Note that in the New Testament Jesus does not say that he is God,?

Question

although John 10:30 claims that he said "I and my father are one". The claim that Jesus was God was first made after the death of Jesus and his twelve disciples.

Finally, note that the possibility that he was a "lunatic" is not easily discountable. Even today in the western world there are numerous people who have managed to convince hundreds or thousands of followers that they are the Lord or his One True Prophet. People like L. Ron Hubbard, Sun Myung Moon, Jim Jones and David Koresh continue to peddle their divinity. In more superstitious countries, there are literally hundreds of present-day messiahs.

Answer 1

He does say that He is God in the New Testament.

1) He received worship, which is only acceptable for God. "He said, "Lord, I do believe," and worshiped him." (John 9:38)

2) He applied the name of God to Himself in several passages. The most obvious in the English is: "Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I tell you, before there was an Abraham, I am!" Here's a few other examples: Matthew 14:27, Mark 6:50, Mark 13:6, Luke 21:8, John 4:26, John 6:20, John 8:24, 28, and John 13:19. (Some translations will show the Greek for "I AM" to be translated in the English "It is I," or "I am He," and doesn't accurately reflect was was really being said.)

3) Other times He was accused of blasphemy because He forgave sins. For example, "Why does this man talk this way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Mark 2:7) And the religious leaders who asked this were correct. No one can forgive sins, but God alone.

In many cases, Jesus was nearly stoned for making these claims. Therefore, Jesus both implicitly and explicitly identified Himself as God. That was why they executed Him.

Answer 2

The problem with your theory is that folks like Hubbard, Moon, Jones and Koresh all faded away to nothingness within a few years. Jesus and His message of Love have lasted 2000 years.

Also, I've never met a lunatic who can heal. I've never met a lunatic who died and came back from the dead. Never even heard of one.

Oh yeah, btw, each of the folks mentioned above were liars. Their messages contained lies and untruths (I've read some of the stupidness Koresh preached). Jesus was no liar. And He was no lunatic. So if He wasn't a lunatic, and not a liar, and not even the highest court in the land could find one sin that He'd committed, not even one, then what does that make Him?

Answer 3

The entire new testament was written after Jesus died. John heard and saw Jesus declared as God and he wrote what was evident. John wrote his recordings and they have been established as true within 5 years of the timeline they represented.
God the Father declared Jesus' divinity. in Matt. 3:17 and the angels as well in Matt. 1:23. Jesus spoke as God to John in Rev. 1: 17-18. His divinity was declared by those who knew Him best in John 20:28, Act 5:31, Acts 13:23. Peter declared it himself multiple times in 2 Peter 1:1 and 3:18 and in his declaration that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God, even the centurion declared it at His death. The list goes on and on.
Jesus' divinity was not in question by all who knew Him best and by many others who only watched from a distance.

Answer 4

Since you were able to name lunatics by their names just a few secs ago you're pointing to the fact the history (up until today, at least) has not said that about Jesus of Nazaret. A lunatic is easibly identified as such.
I'm with you, that it was a later generation that made the link between Jesus and God and thus proclaimed him as equal to God. This is not problematic, or it shouldn't be, because God's truth is a collective enterprise that is being revealed in the interaction between God and human history.

Answer 5

Interestingly the people hearing picked up stones to kill Jesus when he said that, it sounds like they took it like he was claiming so

He who has seen me has seen the father sure sounds like it

Tear down this temple and in three days I will raise it again says Jesus is human enough to die but divine enought to raise himself from th edea

In the begining middle and end of John Jesus is divine creator in chapter 1, the judge in chater 5 , the I AM before abreaham was around 8 and my lord and the God by Thomas at the end

I recommend taking a look at the I AM statements, each used a double greek verb, two verbs together reserved for God and Jesus uses them for each I am statement in John like
I am the bread of life, I am the resurection, I am the way the truth and the life... there are about 7...

it sounds like Jesus being divine is a theme of John

Answer 6

NOTE in the NT the Devil, his demons, and those possed acknowledged that Jesus was God and the Son of God. Satan and his demons acknowledged the FACT and asked for mercy and ran away.
Where are L. Ron Hubbard, Sun Myung Moon, Jim Jones, and Koresh?? ALL DEAD!! Jesus (God the Son) rose from the dead and lives forever more. Again where are your gods and prophets ALL DEAD my friend ALL DEAD!!

Answer 7

There were plenty of lunatics in those times, and present, claiming to be the Messiah. Funny how Jesus is the only one still around, and had stood for over 2,000 years. God will ALWAYS glorify what is His. I definitely do not have to defend Jesus, but you had a question so there you go...

Answer 8

Your suggestion that the possibility that "Jesus" was a lunatic is not easily discountable is accurate. It certainly is worth examining and some of the Pharisee's and other religious leaders came to that conclusion. You, too, may come to that conclusion.

But don't be foolish and say that "Jesus does not say that He is God." The religious leaders of the day knew exactly what Jesus was saying when He said "Your sins are forgiven"... "I and my Father are one"... "Before Abraham was, I am"... among others.

The religious leaders of that day even said that Jesus made Himself equal with God and blasphemed. This is the reason they gave for the crucifixion.

But you, I suppose, more than 2000 years late are able to better interpret what Jesus meant than those who walked and talked with Him. You must be omniscient.

Answer 9

John 8:19 - "...If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
John 9:58 - "..I tell you the truth before Abraham was born, I am!"
John 10:30 - "I and the Father are one."
John 10:38 - "...the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
John 12:44 - "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me."
John 14:6 - "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

And that's just through John 14 as I quickly scanned it. Also, the other so called messiahs are dead and have a grave to visit....not Christ. I don't worship a dead man.

Answer 10

Did you ever take time to read the Bible. When one of the Apostles asked Jesus what God looked like, and Jesus answered: When you see me, you have seen the Father"