Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus of Nazareth is the most documented and historically verifiable figure in antiquity. Evidence for the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth is found in both the Bible and in secular sources. Every major religion believes that Jesus was a prophet, a godly man or a good teacher. The point of contention, however, is about His divinity. But Jesus didn’t leave people in the dark about who He was.
Evidences to Jesus’ Divinity
- He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus is different from any other man that ever lived in that He was without sin (1 Peter 2:22). Even His enemies testified to that (Matthew 27:54).
- The miracles He did (John 5:20; 14:11). Jesus did supernatural acts of healing all sickness (Luke 5:15-26), feeding thousands (Luke 9:12-17), having authority over nature (Luke 8:22-25), casting out demons (Luke 4:33-37), and raising the dead (Mark 5:21-43; John 11:38-44). He said, “‘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).
- The prophecies He fulfilled (Luke 24:26, 27, 44; John 5:39). There are over 125 Bible prophecies concerning Christ. All these prophecies were fulfilled in amazing accuracy. Jesus would have had no control over many of them such as His birthplace or time of birth. The odds of one man accidentally fulfilling even just 16 of these are 1 in 10^45. (see: Is Jesus Christ the Messiah?)
- His resurrection from the dead (Matthew 27:53). All through His ministry, Jesus prophesied that He will die and be raised on the third day (Matthew 20:19; Mark 8:31). And after His resurrection, He appeared to many of His disciples and they testified to that fact (Luke 24:13-47; 1 Corinthians 15:6).
- The words He spoke (John 7:46; 14:10; Matthew 7:29). His words had power to change lives and transform people from sinners into saints.
God the Father Testified to Jesus’ Divinity
On different occasions, God the father testified to the divinity of His Son:
-Through the prophet Isaiah. “But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.’” “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
-At the baptism of Jesus. “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”” (Matthew 3:17).
-At the Transfiguration. “A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him” (Luke 9:35).
Jesus Testified to His own Divinity
Jesus clearly and undeniably claimed to be God. “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). He claimed to be God and the Jews understood His words and tried to kill Him. They explained their reason saying, “‘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). And Jesus added, “‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’” (John 8:58). Again, the Jews tried to stone Jesus (John 8:59). For the term “I am” is an Old Testament name for God (Exodus 3:14).
The Apostles Testified to Jesus’ Divinity
John wrote, “the Word was God” (John 1:1) and “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14).
Thomas said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus did not deny that title.
Paul identified Him as, “…our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Peter wrote of Jesus, “…our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1).
Jesus Had to Be God to Save the World
Finally, if Jesus is not God, then His death would not have been enough to pay the price for the sins of all people (1 John 2:2). For only the perfect life of the Creator could atone for the lives of His creatures (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). A mere human’s life could only atone for another life (Deuteronomy 19:21).
When examining Jesus’ sinless life, supernatural acts and miracles, the Messianic prophecies, resurrection from the dead, His life changing words, and the testimony of God and people, we can be certain that He was indeed the Son of God – the Savior of the world. No other person in history ever claimed divinity and substantiated his claims with such perfect life and supernatural acts.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
