Is Jesus Really God?
Introduction:
Many religions and cults deny
that Jesus is really God. Some claim He is a “lesser god.”
Some claim that He was a good moral teacher, others that He
was a Jewish prophet. Some even claim that Jesus denied He
was God. So what is the truth about who Jesus really is?
Body:
I.
Did Jesus Deny He Was God?
·
Mark
10:17-18
Some claim that Jesus in these verses denies He was good or
God. But what was He trying to get the young man to see?
First, the young man seems to have regarded himself as
“good” [since he professed to have kept all of the
commandments that Jesus mentioned].
Mark 10:20
Eric Lyons: “Jesus wanted the young man to really see that
he wasn’t good in the since that God is good.” Second, Jesus
wanted the young ruler to understand that by calling Jesus
good, he was also calling him God! So in this passage, Jesus
is actually claiming His divinity.
·
Jesus claimed to
forgive sins which only God can do.
Mark 2:5,10
·
Jesus claimed to be
one with the Father.
John 10:30,33
·
When Thomas called
Jesus “My Lord and My God,” rather than Jesus denying it, he
acknowledged Thomas’ faith.
John 20:28,29
So it is quite obvious that Jesus claimed to be God.
II.
What Evidence Is There that Jesus Is God?
·
He possesses divine
names. In
Exodus 3,
when Moses asked God by what name he should be called, God
replied “I Am Who I Am.”
Exodus 3:13-14
Then Jesus applied this name to himself in
John 8:54-58.
Jesus is claiming His eternal self-existence.
·
He is all-knowing.
He knew where the fish were.
Luke 5:4-6
He knew which fish contained the coin.
Matthew 17:27
He knew from a distance that Lazarus had died.
John 11:11-14
·
He performed the
works of God. He was able to walk on water.
Matthew 14:25
He miraculously fed 5,000 men and their families.
Matthew 14:19-21
He raised Lazarus from the dead.
John 11:43-44
III.
Scriptures
that Affirm that
Jesus Is God?
·
John 1:1, "In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. John 1:14, "And
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,"
·
Acts 20:28-29, "Therefore
take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which
the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the
church of God*
which He purchased with
His own blood."
·
Hebrews 1:8-9, "But
to the Son
He [God] says:
"Your throne, O God,
is
forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness
is
the scepter of Your kingdom.
9
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed
You
With the oil of gladness more than Your
companions."
*
The
church of Christ
