Jesus: God in The Flesh

Jesus: God in the Flesh

All throughout history—during the time of Jesus and even after—this debate still rages on: the deity of Jesus Christ. Many groups deny this, from Muslims (who say Jesus was only a prophet) to Jehovah’s Witnesses (who insist He is not equal to the Father). The Bible  however clearly teaches that Jesus is God.

My aim here is to let the Bible do the talking on the matter. So, what does the Word of God say?

1. The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be God.

Isaiah 9:6
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 Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Matthew 1:23
"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."

2. Jesus claimed a heavenly preexistence.

John 6:62
What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?

John 8:23
And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world.”

John 16:28
I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.

John 17:5
Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

3. Jesus assumed divine authority over the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 2:5–11
And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your mat and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, get up, pick up your mat, and go to your home.”

4. Jesus called Himself “I Am,” applying the Old Testament name Yahweh to Himself.

John 8:58
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

John 6:51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and also the bread which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

John 10:9, 11
I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.”

You see, when we read the Bible, we are left with an overwhelming amount of truth that shows Jesus as God. So, we then have a choice to make: either we suppress the truth in unrighteousness (as Romans 1 speaks of), or we repent and believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and the restoration of our relationship with the living God.

Here is where I think C.S. Lewis’s words ring a great warning. He said:

“I am ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher ... You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool ... or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”

If you are one who trusts in Jesus Christ as God and our Lord, then meditate on the truth you have just read in this blog. I pray this would give you new zeal and boldness to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. The Son of God come in human flesh to redeem and restore relationship with your Creator and God.