Home > Info For Muslims > The Deity Of Christ

Introduction

Jesus is one of the world's most popular and most influential persons of history.  More

books, magazine articles, website, etc.,  have been written about him and His life than

any other person including Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, Moses, etc....  Almost

anybody you ask in this world has an opinion about him.  This taken into account, you

would think we would all be in agreement about who Jesus really was.  But, in fact, this

is far from the truth.



Much debate and discussion has been on the subject of who Jesus was.  Many different

religions and cults include Jesus in their belief system, whether as a god, a prophet, a

teacher, or a wise man.  Some of the religions that include Jesus are: Christianity, Islam,

Baha'i, Mormonism, Church of Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses', and the Unification

Church.  My objective in this paper is to try to identify who Jesus really was and is.



To get the answer to who Jesus was and is, we must first look at the Bible, the primary

source that includes him and focuses on him.  From the Bible, we can get a very

accurate recording of what He really said, since the Bible has been well recorded

throughout the ages.  I will note what He said to people and how the words He said

show His divinity.  Next, I will describe what He did throughout His lifetime.  Third, I

will discuss the nature of Jesus.  These three areas will be the basic points that I will use

in my paper.



What He said



By looking at what He said, I have found an extremely unique phrase that shows His

deity; in other words He spoke with authority. At least 10 times, He uses the phrase, "I

am", to describe himself.  In the Old Testament of the Bible in the book of Exodus 3:14,

God says, "I AM THAT I AM."  He said, "Thus shall they say unto the children of

Israel, I AM has sent them unto you."  And, in John 8:58 Jesus says, "Verily, verily, I

say unto you, before Abraham was, I am."  The Jews understood Jesus perfectly when

He said, "I am."  They understood that He was calling Himself God, and they thought

He had committed blasphemy for ascribing the name of God to himself.  By reading

further you see that the Jews tried to stone Jesus, but Jesus slipped away in the crowd. 

Other "I am" sayings by Jesus include: "I am the way", "I am the truth", "I am the door",

"I am the bread of life", "I am the good shepherd".  Jesus also says in the gospel that "no

man cometh to the Father, but by me."  He says in another place, "He that believeth on

the Son has eternal life: and He that believeth not the Son shall see life; but the wrath of

God abidest on him."



In other words, Jesus claimed equality with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  This is

evident in the baptismal formula of Matthew 28:19 where He said, "baptizing them in

the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."  Also, in the benediction

of 2 Corinthian's 13:14, where the names of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all

linked together.  Another verse that Jesus tells the people is in John 5:17; in it Jesus

again says that He and the Father are equal.  He says, "My Father is working until now,

and I Myself am working."  Again, He claims equality with God in John 5:23 where He

says, "He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."  In

John 10:30 Jesus said, "I and the Father are one."  These are all claims of deity since He

is making a claim of equality by calling God, His Father.  By showing His equality with

the Father, Jesus showed His divinity.



By He said alone, I would have to conclude that He was God in the flesh.  He spoke the

way God did and spoke with the authority that only God could.  One of the Gospel

writers in fact goes on to say that "Nobody ever spoke the way this man did."  In fact,

the Jews and other people were amazed at how He talked because it was like one who

talked with authority.  By what He said, it would be blasphemy and inaccurate to call

him just a prophet, a teacher, or a wise person.



What Jesus did that shows His deity



Jesus not only talked and said things like God but He also did things that only God could

do. Jesus allowed people to worship him; this would be a blasphemous act if He were

not God.  In fact, the same Greek word for worship, proskuneo, is used in verses that

refer to worshipping God (Jehovah) and Jesus.  Furthermore, although Jesus allowed

people to worship him, Paul and Barnabas would not allow people to worship them

(Acts 14:10-18), showing that Jesus was like God while they were not.  Another quality

that Jesus had that only God had was that He had the power to create.  Jesus also had

power of the elements--wind, mountains, etc. Also, He claimed that He alone would

judge the world; He claimed all authority; and He also claimed to be the way to

salvation.



One of the most outstanding things that Jesus did that only God could do was  forgive

sins (Mark 2:1-12; Luke 7:48; John 8:2-11).  After He had forgiven somebody their sins,

the teachers of the law said He was blaspheming.  They thought that Jesus was basically

calling himself God.  In fact, blasphemy was the charge that led him to death by

crucifixion.  Of course, though, it's not blaspheming if you aren't lying.  He saw His

death as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesy (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrew 8:8-

12; Mark 14:24).  Through His prophesy-fulfilling death, forgiveness is available for

everyone who truly repents (Luke 23:39-43; John 8:2-11).



The scripture is clear that only God is to be worshipped (Ex 34:14), "For thou shall

worship no other God for the Lord (Jehovah), whose name is jealous, is a jealous God."

"O' come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our

maker."Ps.95:6.  But, the Bible also teaches that Jesus was not only worshipped but also

called God by Thomas in John 20:28 where Thomas sees the resurrected Jesus for the

first time and says, "My Lord my God".  Instead of being rebuked for this statement

which would be blasphemy if false, He is commended and blessed, something no true

prophet would do unless it was correct.  In fact, Jesus is worshipped at least 6 different

times.  These include:

The wise men who worshipped Jesus as a child (Matthew 2:11)

The leper who worshipped Jesus (Matthew 8)

The ruler who bowed and worshipped (Matthew 9:18)

The blind believer who worshipped him (John 9:38)

The women who worshipped him (Matthew 15:25)

Mary Magdalene who worshipped him (Matthew 28:9)

The disciples worshipped him (Matthew 28:17).  

And, all God's angel's who worship him (Hebrews 1:6).



God and Jesus both create



God and Jesus both had the power to create.  The Bible says that Jehovah created man

(Genesis 2:7).  Jehovah of hosts created heaven and earth (Isaiah  37:16).  Job says that

the Almighty gives Him life (Job 33:4).  God alone is the maker of all things; He

stretched out the heavens by Himself, and spread out the earth all alone (Isaiah 44:24). 

The creator is the Everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28).  Jehovah, who created the Heavens:

He is the God who formed the earth," and says "I am the LORD and there is none else."

(Isaiah 45:18-22).  One God created us (Malachi 2:10).



Jesus is called the creator in many places.  All things were created through Christ (John

1:3).  The world was made through Him (John 1:10).  All things were created by Him

and for Him (Colossians 1:15-17).  The heavens and earth are the work of His hands

(Hebrews 1:10-12); this a direct reference to Psalms (102: 25-27).



Jesus/God both are Savior/Redeemer



It seems that both God and Jesus are both the Savior.  The most high God is rock and

redeemer (Psalm 78: 34,35).  They forgot God their Savior (Psalm 106:21).  Jehovah is

Savior (Isaiah 43:3-11).  And there is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a

Savior; There is none except me (Isaiah 45:21).  Jehovah is your Savior (Isaiah 49:26).  

Maker, Jehovah of hosts, Redeemer, Holy One, called God over all the earth (Isaiah

54:5).  Mary rejoices in, God my Savior (Luke 1:47).  Glory, "to the only God our

Savior" (Jude 1:25).



I then found as many passages that say that Jesus is the Savior.  Jesus was named the

Savior by many people.  Christ proclaimed as Savior by the angels (Luke 2:10,11).  

Testified of as Savior of the world (John 4:40-42).  We "wait for a Savior, the Lord

Jesus Christ" (Phillipians 3:20).  Sent to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14).  "God

our Savior....., Christ Jesus our Savior (Titus 1:1-4).  God our Savior....our great God

and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every

lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good

deeds (Titus 2:10-14).



God and Jesus both Judge



"For God will bring every act to judgment" (Ecclesiastes 12:14).  The day of judgment is

called the day of Jehovah (Joel 2:31-3:2).  See also (Isaiah 2:12, 13: 9-13, Jeremiah

46:10).



Now Jesus says that He will judge.  Jesus enthroned in glory, judge the nations

(Matthew 25:31-46).  "For not even the Father judges everyone, but He has given all

judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Son."

(John 5:22-30).  We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians

5:10).  Jesus judges (2 Thessalonians 1:7-12).



Nature of Jesus



With more then three hundred prophecies about Jesus, we can find out His deity from

just looking at some of the prophecies.  Some of the prophecies that I found are clearly

and without a doubt talking about Jesus.  Of course, these prophecies telling of the

divinity and nature of Jesus are only a few but I think they will be more than enough.



Probably the most read prophecy that is in the Bible is Isaiah 7:14, which says that a

virgin will bear a child and His name is to be called Immanuel, which literally means,

"God with us".  This unique prophecy was fulfilled in (Matthew 1:22-23).  In Isaiah 9:6

Jesus is called, "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God."  Another clear prophesy is in

Psalm 110:1 where David says, "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right

hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool."  Jesus referred to this passage in

(Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36, and Luke 20:42; and Peter referred to it in his message to

the Israelites and Jews in Acts 2:34.  This prophecy is important because it shows that

the Messiah would not be just a man, but He would be the Lord.  Now, David would

never call a man, "Lord".  In fact, Jesus tells this argument to the Jews who thought the

Messiah would just be a man.  Some other prophecies that tell the nature of Jesus are

Psalms 110:4, where He would be a priest.  This was fulfilled in Hebrews 5:5-6.  He

would be a Judge in Isaiah 33:22, and this was fulfilled in John 5:22-23.  He would be

King in Psalms 2:2, and this was fulfilled in John 18:33-37.  He would be anointed by

the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2, and this was fulfilled in Matthew 3:16-17.  He would be

begotten as Son of God in Psalm 2:7, and this was fulfilled in Acts 13:32-35.  He would

be raised from the dead in Psalm 16:8-11, and this was fulfilled in Acts 2:24-31.



Evidence that demands a verdict



There are six attributes of God that were convincingly ascribed to Jesus, and these six

without a doubt show His divinity.  The first one is that Jesus had the power to create. 

The second one is that He had the power to forgive sins.  The third one is that He had

the power to raise the dead.  The fourth one is that Jesus had the power to judge people. 

The fifth one is that Jesus had was to be worshipped.  The sixth and last one is that Jesus

ascribed the saying "I am" to himself at least ten times.



By studying what Jesus said and did and how He talked, I have come to the conclusion

that not only did Jesus claim to be God, he also showed His deity and divinity.  His pre-

existing nature also proves His divinity.  In the Bible and especially the Gospels, I have

noticed that Jesus speaks and does things with authority.  Even the people who were

around him were amazed because He didn't talk like a teacher but rather as one with

authority.



Jesus Christ has had more of an impact on the world than any other person in the history

of mankind and  it can be argued that Jesus changed the course of time.  That is

incredible in itself.  Jesus' words 2000 years ago changed people's lives when He was

living and still change people's lives today.  I am proof of that.



The Bible says that "No other man spoke this way", in referring to Jesus.  That is a fair

statement, for not even Budda, Mohammed, or Confucius could ever claim or could

ever do the things that Jesus Christ did.