5-RF NT 04 Reference Materials - Evidence of Jesus' Deity

Evidence of Jesus’ Deity JesusDeity of Jesus Time EXPLANATION There are people who say neither Jesus Himself nor the Bible ever claimed that He was deity. But those who know Jewish culture and the use of the Greek language are aware there are many claims thruout the New Testament. Check out the evidence for yourself. GOSPELS Matt. 1:23 The virgin…will give birth to a son and they will call Him Immanuel which means God with us. Matt. 2:11 (Referring to the Magi) When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Only deity can be worshipped. John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things were made by Him. Compare with Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and earth. Matt. 17:2 There He (Jesus) was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. This is a description of deity. Mark 11:17 My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers. The Jews called the Temple “God’s House.” When Jesus calls it “My House,” He is claiming Deity. He has a right to say how it should be used. Mark 12:36 (a quotation of David from the Psalms) The Lord (God the Father) said to My Lord (the Messiah) Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet. The Messiah Jesus, is David’s son (descendant). Why would David call his son Lord? That would mean his son was greater. How could a descendant be greater that the great King David? The answer is that David, thru the Holy Spirit, knew this descendant would be deity. Jesus, in His humanity was David’s son. In His deity, He was David’s Lord. Luke 5:20 When Jesus saw their faith, He said, Friend, your sins have been forgiven you. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, …Who can forgive sins but God alone? Up to this point, the only way Jewish people could have their sin forgiven was thru animal sacrifices. After the sacrifice, the priest would say, your sins are forgiven (adapted from Leviticus, chapters 4-6). The religious leaders knew if God made the original rules about forgiveness, then only deity had the right to change the rules and declare a person forgiven without an animal sacrifice. When Jesus did that, He was making a claim of deity to the Jewish religious leaders (the Sanhedrin). John 5:17 My Father is always at His work…and I too am working. In Middle East thinking, the character of the firstborn son is the same as the character of his father. The Jews referred to God as “our Father”, but to call God “my Father” was claiming the position of firstborn son. By saying My Father, Jesus is saying He is equal with the Father; He is deity. So in the next verse (5:18), John says, For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him; …He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. John 8:24 … if you do not believe that I am, you will indeed die in your sins. Verse 58 I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, I am! At this, they picked up stones to stone Him. Jesus used the name for deity from the Old Testament - the name “I AM” or Yahweh. Once again the Jews were ready to stone Him because He was claiming to be deity. John 10:29 I give them eternal life and they will never perish. No one can take them out of My hand. In order for Jesus to give eternal life, He has to have it as part of His character or being. He can give eternal life because He is eternal - He is deity. John 10:30 I and My Father are One. By claiming God as His Father, He is claiming to have the same characteristics or qualities and the same amount of each. In this case, He and His Father have the same amount of power. In these statements Jesus has made Himself equal with the Father. The Jews understand this claim and pick up stones. When He asks them why they want to kill Him, they admit, It is not for Your miracles, but for Your blasphemy. You as a mere man are claiming to be God - deity. John 16:28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father. John 17:5 Jesus prays, And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began. Only deity could make these claims. John 18:4-5 Jesus…went out and asked them, Who is it you want? Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. I am, Jesus said. Again Jesus uses the I AM name, the name of deity. John 20:28 After the resurrection Jesus told Thomas to touch His side so he could believe. Thomas said to Him, My Lord and My God. Jesus accepts his worship and the title of deity because He is deity. ACTS Acts 20:28 Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. It is Jesus who bought us with His blood; it is His church; He is called God. PAUL’S LETTERS Rom. 9:5 and from them (the Jews) is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Phil. 2:6 Jesus, who being in very nature God… Jesus has the nature of deity. It was evident in heaven in His glory and power. Angels bowed before Him. Col. 1:15 Jesus is the image of the invisible God The word image means precise reproduction. Jesus is the exact reproduction of God the Father. Everything you can say about the Father is true of Jesus. The firstborn over all creation; a more accurate translation would be first, before creation. Paul is making the point, if Jesus is before creation, it means He cannot be part of creation. He was not created. If He was not created, then He must be eternal. If He is eternal, then He is deity. Col. 2:9 For in Christ, all the fullness of the Deity - all divine nature - lives in bodily form, Jesus has 100% of God the Father’s nature. He is 100% holy, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, etc. Tit. 2:13 We wait for the blessed certainty - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Greek grammar requires the understanding that both words, God and Savior are a description of Jesus Christ. In other words, He is not only Savior, but also deity. JEWISH LETTERS Heb. 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being Everything you can say about the Father is true of Jesus. Jesus is eternal; He has all power, all knowledge and is everywhere. Jesus was not just a man who imitated God. He was deity as well as perfect humanity. Jesus has the nature and character of the Father. Heb. 1:6 And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all God’s angels worship Him.” God the Father said Jesus is to be worshipped. Heb. 1:8 God the Father is speaking about Jesus and says, Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever. God the Father specifically calls Jesus deity and says He has an eternal throne. 2 JEWISH LETTERS (continued) 2 Pet 1:1 To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours. Most people assume Peter is talking about God the Father and in addition, Jesus who is Savior. But the Greek shows Peter is only talking about Jesus. The word God in this verse means “deity.” He is saying our Savior Jesus Christ is deity. In the last 3 years of persecution, Jewish believers have been told to say Caesar is Lord. Peter reminds them, Jesus is Lord. Jesus is deity. 1 John Thruout the book, John uses Jewish names and phrases that only refer to deity and says they apply to Jesus. Deity names he uses are: Son, Son of God, Lord and Christ. Deity phrases are: The One from the beginning, the Eternal Life, the Word of Life, the Righteous One. 1 Jn 2:22 Who is the liar? It is the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. For the Jews, the name Christ meant Messiah. The Old Testament showed the Messiah would be humanity and deity. The person who denies that Jesus is the Messiah is a liar. 1 Jn. 3:5 He (Jesus) appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. This could only be true of deity. 1 Jn. 5:20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true — even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Jewish believers would have understood this statement immediately. For us Gentiles, here is a paraphrase… We know for a fact that Jesus has come as deity and His presence remains with us. He has given us understanding about God the Father so that we can progressively know the Father thru experience. We have this spiritual relationship with the Father by our relationship with His Son. This relationship is based on our belief about who Jesus is - deity, humanity and the promised Messiah. He is genuine deity - the one who gives us eternal life because He is eternal. Rev. 1:17 2:10 I am the First and the Last. I hold the keys of death… I will give you a crown of life. Only deity controls death and can give life. Rev. 5:12-14 Worthy is the Lamb…to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise…To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honor, glory and power, for ever and ever.…And the elders fell down and worshipped. Jesus is receiving the same worship and praise as God the Father, which makes Him equal with the Father. It means He also is deity. Rev. 6:16-17 Hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come. Jesus is equal with the Father in bringing judgment. Rev. 21:22-23 … the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.… the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. Jesus is equal with the Father as the source of worship and light. Rev. 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Jesus is equal with the Father in His titles. Only Deity could claim these titles. 3