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It has become culturally fashionable to make the claim that “Jesus never said he was God.”

Lots of folks would like to claim Jesus as their own but his divinity gets in the way. The Muslims claim Jesus was a great prophet to the Jews but far less than even their prophet Muhammad. Some Jewish folks would like to acknowledge him as an ancient Jewish rabbi teacher if they could leave out the God thing and ignore the terrible treatment many Jews have received from some of his misguided followers over the centuries.

Even Hindu and eastern gurus like to make the claim that Jesus traveled to India and learned everything from them. Then there is the strange case of Richard Dawkins who wants to claim that Jesus Would Be An Atheist Today.

The real problem is that the Bible gets in the way and supports the divinity of Jesus. Not only that, but Jesus clearly indicated on a number of different occasions that he was the “I am” God of the Old testament. The response of those who heard him at the time confirms it.

One is left to choose whether Jesus was a liar, just crazy, or whether he was telling the truth. Really there is no middle ground or justification for claiming that he was some kind of ethical teacher or prophet of God if he lied about something as basic as who he really was.

Here’s an excellent article from the Apologetics Guy summarizing what Jesus had to say about himself: “Did Jesus Say He Was God?”

If you happen to be talking to someone who makes the claim that “Jesus never said that he was God,” there are 3 key scriptures that I usually refer to in a pinch as a Biblical response:

1. John 8:58: “ Before Abraham was “I am” “

If you missed it, this is what the God of the Old Testament told Moses when he asked for a name. Those listening didn’t miss what he was claiming by their response in verse 9:

“they picked up stones to stone him”

2. John 10:30: “I and the Father are One”

Again those listening to him understood his claim and picked up stones to kill him (Verse 33):

“…for Blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

If you can’t remember where the first 2 scriptures are, here is the easiest one to find. Turn to the first book of the New Testament- Mark and find the record of his trial before the Sanhedrin toward the back of the book in chapter 14.

Here, the religious leaders respond to the claims of Jesus during his trial.

3.  Mark 14:61-65: The Trial of Jesus

Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." 

The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked.

"You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?"  They all condemned him as worthy of death. –NIV

Obviously the religious authorities believed that Jesus was claiming to be divine and deemed him worthy of death for his blasphemy.

These are just 3 key scriptures that prove that Jesus claimed to be God. Again, for more and for greater details and a good short summary of the Biblical evidence, read the Apologetics Guy’s article:

“Did Jesus Say He Was God?”                *Top

Related Posts?:

1. -Jesus Would Be An Atheist Today?
2. -Early References to Jesus

Many recent writers, particularly Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code, have insisted that the ‘divinity of Jesus Christ’ was a later teaching that was formulated by Constantine and later Christian leaders in the 4th century.

The late 2nd-3rd century structure had an elaborate mosaic floor that contained motifs of fish, and had 3 inscriptions. The most important:

“the God Jesus Christ as a memorial.”

Recently a film crew was granted access to the site in order to produce a documentary–The Life of Jesus–due to air on Australian television in April 2009 and later to be released on DVD.

Response: The early Christian structure is important because it proves that the divinity of Jesus was taught much earlier than some have contended. Some have speculated that it was not taught in the church until the 4th century during the reign of Constantine, that it was a fabrication of the Council of Nicea (325).

However, most Christian Bible scholars and theologians find that the Divinity of Jesus is clearly taught in the New Testament writings of the 1st century and not a later development.            *Top 

     Q:  Jesus- Who do you say he is?  Only a Servant of God or Divine?

      A:  Jesus asked his disciples this question: ”Who do you say I am?”  Peter responded:  “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:15).  Jesus continues today to ask all of us the same question.  How one answers may determine where one spends all eternity.      (…Click here to read the whole article…)

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