and the Father are of one nature and essence. (the word one is not masculine—one person—but neuter, oneness of being).- The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
The Jewish leaders knew exactly what He was saying. He was saying that He is equal to God. Matter of fact, He was saying that He IS God. They knew that’s what He was claiming to be and they intended to kill Him for it.
John 10:31-33 (HCSB)31 Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone Him.32 Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. Which of these works are you stoning Me for?”33 “We aren’t stoning You for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because You—being a man—make Yourself God.”
Here’s another one.
John 8:58 (HCSB)58 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.”
Again the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Him.
John 8:59 (HCSB)59 At that, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple complex.
Why did they want to kill Him? Because He was claiming to be God and that was blasphemy.
According to Black's Law Dictionary, blasphemy is “the written or oral reproach of God, His name, attributes, or religion.” This is similar to slander, which is “malicious oral lies that harm a reputation,” and libel, which is “slander through writing or another type of recording or transmission.” Blasphemy is slander and libel directed at God.
They understood that Jesus was claiming to be God. That would, indeed, be a reproach on God's character—if it wasn't true.
Leviticus 24:16 (HCSB)16 Whoever blasphemes the name of Yahweh is to be put to death; the whole community must stone him. If he blasphemes the Name, he is to be put to death, whether the foreign resident or the native.
Jesus called their attention to the works that He had done. These were things that only God could do, and then He supported it by pointing out those works.
John 10:37-39 (HCSB)37 If I am not doing My Father’s works, don’t believe Me.38 But if I am doing them and you don’t believe Me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father.”39 Then they were trying again to seize Him, yet He eluded their grasp.
If He wasn’t God, how could He have performed all those miracles?
Here’s what Jesus said, at what we call the Last Supper, after He washed the disciples feet;
John 13:12-15 (HCSB)12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you?13 You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am.14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.15 For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you.
The Greek word translated “Lord” here, is Kurios which means God-supreme in authority. His point was that the disciples were to follow the example of serving set by God Himself. He said you call me “Kurios” (God) and you have said right “...for I am.” That’s pretty clear to me.
Later Philip asked a question. Look at Jesus’ answer.
John 14:8-11 (HCSB)8 “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works.11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.
This is essentially the same thing that He told the people earlier, in John 10:37-39.
Here is in my opinion, the most profound claim of Jesus that He was God!
John 8:58-59 (HCSB)58 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.”59 At that, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple complex.
He was not only saying that He existed before Abraham, but that He existed eternally. In calling Himself “I am” He was saying that He was Yahweh (God) who spoke to Moses. God gave Moses the essential meaning of Yahweh, I am the One who is. When Jesus referred to Himself by this name there can be no mistake that
He is claiming to be God.
Exodus 3:13-15 (HCSB)13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I tell them?”14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
Jeremiah 31:34 (HCSB)34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them”—⌊this is⌋ the LORD’s declaration. “For I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sin.”
Isaiah 43:25 (HCSB)25 “It is I who sweep away your transgressions for My own sake and remember your sins no more.
Micah 7:18-19 (HCSB)18 Who is a God like You, removing iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not hold on to His anger forever, because He delights in faithful love.19 He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
According to these words it is God, and God only, who has the power and right to forgive sin, and Jesus forgave sin.
Mark 2:5-11 (HCSB)5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, thinking to themselves:7 “Why does He speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”8 Right away Jesus understood in His spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?10 But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He told the paralytic,11 “I tell you: get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
Luke 7:44-49 (HCSB)44 Turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she, with her tears, has washed My feet and wiped them with her hair.45 You gave Me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in.46 You didn’t anoint My head with olive oil, but she has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.47 Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.”48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”49 Those who were at the table with Him began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”
Jesus forgives sin and He is the only way to salvation and eternal life.
Acts 4:11-12 (HCSB)11 This ⌊Jesus⌋ is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.”
John 14:6 (HCSB) Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 3:16 (HCSB) “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Earlier in this post I told you how you can come to the Father through Jesus and have everlasting life.
Romans 10:9-10 (HCSB)9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
If you’ve never done this please do it now.
“God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin. However, I am trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believe that His death and resurrection provided for my forgiveness. I trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord, for saving me and forgiving me! Amen!”
If you have just prayed this prayer, in all sincerity, call, text, email, Tweet, change your Facebook status and tell somebody, leave me a comment here or send me an email with this Link. Then find a bible believing church and start to fellowship with other believers. Welcome to the family of God.
Yes Jesus is God
Jesus emptied Himself and took on the form of man and walked with His creation in the flesh for thirty-three years but He was and still is God.
1 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
You might be saying “actions speak louder than words”. Jesus could have made these claims and they would be just that…claims. Claims lacking proof, but there is plenty proof that Jesus’ claims are true. You may also be asking how it’s possible to be the Son of God, Son of Man, and God all at the same time? I’ll address those questions in this series of posts. Stay tuned!