“I Am” – God’s Title
Jesus did indeed say, I am God. For He repeatedly declared, “I AM.” The phrase “I AM” is a title for God. When God called Moses to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt, He told Moses to tell the nation that “I AM” has sent you (Exodus 3:13-15). Let’s examine the words of Jesus about His Diety:
Jesus claimed equality with God the Father when He “said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.’ For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:17-18).
Also, Jesus said to the Jews “you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me'” (John 7:28-29). And He said, “‘I tell you the truth’… ‘before Abraham was born, I am!'” (John 8:58).
And again He said that He is One with the Father: “Then they asked him, ‘Where is your father?’ ‘You do not know me or my Father,’ Jesus replied. ‘If you knew me, you would know my Father also'” (John 8:19). He added, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The Jews understood that Jesus was claiming divinity and they tried to kill Him for blasphemy.
Then, Jesus said to them, “Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, “I am God’s Son”? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.’ Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp” (John 10:36-39).
Jesus professed His divinity to His disciples, “Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you'” (John 14:7-11, 20).
And the Son of God blessed Peter for acknowledging His Divinity: “Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:16-17).
At the end of His ministry, Jesus declared His Son-ship to the Father when He prayed, “Father, the time has come…Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began'” (John 17:1-5). And He added, “My prayer is … that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you…” (John 17:20-21).
Finally, before the crucifixion, Jesus publicly testified that He is God in the flesh when “the high priest asked Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:61, 62).
Jesus Accepted Worship and Forgave Sins
By His words and actions, Christ affirmed His divinity. For He forgave sins just as the Father does (Luke 7:48; Mark 2:5; John 10:33). The Old Testament clearly pointed to God as the only One, who forgives sin (Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 31:34). In addition, Jesus accepted worship (Matthew 2:11; 8:2;14:33; 15: 25; 20:20; 28:9; Luke 24:52), which is a prerogative of God alone (Exodus 20:1-3; Deuteronomy 6:13; Psalm 95:6; Matthew 4:10).
Jesus’ Miracles
The Son of God did mighty works that testified to His divinity. He healed all sickness that came to Him (Luke 5:15-26), fed thousands of people (Luke 9:12-17), cast out demons (Luke 4:33-37), raised the dead (Luke 7:11-16), and had authority over nature (Luke 8:22-25). And He challenged people, “‘Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father’” (John 10:24-38).
Jesus’ Sacrificial Death Proves His Divinity
By His sacrifice, Jesus testified that He is God. If Christ was merely a created being, then, His life could atone for just one life – a life for a life (Exodus 21:23; Leviticus 17:11). But being the Creator, His life could atone for all humanity (Acts 4:12; John 14:6) and satisfy the demands of God’s justice (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Christ is the only person known to history who has claimed divinity and yet accounted sane by the human race. The founders of other religious systems such as Mohammedanism, Buddhism, and Hinduism did not claim to be God incarnate. Christ spoke and lived as a Being whose dwelling place was eternity.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
