Evidence that Jesus is God

Photography by Lonnie Paulson

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20 NKJV). —Apostle John (c. A.D. 6 – A.D. 100)

Jesus is God

Many religious cults do not believe Jesus is God. Atheists do not believe Jesus is God. Liberal ministers who preach in churches do not believe that Jesus is God. Jesus tells us that He is God in the Bible. The Apostle John writes in 1 John, “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either, he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23 NKJV). D. James Kennedy writes in his book, Skeptics Answered, about a lady who happened to be a Jehovah’s witness telling people who she shared her religion with that John 1:1 was misinterpreted. She claimed in the original Greek that there is no definite article. This could not be further from the truth. In the last phrase of John 1:1, "…and the Word was God” (NKJV). She claimed that it should read, "and the word was a God." D. James Kennedy went back to the Jehovah witness lady with his Greek Bible handed the Bible to her and asked her to explain John 1:1. The lady clearly did not know anything about Greek. The Greek Bible looked completely foreign to her. She just told people what her leaders told her to say, but her leaders were wrong. Her leaders did not know any more about Greek than she did.¹ Yes, there is a definite article in Greek; there happens to be twenty-four separate ways to write what we in English would write as the definite article “the.” The spelling of the Greek article can differ depending on gender, number, and case of the noun.² Stay away from this dangerous religious cult. The Jehovah’s Witness cult is spreading lies about Jesus. Jesus is God.

Jesus Claims to be God

The virgin child Jesus was God. Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 identifying who Jesus was, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which is translated “God with us” (Matthew 1:23 NKJV). Jesus claimed to be God. “I and My Father are One.” (John 10:30) What did the Jews do who heard Jesus say those words? They picked up stones to stone Him. The Jews told Jesus that they were stoning Him for blasphemy. The Jews said, “You are a man, and you are making yourself to be God. This is why the Jews wanted to crucify Jesus. Jesus claimed to be God. The Jews said according to their law Jesus should die because He made Himself the Son of God. When Jesus was facing the Sanhedrin the high priest asked Jesus, “Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus answered him, “It is as you said…” see Matthew 26:62–64. Reading in the gospel of John, “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18 NKJV).

One Sabbath when attending the Nazarene synagogue, it was Jesus’ turn to read the scroll. For His reading He turned to what today we would refer to as Isaiah 60:1–2. “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted. To proclaim liberty to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD” (Luke 4:18–19 NKJV). This proclamation was very powerful. Jesus returns the scroll back to the attendant. Jesus told all in the synagogue, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21 NKJV). Jesus is proclaiming that He is the promised Messiah that Isaiah is writing about. The people in the synagogue got so irritated when they heard this, they chased Him out of the synagogue and wanted to throw Him over a cliff.

The Pharisees were confronting Jesus. They believed He was a false witness for God. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Are You greater than our father Abraham who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do you make yourself out to be?” (John 8:53 NKJV). Jesus told them, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad…. Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:56, 58 NKJV). Jesus was expressing to the Pharisees that He was equal with God. The Pharisees started to stone Him for blasphemy, but Jesus escaped. Jesus had the same authority as God because He is God. In the Great Commission Jesus points out to His disciples, “…All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Then He gave His disciples who follow Him the “Great Commission.” This is our marching orders as Christians we are disciples of Jesus. The “Great Commission is our mission as believers. Read Matthew 28:16–20. Jesus Christ shares with the triune God creator of the universe. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3 KJV). In the notes of the New Defender’s Study Bible written by Dr. Henry M. Morris, Morris states this about John 1:3. “made by him. This is an emphatic statement declaring that Jesus Christ, before His incarnation, had made everything in the universe. He is the God of Genesis 1:1, the God of all creation. Furthermore, note that ‘all things were made.’ They are not now being made, as the concept of evolution requires. The creator rested from all His work of creating and making all things (Ge 2:1–3) after the six days of creation week. Also, note the past tense in such passages as Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2–3; and other verses dealing with creation.”³

Jesus’ Followers Believe that He is God

One day Jesus asked His disciples, “…Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Matthew 16:13 NKJV). Some of His disciples said John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or some of the other prophets. Peter answered Jesus, “…You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16 (NKJV). For someone to be the CHRIST, He is the Messiah or God in the flesh. Just before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead who was in the grave four days, Jesus talked with his mourning sister, Martha. Martha believed that Jesus was God. “She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world’” (John 11:27 NKJV). In chapters 6 and 7 of the book of Acts we read of this great follower of Jesus. Stephen gave a teaching at the Synagogue of the Freedmen. They were accusing him of blasphemy. When they started stoning Stephen, Stephen said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59 NKJV). Why would Stephen call out to Jesus at his time of death if he did not believe that Jesus was God? The Apostle Paul knew that Jesus was our great God and Savior. Writing to Titus about the “glorious appearing” which refers to the end of the age or the “second coming” of Christ. “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13 KJV).

One of Jesus’ disciples named Thomas, some have referred to him as “Doubting Thomas.” Thomas is one of my favorite apologetic witnesses for Christ. After the resurrection of Jesus His disciples were telling Thomas who hadn’t seen the resurrected Lord that they had seen Him. Thomas was skeptical. “…Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into His side I will not believe” (John 20:25 NKJV). Eight days later when the disciples were gathered together and this time Thomas was there with them. The resurrected Jesus makes an appearance. After His greeting He went to Thomas, and said, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20:27 NKJV). Thomas answers Jesus back, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28 NKJV). Why would Thomas call Jesus his God if he did not believe that he was God? Thomas saw and witnessed physically at that gathering what only ten other disciples had witnessed. Evidence of the crucifixion and physical resurrection were the wounds in Jesus’ feet, wrists, and side. Thomas saw all he needed to see. Thomas would now worship Jesus as God for his entire life and beyond in glory.

Only God Could Forgive Sins

Only God could forgive sins. Is Jesus God? In a healing ministry in the gospel of Mark, Jesus told a paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” The Jewish scribes were terribly upset when they heard Jesus make that statement. They reasoned that Jesus was speaking blasphemy, because only God can forgive sins. Jesus knew what was in the hearts of these scribes, so He said this to the scribes. “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house” (Mark 2:10–11 NKJV). In the gospel of Luke Jesus forgives the sins of a woman. Simon, a Pharisee invited Jesus over to his house for a meal. There was a woman there that was known to be a sinner. This woman had a repentant heart. She came to Jesus at the table with a flask of fragrant oil. She stood at His feet weeping. She began to wash His feet with her tears; she wiped His feet with her hair and kissed His feet and anointed the feet of Jesus with fragrant oil.

I just want to interject here that the reason in the first century in areas such as the Middle East like Israel and Judea the reason for foot washing was to clean the mud, sand, and dirt off the feet of people before they entered a person’s house. It was not a religious ceremony which some churches practice today. These churches miss the whole point behind foot washing of the first century. The host of the house would assign one of their servants especially for that unpleasant task. People wore sandals that were open to the elements of the weather such as wind, rain, and snow. Socially at that time it was disrespectful for the host of the house, not providing foot washing for their guests before they entered the house. So, the woman was washing the sand, mud, and dirt from the feet of Jesus with her tears and wiping all this dirt from Jesus with her hair.

Simon the Pharisee watching this woman reasoned in his mind that if this man Jesus were a prophet he would know that this woman is a sinner. Jesus could read the thoughts of this man. Jesus spoke to Simon, “I entered your house you gave me no water to wash My feet. This woman washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You greeted me with no kiss, but this woman has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Her sins which are many are forgiven.” Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then others at the table reasoned among themselves, “Who is this who can forgive sins?” Jesus finally told the woman that her faith had saved her and to go in peace. You can read about this event in Luke 7:36–50.

Jesus Receives Worship

In the Ten Commandments we read that worship of anyone or anything, but God is forbidden. Men are not to be worshiped. Remember Jesus is God. Worship Him only. The Apostle Paul ran into a problem evangelizing to a Gentile audience at Lystra. While Paul was speaking, he spotted a crippled person. Paul yelled out to that man to stand up. The crippled man stood up on his feet, he began to leap and walk. Everyone in the crowd raised their voices saying, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” They called Paul, Hermes, which is a Greek god. Barnabas, who was with Paul, they called Zeus. The priest from the temple of Zeus brought oxen and garlands to the gates anticipating a sacrifice. Both Paul and Barnabas were shocked and as any Jew would do, they tore their clothes, because this was blasphemy. Paul and Barnabas told the crowd not to do this, “We are men with the same nature as you.” Paul told them to turn from this idolatry and worship the living God who made heaven and earth. Paul and Barnabas were sharing who Jesus the Christ was to this pagan nation. They told them to worship Jesus the Christ who is God.

Jesus points out to the Pharisees that the Son of God should be honored just like you honor the Father. That means Jesus should be worshiped just as the Father God is worshiped. Jesus said, “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him” (John 5:23 KJV). In the book of Revelation John writes about the only one who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals. See Revelation 5:2. All the angels fell down to worship the Lamb who is Christ. Read about it in Revelation 5. Last of all, we should pray to Jesus. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13–14 NKJV).

Written by Lonnie Paulson

Evidence that Jesus is God: End Notes

1)      D. James Kennedy. Skeptics Answered; Multnomah Publishers, Inc. Sisters, OR 97759 (1997) pp 79–81.

2)      James L. Boyce. Let’s Read Greek; Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN  55108 (2002) pp 12 & 24.

3)      Dr. Henry M. Morris. The New Defender’s Study Bible; World Publishing, Inc. Nashville, TN 37214 (1995) p 1563.