Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Is Jesus God?
There are many denominations and other religions that seem bent on saying that Jesus is not God. They try to even claim that the Bible never says Jesus is God. The new false religion, Red letter Christianity claims Jesus never says he is God. Well, the truth is, the Bible is very clear that yes, Jesus is God. He is the Son of God, but Jesus is also God. A prophet of God said it, an angel said it, Jesus disciples said it and even His own mother said it! In fact, Jesus Himself actually claims it three different times.
Isaiah, the Prophet of God
Isaiah 7:14 (NASB)
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.
The name "Immanuel" literally means "God with us!"
Isaiah 9:6 (NASB)
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.
The Angel of God says Jesus is God.
Matthew 1:23-27
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
The Disciples say it!
Jesus own disciples recognize Him as God.
John 20:27-28 (NASB)
27 Then He *said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas called Jesus God. Not the Son of God, but God. Every time angels are worshiped in any way, they will stop the person and tell them not to worship him for he is just a servant of God. Worship is for God only. Yet Jesus does not correct Thomas as he calls Jesus God, but instead He says accepts it...
Jesus Claims it Himself!
John 20:29 (NASB)
29 Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
So Jesus is now claiming to be God and that is not the only place He does so.
John 8:53-59 (NASB)
53 Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
Think about what Jesus says here. "Before Abraham was born, I am." Now one might be thinking Jesus is claiming to be God because He says He was alive before Abraham was born, but it goes deeper than that. In the Jewish Bible (Our Old Testament) God is sending Moses to face the Pharaoh. Moses asks God, "who do I say sent me?" and God's reply to Moses was what? "Tell them I AM sent you!" When you look at Jesus reply, He is speaking of past tense that He was alive before Abraham was born, but He doesn't say "Before Abraham was born, I was." He says "I am". Jesus is clearly using the same statement God made to state that he is God. The Jews were so clear on this message that they are looking to kill Jesus on the spot, as we see in the next verse.
59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
Later, the Jews tell Jesus to tell them plainly if he is the Christ. His reply....
John 10:25-30 (NASB)
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 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.”
Jesus is not saying He is the Father. He is saying He and the Father are both God. This is not my interpretation but it is the Jews interpretation as they make that clear in the next couple verses.
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 Jews recognized Jesus was claiming to be God so clearly that they were willing to pick up stones to kill Him again. They didn't look to seize Him, but were willing to stone Him to death right then and there.
If you are Catholic, you might be interested in what Mary says of Jesus.
Luke 1:46-47 (NASB)
46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
So now even his mother claims Jesus is God.
And finally in this one case, you need to put 1 and 1 together to get 2. In Revelation it says this...
Revelation 19:11-13 (NASB)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
The key to this verse is the last few words. His name is called the Word of God. Now go back to the first verse of the Gospel of John.
John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Word was God! In fact it goes on to explain it deeper in the next couple verses...
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.
Since Jesus is the Word of God, let us give a clear example of what John is actually saying here. If you replace "the Word" and "He" with "Jesus" this is what it would be saying....
John 1:1
1 In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. 2 Jesus was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Jesus, and apart from Jesus nothing came into being that has come into being.
This verse is just as correct as the original way it was written.
The truth is, the Bible is very clear that Jesus is not only the Son of God, but in fact, Jesus is God!
Isaiah, the Prophet of God
Isaiah 7:14 (NASB)
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.
The name "Immanuel" literally means "God with us!"
Isaiah 9:6 (NASB)
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.
The Angel of God says Jesus is God.
Matthew 1:23-27
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
The Disciples say it!
Jesus own disciples recognize Him as God.
John 20:27-28 (NASB)
27 Then He *said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas called Jesus God. Not the Son of God, but God. Every time angels are worshiped in any way, they will stop the person and tell them not to worship him for he is just a servant of God. Worship is for God only. Yet Jesus does not correct Thomas as he calls Jesus God, but instead He says accepts it...
Jesus Claims it Himself!
John 20:29 (NASB)
29 Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
So Jesus is now claiming to be God and that is not the only place He does so.
John 8:53-59 (NASB)
53 Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
Think about what Jesus says here. "Before Abraham was born, I am." Now one might be thinking Jesus is claiming to be God because He says He was alive before Abraham was born, but it goes deeper than that. In the Jewish Bible (Our Old Testament) God is sending Moses to face the Pharaoh. Moses asks God, "who do I say sent me?" and God's reply to Moses was what? "Tell them I AM sent you!" When you look at Jesus reply, He is speaking of past tense that He was alive before Abraham was born, but He doesn't say "Before Abraham was born, I was." He says "I am". Jesus is clearly using the same statement God made to state that he is God. The Jews were so clear on this message that they are looking to kill Jesus on the spot, as we see in the next verse.
59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
Later, the Jews tell Jesus to tell them plainly if he is the Christ. His reply....
John 10:25-30 (NASB)
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 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.”
Jesus is not saying He is the Father. He is saying He and the Father are both God. This is not my interpretation but it is the Jews interpretation as they make that clear in the next couple verses.
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 Jews recognized Jesus was claiming to be God so clearly that they were willing to pick up stones to kill Him again. They didn't look to seize Him, but were willing to stone Him to death right then and there.
If you are Catholic, you might be interested in what Mary says of Jesus.
Luke 1:46-47 (NASB)
46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
So now even his mother claims Jesus is God.
And finally in this one case, you need to put 1 and 1 together to get 2. In Revelation it says this...
Revelation 19:11-13 (NASB)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
The key to this verse is the last few words. His name is called the Word of God. Now go back to the first verse of the Gospel of John.
John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Word was God! In fact it goes on to explain it deeper in the next couple verses...
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.
Since Jesus is the Word of God, let us give a clear example of what John is actually saying here. If you replace "the Word" and "He" with "Jesus" this is what it would be saying....
John 1:1
1 In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. 2 Jesus was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Jesus, and apart from Jesus nothing came into being that has come into being.
This verse is just as correct as the original way it was written.
The truth is, the Bible is very clear that Jesus is not only the Son of God, but in fact, Jesus is God!