The deity of Christ is an important topic for us to master in the Bible, because many people will say they believe in Jesus, but they believe in “another Jesus” if they don’t think He is LORD.
2 Cor 11:3-4 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
There is “another Jesus” that is a counterfeit, that many religions propose. It is WRONG to believe that He was only a good man or a prophet, as we will see.
When you get in a discussion with someone from another religion, there’s no need to bash them. Instead, simply focus on who Jesus really is according to the Bible. That’s the real issue at hand; one which is also vital to their salvation.
And throughout Holy Scripture, when the word “Lord” is used it almost always refers to God Himself. And as we will see, Jesus is called “Lord” throughout the Bible.
Of course, let’s always remember; CONTEXT is key.
Deity is part of who Christ is, but Satan would love people to believe in a counterfeit Jesus who is less than God Himself. (this is true for Muslims, Hindus and Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example) Mt 16:13-17, 2Cor 11:4
Mt 16:13-17 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
The Bible is crystal clear about Jesus Christ, and that He is God who eternally existed!
He left Heaven and became a man and died on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins, for the entire world. 1Jn 2:2
The title “Son of God” implies that Jesus came from God, and is of the same nature as God.
We will see this is why the Jews charged Him with blasphemy in John 5; because by claiming to be God’s Son, He was making Himself EQUAL with God.
If someone is born of a man named John, he would be called the son of John, correct??
Even though he is his son, isn’t he of the same nature as John (a man)?
Of course, we wouldn’t even consider that they were different in nature.
So it is with the Son of God; He possesses the very nature of God the Father.
We will see this in many passages coming up that also speak of His preexistence with God the Father in heaven.
Here’s a quote from Pastor John MacArthur, from his book “Biblical Doctrine”, speaking on the Preincarnate Christ:
“In the design of God, each creature begets offspring “according to its kind” (Gen 1:11-12, 21-25). The offspring bear the exact likeness of the parent. The fact that a son is generated by the father guarantees that the son shares the same nature as the father. Christ in His deity, however, is not a created being (Joh 1:1-3). He had no beginning but is as timeless as God Himself.”
We’re getting into the Triunity of God; a mystery that the human mind cannot comprehend, so we must take it on faith as the Bible tells us.
The fact is the Bible is clear that the Son and the Spirit existed with the Father in heaven before anything was ever created.
They were and are ONE; of the same essence and heart and mind and nature; each possessing the very nature of DEITY.
As many Bible scholars try to explain it; God is three Persons with one essence.
But let’s not take their word for it. Let’s see what the Bible says particularly about the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Child that was promised in the OT, and eventually born for us, was none other than the Creator Himself, equal to God the Father in heaven. Is 7:14, 9:6
And we see many of these truths about the deity of Jesus Christ by comparing scripture with scripture.
For example:
Is 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
Immanuel means “God with us”… not “a” god, but God!
Is 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
If one is honest, he must admit this tells us the child to be born is God Himself coming in the flesh.
Let’s also compare a couple passages in the gospel of John:
Jn 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
This is clearly telling us about God, our Creator, being the Word of God, one and the same.
Jn 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word is God… The Word became flesh… and we can only conclude this is talking about Jesus!
Jesus Christ has flesh, God the Father doesn’t.
Rev 19:13 – we again see one of Jesus’ titles is The Word of God –
He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
Jesus Christ called God His Father, making Himself equal with God! Jn 5:18,8:19,14:7
Jn 5:18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
Jn 8:19 “If you knew Me, you would know My Father.”
Jesus goes on to say you have known the Father and have seen Him! (this is because Jesus = God… otherwise how can He say you have seen the Father?)
We see the perfect “oneness” with the Father here, claimed by Jesus.
Jn 14:6-9 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Because of these bold statements referring to His deity, the Jews repeatedly wanted to stone Him to death for blasphemy.
Jesus refers to Himself as the Great “I AM” from the OT, Ex 3:14, Jn 8:58. Again, this is why they tried to stone Him to death.
Many times He clearly claimed to be equal to God.
Ex 3:14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.'”
Jn 8:58 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am! Therefore they picked up stones to kill him…”
Jesus calls Himself “I AM”; the title for God alone! And Jesus claimed this title of “I AM” many times throughout the Gospel of John. (i.e. – Jn 6:35, 8:12,58, 10:7,11, 11:25, 14:6, 15:1)
This was the title that God told to Moses in Ex 3:14… and in John, Jesus Christ says “I AM”…. making Himself out to be God.
Jesus says He gives eternal life… but only God Almighty can give eternal life! – Jn 10:28
Jn 10:27-30 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 “I and the Father are one.”
… and in vs. 31, we see the Jews pick up stones to kill him, and the reason is in vs. 33… “because you make yourself out to be God!”
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
The religious Jews knew exactly what Jesus was claiming!
This is irrefutable scriptural evidence that Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh.
The Jews had a law; if anyone claimed he was God, he was to be killed. Jn 19:7, Mk 14:64
And their law wasn’t against making yourself out to be a small god or a prophet…
… but “Son of God” is a title for God, and the Jews knew that and that’s why they wanted to kill him.
Jn 19:7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”
Jn 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
It was clear to them that Jesus claimed to be God… otherwise there is no grounds for killing Him.
Compare to:
Mk 14:61-64 But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” 63 Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 “You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.
Notice here again, Jesus said “I AM”, and the Jews knew what He meant by that.
The Child is said to be “God with us”, and Holy Scripture says God shed His own blood for us, and God was pierced! Mt 1:23, Ac 20:28, Zec 12:10, Ps 22:16
Mt 1:23 – The Child’s name is Immanuel, which means God with us. “Behold the virgin will be with Child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which translated means God with us” – foretold in Is 7:14
Ac 20:28 says God purchased the church with “His own blood”! – obviously only Jesus Christ has blood, The Father and The Spirit do not.
Ac 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for 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.
And Zec 12:10 tells us that God Himself was pierced!
Remember, context is key!
In Zec 12:1, notice it’s “the Lord who stretches out the heavens” who is speaking… and the Lord goes on to say in vs. 10:
Zec 12:10 “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
In context, it is the Lord who stretches out the heavens who is pierced!
We can compare this with another prophecy in:
Ps 22:16 For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
This was written about 1000 years before Jesus went to the Cross.
Jesus is said to be the exact image of God and the fullness of deity! Col 1:15-19, 2:9
Col 1 is talking about Jesus being the (exact) image of God, Who created all things…
… but we know the Bible says it’s God Who created all things (as in Gen 1&2)… so we must conclude they are the same Person!
Col 1:13-19 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him.
This is very clearly stated!
Col 2:9 “For in Him (Jesus) all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form!”
Here again, we see God in the Flesh – Immanuel – “God with us”!
Here’s another interesting comparison of scriptures:
GOD Almighty is said to be the Savior of all men; Is 43:10-11, 1Ti 4:10. But Jesus is clearly given this same title of Savior! Tit 2:13, 1Jn 5:20, 2Pe 1:1
But here’s the problem for those who claim Jesus isn’t equal to God… Isaiah 43 says ONLY GOD is the Savior!
Is 43:10-11 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
We see the same thing in 1Timothy.
1 Ti 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
Yet, Jesus is clearly given this same title of Savior.
Tit 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
1 Jn 5:20 “And we know the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
2 Pe 1:1 “our God and Savoir, Jesus Christ.”
Here, Jesus is not only clearly stated as the Savior, but also as God Himself!
This is the great difference between Christianity’s belief about Jesus and the watered-down beliefs of other religions.
Everyone must answer the question: is Jesus only a good man, or even a prophet?? Or is He “the Son of the living God”, our God and Savior in the flesh, as the Bible tells us???
Upon this truth rests the salvation of men.
Mt 16:13-17 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
And we can also conclude when Moses and the Jews followed God in the OT, they were actually following Christ, before He took the form of a man many years afterwards.
1 Co 10:1-4 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.
Here’s another way the Bible reveals the deity of Christ:
The Bible says only God can forgive sins, and no one else. Yet, Jesus boldly does so! Mt 9:2-3, Mk 2:5-7
Mt 9:2-3 And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.”
Notice, the Jews said Jesus was blaspheming, because forgiving sins was a claim to being equal to God!
It’s even clearer in:
Mk 2:5-7 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Some people say either Jesus was crazy, or He was the Son of God. But there is no room to say He was only a good man.
Just look at His claims!
Only God receives worship and glory. Yet, Jesus accepted worship and claimed God’s glory! Mk 5:6,11:9-10, Lk 5:8,17:15-18, Jn 5:23,9:38,20:28, Heb 1:6, Rev 5:8-14,22:8-9.
Here’s something to think about…
Every time in Holy Scripture where a human being worships any angel, the angel immediately rebukes him and says “do not worship me, only worship God.”
NO ONE ELSE is worthy of worship except God Himself.
Rev 22:8-9 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.”
If Jesus were only an angel, He would have had the same response when people worshipped.
He would have rebuked people who fell down at His feet, but He never did!
So we must conclude; Jesus was more than an angel!
Lk 5:8 “But when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus feet, saying, ‘depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord!”
Jn 5:23 – “in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father!
God does NOT share His glory or honor with anyone… so, Jesus MUST be God if the Son is honored the same as the Father.
Jn 9:38 – And he (the healed blind man) said, Lord I believe. And he worshiped Him.
Mk 5:6 – the demon recognized Jesus as God and bowed down before Him… and Jesus doesn’t rebuke him for this!
What does this tell us???
Mk 11:9-10 – everyone worshipped Jesus crying out Hosanna! And they spread their garments and palm branches before Him, and Jesus never rebuked them.
Jn 20:28 ‘Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and my God!” – and Jesus did NOT rebuke him.
Rev 5:8-14 – the 24 elders worship the Lamb, thousands and thousands of angels worship the Lamb of God, who is Jesus Christ. And every created thing in Heaven, on earth and under the earth worship the Lamb.
Heb 1:6-9 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”
7 And of the angels He says,
“WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS,AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”
8 But of the Son He says,
“YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER,AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. 9 “YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS;THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.”
And God continues on about the Son:
10 And, “YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH,AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; 11 THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN;AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT, 12 AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP;LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.”
Heb 3:1-4 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; 2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. 3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.
The Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the Almighty WAS DEAD AND BECAME ALIVE AGAIN! Rev 1:7-8,17-18
How can that be? Can God die?? – Certainly not.
The only explanation is that God entered flesh and dwelled among us in the Person of Jesus.
Rev 1:7-8 “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him, even So, Amen. I am the Alpha and Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty!
Compare that to:
Rev 1:17-18 “Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last, and the living One, and I was dead and behold, I Am alive forever more and I have the keys of death and of Hades”.
The “Alpha and Omega”, the “Almighty” in vs. 8, was dead and is now alive forevermore!
Of course, only Jesus was dead and is now alive again from the grave.
To realize that Jesus Christ is God Himself in the flesh makes you think about the tremendous love that motivated Him to become human and go to a horrible death on the Cross for us.
How much did God love us to be willing to leave Heaven and become a man; and that to suffer and die in our place?
His love is beyond human comprehension!
Two scriptures come to mind:
Php 2:5-8 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
2 Co 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
Why would God, who had it all in heaven, give it all up for creatures who went against Him??
It’s truly an eternal mystery!!
But one thing we do know; God is good and He loves us beyond words!
Thank you Jesus; our Lord, God, and Savior!