When it comes to the matter of the deity of Jesus Christ most people who are unfamiliar with the Bible think there is no evidence indicating that Jesus Christ was God; nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is we have an embarrassment of riches in the form of sound textual evidence. Let’s consider the evidence from Scripture.
(a) The witness of others. The apostle Peter testifies to being an eyewitness to the majesty of Christ (2 Peter 1.16). This isn’t definitive but it is still highly suggestive. Another apostle, Matthew, equates Jesus with God when he reports Jesus as having said, ‘baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 28.19). Three persons are mentioned but only one name. That is, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all share the same name. The apostle John declares that the Word (Jesus) is God (John 1.1) and the apostle Thomas, when he sees the Risen Christ, declares, ‘My Lord and my God!’ (John 20.28). Then there is Paul who didn’t know Jesus while he lived but who received special revelation from Jesus after the resurrection. The Risen Christ visited Paul directly (Galatians 1.11-12). Paul’s letters contain several wonderful attestations of the deity of Christ Jesus.
(b) The witness of the miracles. Jesus Christ performs many mighty deeds which attest to his deity. Who but God is able to perform miracles on the scale and variety of Jesus Christ? In fact, the Lord says that his deeds (miracles, signs and wonders) bear witness to who he is (that is, God). Who but God can heal the infirmed, give sight to the blind, make the lame walk, feed the multitudes, calm storms, walk on water, and raise the dead? The fact that the Lord performed all these mighty deeds tells us something about him that goes far beyond the idea that he was a great teacher or a prophet. His miracles and signs and wonders testify to his deity.
(c) The witness of Jesus Christ himself. The Lord says, ‘I and the Father are one’ (John 10.30). There isn’t a trace of subordination in his statement. In fact, he unequivocally claims oneness with God. Clearly, Jesus Christ was equating himself with God. But Christ Jesus goes one better by taking upon himself the name of God; he does so when he refers to himself as ‘I AM,’ the personal name of the Lord God Almighty. Jesus Christ is referring back to the theophany in Exodus, when God reveals himself to Moses on Mount Horeb. Moses asks God, “‘What is your name?’…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” (Exodus 3.13-14). In that episode, God discloses his name.
Now fast forward to the days of Jesus Christ, who says of himself, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’ In saying ‘I am,’ Jesus was ascribing the name of God to himself. This was not an isolated incident.
On several other occasions, Jesus used the name of God to describe himself. He said, ‘I AM the light of the world’ (John 9.5), ‘I AM the good shepherd’ (John 10.14), ‘I AM the resurrection and the life’ (John 11.25), ‘I AM the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14.6), ‘I AM the true vine (John 15.1). He was bearing witness to his deity by applying the name of God, ‘I AM,’ to himself.
(d) The witness of God the Father. On two occasions, the Father bears witness to the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.
(i) At the baptism of Jesus, a voice from heaven declares that Jesus is the beloved son of God and states that God is well pleased with him (Matthew 3.17; Mark 1.11; Luke 3.22). In this way, the voice confirms that Christ is the Messianic king (Psalm 2.7).
(ii) At the Transfiguration, a voice from heaven declares the Jesus is the beloved son of God and charges those who are in earshot to listen to him (Matthew 17.5; Mark 9.7; Luke 9.35). Since Moses and Elijah are present at the moment and Peter is acting deferentially to all three of them, the voice from heaven makes the point of distinguishing Jesus as supreme over Moses and Elijah. ‘Listen to him’ rather than ‘listen to them.’ The glory of Christ shines forth from his clothes (Matthew , Mark, Luke ) and his face (Luke ). Of that moment, the author of Hebrews says, ‘He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…’ (1.3) while the Apostle Paul says that, ‘the light of the knowledge of God (shines) in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4.6).
As I’ve said, when it comes to proof that Jesus Christ is God, the Bible provides an embarrassment of riches in the form of sound textual evidence.
(a) The witness of others. The apostle Peter testifies to being an eyewitness to the majesty of Christ (2 Peter 1.16). This isn’t definitive but it is still highly suggestive. Another apostle, Matthew, equates Jesus with God when he reports Jesus as having said, ‘baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 28.19). Three persons are mentioned but only one name. That is, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all share the same name. The apostle John declares that the Word (Jesus) is God (John 1.1) and the apostle Thomas, when he sees the Risen Christ, declares, ‘My Lord and my God!’ (John 20.28). Then there is Paul who didn’t know Jesus while he lived but who received special revelation from Jesus after the resurrection. The Risen Christ visited Paul directly (Galatians 1.11-12). Paul’s letters contain several wonderful attestations of the deity of Christ Jesus.
(b) The witness of the miracles. Jesus Christ performs many mighty deeds which attest to his deity. Who but God is able to perform miracles on the scale and variety of Jesus Christ? In fact, the Lord says that his deeds (miracles, signs and wonders) bear witness to who he is (that is, God). Who but God can heal the infirmed, give sight to the blind, make the lame walk, feed the multitudes, calm storms, walk on water, and raise the dead? The fact that the Lord performed all these mighty deeds tells us something about him that goes far beyond the idea that he was a great teacher or a prophet. His miracles and signs and wonders testify to his deity.
(c) The witness of Jesus Christ himself. The Lord says, ‘I and the Father are one’ (John 10.30). There isn’t a trace of subordination in his statement. In fact, he unequivocally claims oneness with God. Clearly, Jesus Christ was equating himself with God. But Christ Jesus goes one better by taking upon himself the name of God; he does so when he refers to himself as ‘I AM,’ the personal name of the Lord God Almighty. Jesus Christ is referring back to the theophany in Exodus, when God reveals himself to Moses on Mount Horeb. Moses asks God, “‘What is your name?’…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” (Exodus 3.13-14). In that episode, God discloses his name.
Now fast forward to the days of Jesus Christ, who says of himself, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’ In saying ‘I am,’ Jesus was ascribing the name of God to himself. This was not an isolated incident.
On several other occasions, Jesus used the name of God to describe himself. He said, ‘I AM the light of the world’ (John 9.5), ‘I AM the good shepherd’ (John 10.14), ‘I AM the resurrection and the life’ (John 11.25), ‘I AM the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14.6), ‘I AM the true vine (John 15.1). He was bearing witness to his deity by applying the name of God, ‘I AM,’ to himself.
(d) The witness of God the Father. On two occasions, the Father bears witness to the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.
(i) At the baptism of Jesus, a voice from heaven declares that Jesus is the beloved son of God and states that God is well pleased with him (Matthew 3.17; Mark 1.11; Luke 3.22). In this way, the voice confirms that Christ is the Messianic king (Psalm 2.7).
(ii) At the Transfiguration, a voice from heaven declares the Jesus is the beloved son of God and charges those who are in earshot to listen to him (Matthew 17.5; Mark 9.7; Luke 9.35). Since Moses and Elijah are present at the moment and Peter is acting deferentially to all three of them, the voice from heaven makes the point of distinguishing Jesus as supreme over Moses and Elijah. ‘Listen to him’ rather than ‘listen to them.’ The glory of Christ shines forth from his clothes (Matthew , Mark, Luke ) and his face (Luke ). Of that moment, the author of Hebrews says, ‘He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…’ (1.3) while the Apostle Paul says that, ‘the light of the knowledge of God (shines) in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4.6).
As I’ve said, when it comes to proof that Jesus Christ is God, the Bible provides an embarrassment of riches in the form of sound textual evidence.
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