Inter-Faith Series: How does Jesus speak of his Divinity?

Question

Please confine your answer to the question.

Answer 1

Abel,
Jesus didn't walk around saying "I am God" all the time. lol
In first century Judaism, this would have got Him crucified "before His time".
He did of course drop little hints all the time. And in John chapter 8, He out and out declared it.

He also told Phillip, "Have I been with you so long Phillip, and yet you do not know Me?....Whom ever has seen Me HAS seen the Father"
Now we know that Jesus was NOT the Father. So, what He was telling Phillip was, "whom ever has seen ME has seen God".

You must remember, that the words of Jesus are no more important than any of the other words in the Bible. It is ALL the Word of God. So, if the Bible speaks of Jesus being God, or identifies Him with God in other places, it is just as important as Jesus saying it Himself.

Here are some of the other places where the Word identifies Jesus with God Himself.

God Called Yahweh (I Am); Exodus 3:14, Deut 32:39, Isa 43:10
Jesus Called Yahweh: JOHN 8:24,58, 18:14

God Called God: Gen 1:1, Deut 6:4, Psalm 45:6-7
Jesus Called God (used of): Isa 7:14, 9:6, John 1:1, 1:14, 20:28, Titus 2:13, Heb 1:8, 2 Pet 1:1

God Called Alpha & Omega: Isa 41:4, 48:12,j Rev 1:8,
Jesus Called Alpah & Omega: Rev 1:17-18, 2:8, 22:12-16

God Called Lord: Isa 45:23
Jesus Called Lord: Matt 12:8, Acts 7:59-60, 10:36, Rom 10:12, 1Cor 2:8, 12:13, Phil 2:10-11

God Called Savior: Isa 43:3, 43:11, 63:8, Luke 1:47, 1Tim 4:10,
Jesus Called Savior: Matt 1:21, Luke 2:11, John 1:29, John 4:42, Titus 2:13, Heb 5:9

God Called King: Psa 95:3, Isa 43:15, 1Tim 6:14-16
Jesus Called King: Rev 17:14, 19:16

God Called Judge: Gen 18:25, Psa 50:46, 96:13, Rom 14:10
Jesus Called Judge: John 5:22, 2Cor 5:10, 2Tim 4:1

God Called Light:2Sam 22:29, Psa 27:1, Isa 42:6
Jesus Called Light: John 1:4,9, 3:19, 8:12, 9:5

God Called Rock: Deut 32:3-4, 2Sam 32:3-4, Psa 89:26
Jesus Called Rock: Rom 9:33, 1Cor 10:3-4, 1Pet 2:4-8


Now that is only a FEW of the Names that they share. You could probably add another 40 or 50 or so.
But lets look at some of the same ATTRIBUTES they share.
Attributes that only GOD can possess.

OMNIPRESENT
God: Psa 139:7-12
Jesus: Matt 18:20, 28:20, Eph 3:17, 4:10

OMNISCIENT
God: 1Kings 8:39, Jeremiah 17:9, 10, 16
Jesus: Matt 11:27, Luke 5:4-6, John 2:25, 16:30, 21:17, Acts 1:24

OMNIPOTENT
God: Isa 40:10-31, 45:5-13
Jesus: Matt 28:18, Mark 1:29:34, John 10:18, Jude 24

ETERNAL
God: Psa 102:26-27, Hab 3:6
Jesus: Isa 9:6, Micah 5:2, John 8:58

IMMUTABLE
God: Isa 46:9,16, Mal 3:6, James 1:17
Jesus: Heb 13:8

RECEIVER OF WORSHIP
God: Matt 4:10, John 4:24, Rev 5:14, 7:11, 11:16
Jesus: Matt 14:33, 28:9, John 9:38, Phil 2:10-11, Heb 1:6

SPEAKS WITH DIVINE AUTHORITY
God: "Thus saith the Lord" (Used too many times to list)
Jesus: Matt 23:34-37, John 7:46 ("Truly, Truly, I say to you.." which is the equivilent of the O.T. "thus saith the Lord"

Now both lists could easily run to dozens and dozens more.
But what would be the point?

The truth is the Bible teaches that Jesus is God Almighty in human flesh. The people that cant see this, cant see it because the Bible says they are "spiritually blind".

They need to have an attitude of repentance, and ask God to open their eyes. Otherwise, they will die in their sin.

"Unless you believe that I AM, You WILL die in your sin"--Jesus (John 8:58)



....theBerean

Answer 2

Jesus is never recorded in the Bible as saying the exact words, “I am God.” That does not mean, however, that He did not proclaim that He is God. Take for example Jesus’ words in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” At first glance, this might not seem to be a claim to be God. However, look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement, “We are not stoning you for any of these, replied the Jews, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God” (John 10:33). The Jews understood Jesus’ statement to be a claim to be God. In the following verses, Jesus never corrects the Jews by saying, “I did not claim to be God.” That indicates Jesus was truly saying He was God by declaring, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). John 8:58 is another example. Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!" Again, in response, the Jews take up stones in an attempt to stone Jesus (John 8:59). Why would the Jews want to stone Jesus if He hadn’t said something they believed to be blasphemous, namely, a claim to be God?
Thomas the disciple declared concerning Jesus, “Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus does not correct him. Titus 2:13 encourages us to wait for the coming of our God and Savior - Jesus Christ (see also 2 Peter 1:1). In Hebrews 1:8, the Father declares of Jesus, "But about the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom."

In Revelation, an angel instructed the Apostle John to only worship God (Revelation 19:10). Several times in Scripture Jesus receives worship (Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9,17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38). He never rebukes people for worshiping Him. If Jesus were not God, He would have told people to not worship Him, just as the angel in Revelation had. There are many other verses and passages of Scripture that argue for Jesus’ deity.

Answer 3

Jesus NEVER said he was God. He said he was God's Son at John 10:36.

Some think Jesus was claiming to be God when he said: "Before Abraham was, I Am." But was he?

The expression at John 8:58 is quite different from the one used at Exodus 3:14. Jesus did not use it as a name or a title but as a means of explaining his prehuman existence. Hence, note how some other Bible versions render John 8:58

1869: "From before Abraham was, I have been." The New Testament, by G. R. Noyes.

1935: "I existed before Abraham was born!" The Bible—An American Translation, by J. M. P. Smith and E. J. Goodspeed.

1965: "Before Abraham was born, I was already the one that I am." Das Neue Testament, by Jörg Zink.

1981: "I was alive before Abraham was born!" The Simple English Bible.

1984: "Before Abraham came into existence, I have been." New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

Thus, the real thought of the Greek used here is that God's created "firstborn," Jesus, had existed long before Abraham was born.—Colossians 1:15; Proverbs 8:22, 23, 30; Revelation 3:14.

Again, the context shows this to be the correct understanding. This time the Jews wanted to stone Jesus for claiming to "have seen Abraham" although, as they said, he was not yet 50 years old. (Verse 57) Jesus' natural response was to tell the truth about his age. So he naturally told them that he "was alive before Abraham was born!"—The Simple English Bible.

People who claim that Jesus was claiming to be God ignore what else Jesus said. At John 17:3, Jesus called his Father the ONLY true God. Also, at John 14:28, Jesus said: "The Father is greater than I am." And at John 20:17, Jesus said to her [Mary Magdalene], ‘Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (So to the resurrected Jesus, the Father was God, just as the Father was God to Mary Magdalene. Interestingly, not once in Scripture do we find the Father addressing the Son as “my God.”)

Answer 4

Exodus 3:14 - God says "I AM who I AM" - John 8:58 - Jesus says "Before Abraham was, I AM" in reference to Himself.


Matt. 4:7; Luke 4:12 - Jesus tells satan, "you shall not tempt the Lord your God" in reference to Himself.

Matt. 28:20 - Jesus said He is with us always, even unto the end of the world. Only God is omnipresent.

John 5:18 - Jesus claimed to be God. The Jews knew this because Jesus called God His Father and made Himself equal to God. This is why Jesus was crucified.

John 6:38 - Jesus says, "For I have come down from heaven."

John 8:12 - Jesus says "I am the light of the world."

John 8:19 - Jesus says, "if you knew me, you would know my Father also."

John 8:23 - Jesus says that He is not of this world. Only God is not of this world.

John 8:58 - Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I AM." Exodus 3:14 - "I AM" means "Yahweh," which means God.

John 10:18 - Jesus says He has the power to lay down His life and take it up again

Answer 5

Jesus never did claim to be God and even though in John10:33 H said that he and the Father are one does that mean that he is here saying that he is God? No, THAT text, at John 10:30, is often cited to support the Trinity, even though no third person is mentioned there. But Jesus himself showed what he meant by his being "one" with the Father. At John 17:21, 22, he prayed to God that his disciples "may all be one, just as you, Father, are in union with me and I am in union with you, that they also may be in union with us, . . . that they may be one just as we are one." Was Jesus praying that all his disciples would become a single entity? No, obviously Jesus was praying that they would be united in thought and purpose, as he and God were.—See alsoCorinthians 1:10). No, Jesus claimed that he was, not God the Son, but the Son of God.

Answer 6

Only God can forgive sins and Jesus forgave sins ,so therefore He must be God.It was 'I am' who spoke to Moses as every Jew knows.Jesus told the Jews "before Abraham was I am".This clearly indicates that He is God.And how can a prophet from God lie?

Answer 7

John 8:58

Jesus calls Himself "I Am"....

Which is a direct indication of His Deity

Answer 8

I was thinking Jesus creates all thing cause he is God, and the last creation was humans then the Hell was created before Adam, then he creates a place to torture people before they sin, and he knew that they will sin, so he decided to create before the creation of humans a horrible place to torture us, he put all the fire 100,000 degrees and the brimstone also wow!!

Answer 9

He said
If youve seen me youve seen the Father"

Answer 10

John 13: 19-20 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

John 8: 34-37 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.

Did everyone catch that part?

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
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To my friend Line Dancer who said: People who claim that Jesus was claiming to be God ignore what else Jesus said. At John 17:3, Jesus called his Father the ONLY true God....

Please see Isaiah 43:10-12

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: (the saviour)

before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. (this means Jesus is not a separate god)

I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (He is our saviour because He became man and lived among us.)

I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: (there was no strange god among us because it WAS HIM)

therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

There is a REASON that Jesus says things to make Him APPEAR beneath the Father:

Phillippians 2: 5-11 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


"not once in Scripture do we find the Father addressing the Son as “my God.”' see Hebrews 1:8
But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.