In the previous post, the historical Jesus, the man who lived and died in 1^st century Palestine, was discussed. Perhaps the more significant question remains: Is Jesus God? One objection that seems to appear frequently in conversation is that Jesus never directly claimed to be God. There are many responses which we could cover, but whether you are the Christian wanting to equip yourself for the discussion or the one searching for answers, here are four responses to consider in attempting to answer that question.

“I am.”
In the book of John, Jesus refers to himself as, “I am.” John records this important event when he writes: “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am’” (John 8:58). This is a direct and deliberate reference to the way God describes himself to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). There is no doubt as to what Jesus is claiming here. He is calling himself God. There is no confusion among those hearing Jesus as to what he’s claiming either. This is why in the next verse they pick stones to throw at Him (John 8:59). Jesus’ claim to be God is unquestionably clear.

Jesus Forgave Sins
There are many instances where Jesus claimed to forgive sins, but one such story of interest is the healing of the paralytic in Luke 2:1-12. In this encounter Jesus forgives the man’s sins before he heals the body. Luke records what some of the scribes were thinking when they heard Jesus tell the man his sins were forgiven: “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but Christ alone? (Luke 2:7). They are partially correct in that only God can forgive sins, but they are wrong in believing that Jesus is blaspheming. Jesus has the authority to forgive sins (Luke 2:11) because he is God.

Jesus Accepted Worship
Now, it is a clear command that God gives to the Israelites that they are to worship only Him (Exodus 34:4), and no other. It is also clear that Jesus accepted worship. A few well known instances of this would be:

1. When Jesus walks on water and then joins the disciples in the boat, they worship him (Matthew 14:32-33).
2. After his resurrection, the women worship at his feet when they realize it is Jesus (Matthew 28:9).
3. After Thomas sees Jesus’ scars, he praises Jesus by calling him Lord and God (John 20:28).

There are many other accounts of Jesus accepting worship, but the point is made in the examples above. By allowing his disciples to worship him, Jesus is claiming to be God.

Miracles
All it takes is a cursory glance through the Gospels to see that Jesus frequently performed miracles as a part of his ministry. On this point, one might also wish to point out that God used men to perform miracles too, so how does this prove that Jesus is uniquely God? If we revisit the account of Jesus healing the paralytic, but this time in John’s gospel, we see the importance difference. God is not working through Jesus, rather Jesus is God working in the situation. Those around Jesus understood his claim of equality with God (John 5:18-21). Jesus claimed to be God, and his miracles are the evidence that prove his claim is true.

Jesus once asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:15). Even though that question was first asked several centuries ago, each person today, must still decide how it is to be answered.  As we’ve seen, Jesus claimed to be God. There’s no ambiguity or room for indecision. Accept him or reject him, but you must make your decision. So, how will you answer that question? Who will you say that Jesus is?

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Billy Graham once captured a simple truth when he said: “I have never known a man who received Christ and ever regretted it.” Interested in knowing Jesus or how to share the gospel with others? Visit stepstopeace.org to learn more.