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To: Dr. Crane [eaglechristianchurch.com]

Subject: Did Jesus Really Claim to Be God?

---Original Message---

Did Jesus really claim to be God or was that something that was made up later?

Reply:

Liberal scholars often suggest that Jesus never claimed divinity for himself; instead, the early church fabricated this doctrine after Christ’s death. This, however, is not what the evidence shows.

Let me give you seven factors (many more could be put forward) that point toward Jesus as believing he was the one and only Son of God.

First, Jesus claimed divinity when he forgave sins. To the paralytic he said, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). The religious leaders understood the implications of this and made accusations against Jesus: “He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (2:7). Jesus responded to them by saying, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home” (2:10–11).

Second, Jesus claimed divinity when he applied the “I AM” sayings to himself. For example, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth . . . before Abraham was born, I AM” (John 8:58). This was an obvious allusion to God’s words to Moses out of the burning bush, and were so unmistakably a declaration of equality with God that the religious leaders picked up rocks to stone him. A quick survey of “I AM” statements in the New Testament (primarily in the Gospel of John) show that Jesus applied a title of deity to himself: I AM the Good Shepherd (10:11); I AM the Bread of Life (6:35); I AM the Light of the Word (8:12; 9:5); I AM the Door (10:7, 9); I AM the Resurrection and the Life (11:23–26); I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life (14:4); I AM the True Vine (15:1). There are also other statements where just the phrase I AM is used by itself.

Third, Jesus claimed divinity when he referred to himself as, “The Son of Man.” This is Jesus’ favorite self description and he applies it to himself more than four dozen times. While some misunderstand this to be a mere claim of humanity, scholars agree that this is a reference to Daniel, where the Son of Man was ushered into the very presence of the Ancient of Days and: “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14). The Son of Man was a divine figure in the Old Testament, and by claiming this title he was indeed claiming divinity.

A fourth factor showing that Jesus claimed divinity comes through the way he taught. Jesus believed that the eternal destiny of people hinged on whether they believed in him. “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). Jesus also said, “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8–9). Jesus taught that salvation depended upon their confession of him. Jesus’ claim to divinity as he taught is further evidenced in the phrase he commonly employed: “Truly, truly,” or “Verily, verily,” or “Amen I say to you.” These different translations of the same phrase convey this message—“I swear in advance to you the truthfulness of what I am about to say.” In Judaism, you needed the testimony of two witnesses to confirm truthfulness. But Jesus witnessed to the truth of his own sayings. He did so by divine authority.

A fifth factor showing that Jesus claimed divinity for himself comes through his use of the Aramaic term “Abba.” This reflected intimacy that was absent in ancient Judaism. Devout Jews would not even pronounce the personal name of God out of fear that they might take it in vain. Jesus claimed a personal relationship with God and, thus shed light on how he regarded himself.

Sixth, Jesus claimed divinity through his miracles. Jesus stressed that the signs he performed were a sign of the coming of the kingdom of God: “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you” (Luke 11:20). Although others performed miracles, Jesus did not consider himself simply to be a miracle worker, but the one in whom and through whom the promises of God’s kingdom came to pass.

Finally, one last indicator of Jesus’ claim to divinity can be seen in his post-resurrection encounter with Thomas. Knowing that Thomas had doubts about the resurrection, Jesus offered him the opportunity to personally check out the evidence for himself. As Thomas looks at Jesus he proclaims, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus’ reaction is telling. It would have been blasphemy to have knowingly received Thomas’s worship unless Jesus really was God. But Jesus does not rebuke Thomas. Actually, Jesus praises Thomas: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (20:29). In the same way, when Jesus asks Peter, “Who do you say I am?”, Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15–17). Jesus does not try to correct Peter, but affirms that this was revealed to him by God himself.

For further reading: See Jesus Is the Christ: Studies in the Theology of John, by Leon Morris.