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The Divinity of Jesus
Myth or Reality?
A Biblical Study by Dr. David R. Reagan
The divinity of Jesus is the central truth of the Bible.
It is so fundamental that Christianity stands or falls
on it. If Jesus was not God in the flesh, then His sacrifice
for our sins was meaningless, and we have no hope.
Satan is determined to convince Mankind that Jesus
was someone other than God in the flesh. In Jesus� own
time, Satan created doubt as to His true identity. A
few recognized Him as "the Prophet" or the
Messiah who had been prophesied by Moses (Deuteronomy
18:15-18 and John 6:14). Most were ambivalent about
His identity. Some believed He was simply a "good
man" (John 7:12). Most believed He was a reincarnation
of John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or "one
of the prophets" (Matthew 16:14). Others claimed
He was an illegitimate child "born of fornication"
(John 8:41). Some wrote Him off as "a Samaritan
with a demon" (John 8:48).
The Continuing Attack
Nothing has changed after 2,000 years. The Satanic
attack continues to this day. Theologians tend to dismiss
Him as either a good man who was self-deceived or a
revolutionary who meant well but failed.
All the cults deny His divinity. The Mormons claim
He was the brother of Lucifer, one of thousands of minor
gods created by the super-god, Adam, an exalted man.
The Jehovah�s Witnesses identify Him as Michael the
Archangel. The Spiritist groups like the Church of Christ
Scientists and the Unity Church usually present Him
in New Age esoteric terms, claiming He was a spirit
without a body or that He was "a medium of the
sixth sphere of the astro-projection." Others argue
He was just a man who was able to fully manifest the
Christ spirit that is in all of us.
Hollywood presents Him in the movie, "The Last
Temptation of Christ," as a deluded soul who is
wrestling with internal demons. And in "Jesus Christ
Superstar" the Broadway stage presents a woman
in love with him who sings over and over, "He�s
a man, He�s just a man . . ."
The hottest new book about Jesus, entitled The
Jesus Mysteries, goes to the extreme of claiming
He is nothing but a myth! Despite the fact that there
are few persons in ancient history for which there is
more written and eyewitness evidence, these men claim
Jesus was nothing but a figment of His disciples imaginations.1
Incredibly, the book has been endorsed by some Christian
leaders like Episcopal Bishop John Spong of New Jersey.
We can be assured that as we near the time of Jesus�
return, the attacks on Him and His identity will intensify.
Satan knows Bible prophecy. He can see the signs of
the times that clearly point to the Lord�s imminent
return. As those signs intensified throughout the 20th
Century, Satan launched an all-out campaign to convince
the world that Jesus is a fraud. For example, he rallied
a group of so-called "New Testament scholars"
who formed a discussion group known as "The Jesus
Seminar." This group proceeded to vote on the validity
of all the sayings of Jesus recorded in the Gospels.
Their report, called The Five Gospels,
concluded that only 15 statements attributed to Jesus
in the Gospels were actually spoken by Him. The title
of their report comes from the fact that they decided
to grant the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas equal standing
with the four traditional Gospels.2
The Witness of the Attacks
Actually, there is an irony in these attacks, for they
are evidence that Jesus really was God in the flesh.
Why else would Satan motivate such attacks? We don�t
see similar attacks on Mohammed or Buddha or Krishna.
Nor do we hear their names being used as curse words.
Why is it that worldwide the name of Jesus is used as
a curse word? The only explanation I can think of is
a supernatural one � namely, Satan is actively involved
in motivating universal hatred of Jesus because he knows
that Jesus is God.
The Biblical Evidence
In 1 Peter 3:15 believers are exhorted to be prepared
to make a defense of their faith and hope. Accordingly,
Christians need to be acquainted with the biblical evidence
of Jesus� divinity. Let�s consider it. (Quotes throughout
are from the New American Standard Version, 1977.)
A. The Witness of Bible Prophecy
1) Genesis 3:15 � God tells Adam and Eve that
salvation for Mankind will come through "the
seed of woman," indicating the Messiah will
have a miraculous birth.
2) Psalm 2:7 � David states that God has declared
to His Son that He will be begotten and will one
day rule over all the world. This is a clear statement
that the Messiah will be of the same nature as God
(begotten of the Father) and will relate to the
Father as His Son. It also indicates that the Son
existed before He became incarnate in flesh.
3) Psalm 16:10 � David states that God�s "Holy
One" will not "undergo decay." This
is a prophecy that the Messiah will be resurrected
from the dead. And the reference to the Messiah
as God�s "Holy One" is an indication of
His divinity.
4) Psalm 45:6-7 � In this remarkable passage,
God the Father refers to His Son as God: "Therefore
God, Thy God has anointed Thee . . ." The writer
of Hebrews quotes this passage to establish the
deity of Jesus (Hebrews 1:9).
5) Psalm 110:1 � David says that God the Father
speaks to "my Lord" and says, "Sit
at My right hand . . ." This is a prophecy
that the Messiah will be glorified by the Father
by sitting on His throne at His right hand. Note
that the Messiah is referred to by David as "my
Lord," a term David uses only in reference
to deity.
6) Isaiah 6:1 � Isaiah says he went to the Temple
and had a vision in which he saw Yahweh (the Father)
"sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted."
In John 12:41 we are told that what Isaiah really
saw was Jesus in a pre-incarnate appearance.
7) Isaiah 7:14 � The prophet says a young woman
will bear a son whose name will be called "Immanuel."
Matthew says that an angel of the Lord appeared
to Joseph and told him this prophecy would be fulfilled
in the virgin birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18-23).
The name, Immanuel, means "God is with us."
8) Isaiah 9:6 � In one of the most pointed assertions
of the Messiah�s deity, Isaiah says the Messiah
will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." He also
adds that He will one day take the throne of David
and rule "forevermore" (verse 7).
9) Daniel 7:13-14 � The prophet is given a vision
of the Messiah coming before God the Father and
being presented all the nations of the earth as
His kingdom. His dominion is declared to be "everlasting."
And the Messianic title conferred upon the Messiah
is the "Son of Man." This title indicates
that the Messiah will be God in the flesh.
10) Micah 5:2 � In this famous prophecy, Micah
states that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.
But what is often overlooked is the fact that he
states the Messiah will be "from the days of
eternity," indicating He will be divine.
11) Luke 1:32 � The angel Gabriel prophesied
to Mary that her child would be "the Son of
the Most High."
B. The Witness of the Trinity
1) Genesis 1:1-3 � These three verses present
the Creation as the work of God the Father and the
Spirit of God through the spoken word of God. In
the Gospel of John, Jesus is revealed as "the
Word." And we are told in Hebrews 1:2 that
God created the world through Jesus.
2) Genesis 1:26 � On the sixth day of Creation,
God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according
to Our likeness . . ." The wording here clearly
indicates a plurality of persons who constitute
the one God.
3) Genesis 11:7 � When God decided to pour out
His wrath on Babel, He said, "Come, let Us
go down and confuse their language . . ." Again,
the wording indicates a plurality of persons constituting
the one God.
4) Exodus 3:2-6 � The "Angel of the Lord"
appears to Moses in the burning bush. This term
is used throughout the Hebrew Scriptures to refer
to pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus when He served
as a messenger of God the Father. The point, however,
is that the Angel speaks to Moses and says, "I
am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." In Genesis
48:15-16 Jacob is pictured on his death bed referring
to "the Angel" as "God." And
in Judges 13:18, the Angel of the Lord appears to
Manoah, the father of Samson, and says that His
name is "Wonderful" � the very name of
deity that Isaiah later uses in Isaiah 9:6.
5) Exodus 3:14 � When Moses asked what he would
say when Pharaoh asked who had sent him, God replied,
"Tell him I Am has sent you." Later, in
the Gospels, Jesus applies this divine name to Himself
(see, for example, John 8:58).
6) Deuteronomy 6:4 � This passage presents what
is known as "The Shema" � "Hear,
O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!"
The actual wording in the Hebrew is "Yahweh
our Gods is Yahweh a unity." The word for "one"
in this passage is echad which refers to
a plural or composite unity. For example, in Genesis
2:24 we are told that a husband and wife become
"one [echad] flesh." And in Numbers
13:23 we are informed that two of the spies who
were sent into Canaan returned with "a single
[echad] cluster of grapes."
7) Isaiah 43:11 � God speaks and says, "I,
even I, am the Lord; and there is no savior besides
Me." Yet, in the New Testament we are told
repeatedly that Jesus is Savior (see, for example,
2 Peter 1:1). Isaiah says there is one Savior and
that is God. Peter says Jesus is Savior. Things
equal to the same thing are equal to each other;
therefore, Jesus is God.
8) Isaiah 48:16 � God speaks and says, "The
Lord God has sent Me and His Spirit." In the
Hebrew it says, "The Lord Yahweh (the Father)
has sent Me and His Spirit." This is a clear
statement of the Trinity � Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
9) Isaiah 63:8-10 � The prophet gives an example
of "the lovingkindness of Yahweh" (the
Father) by reminding the Jews that He has often
sent them His Savior, "the angel of His presence"
(Jesus), to save them, but that they always "rebelled
and grieved His Holy Spirit." Here again we
find mention of Father, Son and Spirit.
10) Zechariah 12:10 � Speaking of the day when
the Jewish remnant will be saved, God prophesies:
"I will pour out on the house of David and
on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit
of grace and of supplication, so that they will
look upon Me whom they have pierced, and
they will mourn for Him [the Messiah] as
one mourns for an only Son . . ." Notice how
God the Father identifies Himself with the Son �
with the One who will be "pierced."
11) Matthew 28:19 � Jesus commanded His disciples
to baptize "in the name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit."
12) John 15:26 � Jesus is quoted as saying,
"When the Helper [the Holy Spirit] comes,
whom I will send to you from the Father .
. . He will bear witness of Me."
13) 2 Corinthians 13:14 � "The grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
C. The Witness of God the Father
1) 2 Samuel 7:13-14 � The "Lord of hosts"
promises David that He will raise up one of his
descendants (the Messiah) to reign "forever"
and that He "will be a father to Him and He
will be a Son to Me."
2) Psalm 2:6-9 � God proclaims that He will
one day install "My King" (the Messiah)
upon Mt. Zion to reign over all the nations. God
refers to this person as His "Son" and
says He will be "begotten" (that is, He
will become flesh).
3) Psalm 45:6-7 � God the Father refers to the
Messiah as God: "Therefore God, Thy God has
anointed Thee . . ."
4) Matthew 3:16-17 � At the baptism of Jesus
by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, God speaks
and says, "This is My beloved Son, in whom
I am well-pleased." (See also Mark 1:11 and
Luke 3:22.)
5) Matthew 17:1-5 � At the Transfiguration of
Jesus when His disciples were given a glimpse of
His future glory, God again says, "This is
My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased."
(See also Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-35, and 1 Peter
1:16-18.)
D. The Witness of Jesus
1) His Messianic Claims
a) Messiah
This is a very common title in the Gospels, but
it is usually presented in the Greek form of Christ.
It means "the Anointed One."
(1) Mark 14:61-62 � When Jesus was tried
before the Sanhedrin Council, the High Priest
asked Him, "Are you the Christ [Messiah],
the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus responded,
"I am." (See also Matthew 26:63-64.)
(2) John 4:25-26 � A Samaritan woman says
to Jesus, "I know that the Messiah is coming
. . ." Jesus responds, "I who speak
to you am He."
(3) Mark 9:41 � Jesus refers to His disciples
as "followers of the Christ [Messiah]."
b) Son of Man
This is the title that Jesus applied to Himself
more than any other. It is the Messianic title of
Daniel 7:13. This title emphasizes that Jesus was
God in the flesh. The title is used in 78 verses
in the Gospels. Examples:
(1) Matthew 8:20 � "And Jesus said
to him, �The foxes have holes, and the birds
of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has
nowhere to lay His head.�"
(2) Mark 8:31 � "He began to teach
them that the Son of Man must suffer many things
and be rejected."
(3) Luke 9:26 � "Whoever is ashamed
of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man
be ashamed when He comes in His glory . . ."
(4) John 12:23 � "Jesus answered them,
saying, �The hour has come for the Son of Man
to be glorified.�"
c) Son of God
This is a divine title that the Jewish leaders
recognized as a claim to deity. Many people, including
the Devil and his demons, refer to Jesus in the
Gospels as the Son of God. Jesus often refers to
Himself as "the Son," but specifically
applies the title, "Son of God" to Himself
only five times.
(1) Luke 22:70 � "And they [the Sanhedrin
Council] all said, �Are You the Son of God,
then?� And He said to them, �Yes, I am.�"
(2) John 3:18 � Speaking of Himself, Jesus
says, "He who does not believe has been
judged already, because he has not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
(3) John 5:25 � "Truly, truly, I say
to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the
dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God
. . ."
(4) John 10:36 � Jesus asks the Jewish leaders
if they are accusing Him of blaspheming "because
I said, �I am the Son of God?�"
(5) John 11:4 � When Jesus heard of the
death of Lazarus, He said, "This sickness
is not unto death, but for the glory of God,
that the Son of God may be glorified by it."
d) Son of David
This Messianic title was applied to Jesus by the
Gospel writers (Matthew 1:1) and by many of the
people of His time (Matthew 9:27). For example,
Jesus was hailed as "the Son of David"
when He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem
during the last week of His life (Matthew 21:9).
The closest Jesus came to applying the title to
Himself occurred in a dialogue He had with the Jewish
leaders that is recorded in Matthew 22:41-45.
e) King of the Jews
This is another Messianic title that Jesus claimed
before Pilate. Matthew 27:11 states that Pilate
asked Jesus, "Are You the King of the Jews?"
Jesus replied, "It is as you say." (See
also Mark 15:2 and Luke 23:3.)
f) The Prophet
Speaking of the Messiah to come, Moses referred
to him as "a prophet" (Deuteronomy 18:15-18).
By the time of Jesus, "The Prophet" had
come to be a recognized Messianic title. Thus, when
John the Baptist appeared, the people asked him
if he was "the Prophet." He responded
that he was not (John 1:21). Jesus applied Moses�
title to Himself in John 5:46 when He said, "If
you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he
wrote of Me."
2) Jesus� Application of Messianic Prophecy to Himself
Jesus often asserted His divinity by applying Messianic
prophecies to Himself. Examples:
a) Luke 4:16-21 � Jesus stands up in the synagogue
in Nazareth and reads a prophecy from Isaiah 61
about the Messiah being full of the Spirit and coming
"to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord."
Jesus then states, "Today this scripture has
been fulfilled in your hearing."
b) Luke 18:31-33 � Speaking of His approaching
crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples, "Behold,
we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which
are written through the prophets about the Son of
Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered
to the Gentiles . . . and after they have scourged
Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He
will rise again."
c) Luke 22:37 � Referring to His crucifixion,
Jesus applies Isaiah 53:12 to Himself: "For
I tell you, that which is written must be fulfilled
in Me, �And He was numbered with transgressors;�
for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment."
d) Luke 24:27 � Luke says that after His resurrection,
Jesus spent much time with His disciples showing
them how He had fulfilled the prophecies of the
Hebrew Scriptures. (See also Luke 24:46-47.)
3) Jesus� Identification with God the Father
a) I AM
When God told Moses to confront Pharaoh, Moses
asked, "Whom shall I say sent me?" The
Lord replied, "Tell them I AM has sent you"
(Exodus 3:13-14). Jesus applied this divine name
to Himself. Examples:
(1) John 8:24 � Jesus says, "Unless
you believe that I am, you shall die in your
sins."
(2) John 8:58 � Jesus told the Jewish leaders,
"Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham
was born, I am." The Jews immediately recognized
this as a claim of divinity, and they tried
to stone Him (John 8:59).
b) Alpha and Omega / The First and the Last
(1) In Revelation 1:8 God the Father states
that He is "the Alpha and the Omega."
This statement is repeated in Revelation 21:6.
In Revelation 22:13, Jesus says of Himself that
He is "the Alpha and Omega." Once
again, things equal to the same thing, are equal
to each other.
(2) A variation of the title is "The
First and the Last." It is applied to God
the Father in Isaiah 41:4 and 44:6. Jesus applies
it to Himself in Revelation 1:17, 2:8, and 22:13.
c) Common Attributes
(1) Revelation 1:14-16 � John sees Jesus
resurrected and glorified. He presents a detailed
description of Jesus, and every aspect of the
description is one attributed elsewhere in Scripture
to deity.
White hair � Daniel 7:9
Eyes like fire � Daniel 10:6
Feet like bronze � Daniel 10:6
Voice like waters � Ezekiel 1:24 &
Daniel 10:6
Face like the sun � 2 Corinthians 4:6
& Daniel 10:6
(2) Revelation 2-3 � In His letters to the
seven churches, Jesus attributes descriptions
of deity to Himself in each letter. In one He
refers to Himself as "the beginning [origin
or source] of the creation of God" (Revelation
3:14).
(3) Revelation 10:1 � Jesus is portrayed
in His Second Coming as a "mighty angel,"
and the description of Him once again portrays
attributes of God the Father. He is "clothed
with a cloud" (the Shekinah glory), He
has a rainbow on His head (God�s symbol of faithfulness),
His face is like the sun, and His feet like
pillars of fire.
(4) Luke 6:5 � Jesus says, "The Son
of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Exodus
20:9-11 makes it clear that God the Father ordained
the Sabbath and is Lord of it.
4) Jesus� Relationship with God the Father
Jesus spoke frequently of His relationship with
the Father. Examples:
a) Matthew 10:40 � "He who receives Me
receives Him who sent Me." (See also Mark 9:37.)
b) Luke 2:49 � Jesus as a twelve year old boy
refers to God as His "Father."
c) John 5:18 � The Jews sought to kill Jesus
because by "calling God His own Father, He
made Himself equal with God."
d) John 8:19 � "If you knew Me, you would
know My Father also."
e) John 10:30 � "I and the Father are one
[a unity]." The Jews responded to this statement
by accusing Jesus of blasphemy, and then they added,
"You, being a man, make Yourself out to be
God" (10:33).
f) John 12:45 � "He who beholds Me beholds
the One who sent Me." (See also John 14:9.)
g) John 14:10 � "I am in the Father, and
the Father is in Me." (See also John 14:11,
20.)
h) John 17:10 � Jesus speaking to the Father:
"All things that are Mine are Thine, and Thine
are Mine."
i) John 17:11, 21 � Speaking of His disciples,
Jesus says to the Father: "May they be one,
even as We are."
5) His Eternal Nature
a) John 8:42 � "I proceeded forth and have
come from God."
b) John 8:58 � "Before Abraham was, I am."
c) John 12:45 � "He who beholds Me beholds
the One who sent Me."
d) John 17:5 � Jesus says He shared God�s glory
before the world was created.
e) John 17:8 � Speaking to God: "I came
forth from Thee."
f) John 17:24 � "Thou [the Father] didst
love Me before the foundation of the world."
g) Luke 10:18 � "I was watching Satan fall
from heaven like lightning." (This fall occurred
either shortly before or at the time of the creation.
See Isaiah 14:12, Ezekiel 28:12-17 and Revelation
12:3-4.)
6) His Forgiveness of Sins and Granting of Salvation
a) John 3:16 � "For God so loved the World
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal
life."
b) Matthew 9:2 � Speaking to a paralytic, Jesus
says, "Take courage, My son, your sins are
forgiven." In Mark�s account of this incident
Mark 2:7), he adds that the onlookers said, "He
is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?"
(See also Luke 5:20 and 7:47.)
c) John 6:47-48 � "Truly, truly, I say
to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the
bread of life."
d) John 7:38 � "He who believes in Me .
. . from his inner most being shall flow rivers
of living water." The next verse (39) says
Jesus was speaking of the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit in believers.
e) John 11:25 � "Jesus said to her [Martha],
�I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes
in Me shall live even if he dies.�"
f) John 17:3 � "And this is eternal life,
that they may know Thee, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."
g) Matthew 10:32 � "Everyone therefore
who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess
him before My Father who is in heaven."
h) Luke 23:43 � To a repentant thief being crucified
with Him, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you,
today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
7) His Miracles
We are told in Acts 2:22 that the divine nature
of Jesus was "attested to you by God with miracles
and wonders and signs." The Gospel of John
records seven great miracles of Jesus:
a) Changing water into wine (John 2:1-11).
b) Healing of the royal official�s son at Capernaum
(John 4:46-54).
c) Healing of the man ill for 38 years (John
5:1-8).
d) Multiplying the loaves and fishes (John 6:1-14).
e) Walking on the water (John 6:16-21).
f) Healing of the man blind from birth (John
9:1-7).
g) Raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44).
E. The Witness of Angels
1) Matthew 1:20-21 � An angel to Joseph: "That
which has been conceived in her [Mary] is of the
Holy Spirit. And she will bear a Son; and you shall
call His name Jesus." In Hebrew, the name is
Yeshua, meaning "Yahweh is salvation."
2) Luke 1:11-17 � The angel Gabriel appears
to the priest Zacharias and tells him that his wife
will bear a son [John the Baptist] who will serve
as the forerunner of the Messiah.
3) Luke 1:26-33 � Gabriel appears to Mary and
tells her she will conceive the Messiah who will
be named Jesus [Yeshua] and who will be called "the
Son of the Most High."
4) Luke 2:8-11 � An angel announces to the Bethlehem
shepherds: "Today in the city of David there
has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ [Messiah]
the Lord."
5) Luke 24:6 � Two angels tell women at the
tomb of Jesus: "He is not here, but He has
risen."
6) Acts 1:11 � At the Ascension, "two men
in white clothing" told the disciples: "This
Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven,
will come in just the same way . . ."
7) Revelation 5:9-10 � Heavenly beings are portrayed
as singing, "Worthy art Thou [Jesus the Lamb]
. . . for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for
God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue
. . ."
8) Revelation 5:12 � Heavenly beings sing: "Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and
riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory
and blessing."
9) Revelation 5:13 � Heavenly beings sing: "To
Him who sits on the throne, and the Lamb [Jesus]
be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever
and ever."
10) Revelation 11:15 � Heavenly beings declare:
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord, and of His Messiah; and He will reign
forever and ever."
11) Revelation 15:3-4 � Heavenly beings sing
"the song of the Lamb" which declares
that He is "the Lord God the Almighty . . .
the King of the nations."
F. The Witness of Satan and His Demons
1) Matthew 4:1-11 � Satan recognizes the deity
of Jesus in a backhanded way by tempting Him to
prove His divinity: "If You are the Son of
God [which he knew He was], command that these stones
become bread" (verse 6).
2) Matthew 8:28-34 � Jesus casts demons out
of two men in the area of the Gadarenes. The demons
cry out, "What do we have to do with You, Son
of God?"
3) Mark 1:23-24 � Jesus casts a demon out of
a man in Capernaum and the demon cries out, "I
know who You are � the Holy One of God!" (See
also Mark 1:34, 3:11, 5:7 and Luke 4:34, 41.)
G. The Witness of the Apostle Peter
1) Matthew 16:16 � "And Simon Peter answered
and said, �Thou are the Messiah, the Son of the
living God." (See also Mark 8:29 and Luke 9:20.)
2) John 6:69 � Peter says to Jesus, "We
have believed and come to know that You are the
Holy One of God."
3) Acts 2:11-32 � Peter says that Jesus� resurrection
was in fulfillment of Messianic prophecy.
4) Acts 2:34-36 � Peter asserts that Jesus ascended
to the right hand of God in fulfillment of Messianic
prophecy.
5) Acts 2:38 � Peter proclaims that salvation
is in the name of Jesus. (See also Acts 3:16.)
6) Acts 3:14-15 � Peter refers to Jesus as "the
Holy and Righteous One" and as "the Prince
of Life." (See also Acts 5:31.)
7) Acts 3:15 � Peter asserts the resurrection
as proof that Jesus was the Messiah. (See also Acts
2:24, 32; 4:2, 10, 33; 5:30 and 1 Peter 1:3.)
8) Acts 4:12 � "There is salvation in no
one else; for there is no other name under heaven
that has been given among men by which we must be
saved."
9) Acts 5:42 � Peter preached "Jesus as
the Christ [Messiah]."
10) Acts 10:36 � "Jesus Christ is Lord
of all."
11) 1 Peter 1:10-11 � The Hebrew prophets were
guided in their prophecies by the "Spirit of
Christ."
12) 1 Peter 1:18-19 � We are redeemed by "the
blood of Christ."
13) 1 Peter 2:24 � Jesus was the fulfillment
of Isaiah 53 in that He died for us and "by
His wounds we are healed."
14) 1 Peter 3:22 � Jesus is now at the "right
hand of God."
15) 1 Peter 4:11 � God is "glorified through
Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion
forever and ever."
16) 2 Peter 1:1 � Jesus is "our God and
Savior."
17) 2 Peter 1:3 � Jesus� "divine power
has granted to us everything pertaining to life
and godliness . . ."
18) 2 Peter 1:16-19 � Peter says he was an "eyewitness
of His majesty [the Transfiguration] and that he
heard God declare, "This is My beloved Son
with whom I am well-pleased." He also states
that Jesus was validated by His fulfillment of prophecy
� "the prophetic word made sure."
H. The Witness of the Apostle John
1) John 1:1-2 � Jesus is "the Word"
and "the Word was God."
2) John 1:18 � Jesus is "the only begotten
God . . ."
3) John 5:18 � Jesus called God His Father,
"making Himself equal with God."
4) John 13:3 � Jesus "came forth from God,
and is going back to God."
5) John 20:31 � John assets that he wrote his
Gospel so that the reader "may believe that
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God."
6) 1 John 1:1-2 � Jesus is the "Word of
life" through whom we can have eternal life.
7) 1 John 1:7 � "The blood of Jesus His
Son cleanses us from all sin."
8) 1 John 2:1 � Jesus is the "Advocate"
of the redeemed before the Father.
9) 1 John 2:22 � Anyone who denies that Jesus
is the Messiah has the spirit of the Antichrist.
(See also 1 John 4:3 and 2 John 7.)
10) 1 John 2:23 � "The one who confesses
the Son has the Father also."
11) 1 John 4:9-10 � Jesus was the only begotten
Son of God whom God sent to be the propitiation
for our sins.
12) 1 John 4:14 � The Father sent His Son "to
be the Savior of the world."
13) 1 John 5:1 � "Whoever believes that
Jesus is the Christ [Messiah] is born of God."
(See also 1 John 4:15, 5:11, and 5:13.)
14) 1 John 5:20 � John proclaims that the Son
of God is Jesus Christ and then adds: "This
is the true God and eternal life." (See also
2 John 3 and 9.)
I. The Witness of the Apostle Paul
1) Acts 9:20 � Paul preached Jesus as "the
Son of God."
2) Acts 13:23 � Paul preached Jesus as "Savior."
(See also Acts 16:31, 17:18, 20:21, 26:18; Romans
3:22, 8:3, 10:9; Galatians 2:16, 3:13, 3:29; 1 Timothy
1:15-16; 2 Timothy 2:10; and Titus 3:4-6.)
3) Acts 13:30 � Paul stressed the resurrection
of Jesus as validation of His divinity. (See also
Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians
4:14, 13:4; and 2 Timothy 2:8.)
4) Acts 17:3 � Paul preached Jesus as "the
Christ [Messiah]." (See also Acts 18:5, 28
and 1 Corinthians 1:23.)
5) Acts 28:20 � Paul preached Jesus as "the
hope of Israel."
6) Romans 2:16 � God has given all judgment
to Jesus. (See also 1 Corinthians 4:5 and 2 Corinthians
5:10.)
7) Romans 5:1 � "We have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ" (See also Romans
5:10-11, 17-19 and Ephesians 3:19.)
8) Romans 6:23 � "The free gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(See also 2 Timothy 1:9-10.)
9) Romans 8:34 � Jesus is the Messiah who died
for us, was resurrected, and who sits at the right
hand of God interceding for us. (See also Ephesians
1:20.)
10) Romans 14:9 � Jesus is the "Lord both
of the dead and of the living."
11) 2 Corinthians 4:4 � Jesus is "the image
of God." (See also 2 Corinthians 4:6.)
12) 2 Corinthians 5:19 � "God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself."
13) 2 Corinthians 13:14 � "The grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
14) Ephesians 1:10 � All things are "summed
up in Christ."
15) Ephesians 2:13 � We have been "brought
near" to God by the blood of Christ.
16) Ephesians 3:19 � To know the love of Christ
is to be filled with "the fullness of God."
17) Philippians 2:6-7, 9-11 � "Although
He [Jesus] existed in the form of God, [He] did
not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant
. . . Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and
bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow
. . . and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord . . ."
18) Colossians 1:15-16, 17, 19 � Jesus is "the
very image of the invisible God, the first born
of all creation. For by Him all things were created
. . . And He is before all things, and in Him all
things hold together . . . For it was the Father�s
good pleasure for all the fulness of deity to dwell
in Him."
19) Colossians 2:2 � "The true knowledge
of God�s mystery" is to be found in "Christ
Himself."
20) Colossians 2:9 � "For in Him [Jesus]
all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form."
21) 1 Timothy 1:1 � Paul refers to Jesus as
"our hope."
22) 1 Timothy 2:5-6 � "There is one God,
and one mediator also between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus."
23) 1 Timothy 3:16 � Paul cites what he calls
a "common confession" � namely, that God
"was revealed in the flesh, vindicated in the
Spirit, beheld by angels, proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world, and taken up in glory."
24) Titus 2:13-14 � Jesus is "our great
God and Savior . . . who gave Himself for us."
J. The Witness of the Book of Hebrews
1) Hebrews 1:2 � God "made the world"
through Jesus and has appointed Him "heir of
all things."
2) Hebrews 1:3 � Jesus is "the radiance
of God�s glory and the exact representation of His
nature."
3) Hebrews 1:3 � Jesus "upholds all things
by the word of His power."
4) Hebrews 1:3 � Jesus "made purification
of sins" and then "sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty on high." (See also 8:1;
10:10, 12; and 12:1-2.)
5) Hebrews 1:4-6, 13 � Jesus is greater than
the angels. In fact, the angels worship Him.
6) Hebrews 1:8-9 � The Father refers to Jesus
as "God." (A quote of Psalm 45:6-7.)
7) Hebrews 1:10 � The Father declares the Son
to be the Creator. (A quote of Psalm 102:25.)
8) Hebrews 1:11-12 � The Father declares the
Son to be eternal. (A quote of Psalm 102:26.)
9) Hebrews 2:9 � Jesus "tasted death for
everyone."
10) Hebrews 3:1 � Jesus is the "High Priest
of our confession" before the throne of God,
interceding for us. (See also Hebrews 4:14, 5:10,
8:1, 9:11 and 10:21.)
11) Hebrews 3:2-6 � Jesus was greater than Moses
because He was God�s Son.
12) Hebrews 7:24 � The priesthood of Jesus is
permanent because "He abides forever."
13) Hebrews 9:14 � Our salvation is through
"the blood of Christ." (See also Hebrews
13:20.)
14) Hebrews 13:8 � "Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday and today, yes and forever."
K. Other Witnesses of Jesus� Divinity
1) Zacharias � Proclaims that his son, John
the Baptist, "will be called the prophet of
the Most High" and will prepare the way for
the Messiah who will give His people "the knowledge
of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins"
(Luke 1:67-79).
2) Simeon � Declares the baby Jesus to be "God�s
salvation" (Luke 2:25-35).
3) The Prophetess Anna � Affirmed Simeon�s declaration
(Luke 2:36-38).
4) The Magi from Persia � They came to Jerusalem
to worship the "King of the Jews" (Matthew
2:1-6).
5) John the Baptist � At the baptism of Jesus,
he proclaimed: "Behold, the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
6) Nathaniel � "Rabbi, You are the Son
of God; you are the King of Israel" (John 1:49).
7) Martha � "Yes, Lord, I have believed
that You are the Christ, the Son of God . . ."
(John 11:27).
8) The People � "This is of truth the Prophet
who is to come into the world" (John 6:14).
9) The Jews � "He has made Himself out
to be the Son of God" (John 19:7).
10) Two Blind Men � "Have mercy on us,
Son of David!" (Matthew 9:27). For similar
occurrences, see Matthew 20: 29-34, Mark 10:47 and
Luke 18:35-43.
11) The Disciples � After Jesus calmed the storm
on the Sea of Galilee, His disciples worshiped Him,
crying out, "You are certainly God�s Son!"
(Matthew 14:33).
12) A Canaanite Woman � "Have mercy on
me, O Lord, Son of David." (Matthew 15:22).
13) The Multitudes � As Jesus entered Jerusalem
the last time, the crowds called out, "Hosanna
to the Son of David!" (Matthew 21:9).
14) Pilate � There is no evidence that Pilate
believed in Jesus as Savior, but in response to
one of his questions, Jesus was given the opportunity
to proclaim that He was "King of the Jews"
(Mark 15:2). Later, in an attempt to make fun of
the Jews, "Pilate wrote an inscription and
put it on the cross. And it was written, �Jesus
the Nazarene, the King of the Jews�" (John
19:19). Thus, working through Pilate�s hatred of
the Jews, God orchestrated events so that one of
Jesus� Messianic titles would appear on the cross.
See also Mark 15:26 and Luke 23:38.
15) The Thief on the Cross � "Jesus, remember
me when You come in Your kingdom!" (Luke 23:42).
16) The Centurion at the Cross � "Truly,
this was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:39).
17) Thomas � When confronted by Jesus after
the resurrection, he cried out, "My Lord and
my God!" (John 20:28).
18) Mark � He declares that his gospel is about
"Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1).
19) Phillip � In witnessing to the Ethiopian
Eunuch, Phillip declared that Jesus was the fulfillment
of the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53 (Acts 8:26-39).
20) Stephen � As he was being stoned to death,
he cried out: "Behold, I see the heavens opened
up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand
of God" (Acts 7:56).
21) Jude � He ends his epistle with the words,
"To the only God our Savior, through Jesus
Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and
authority, before all time and now and forever.
Amen" (Jude 25).
As you can see from this voluminous biblical evidence,
the divinity of Jesus is not some johnny-come-lately
concept that was invented by a group of First Century
superstitious peasants who desired to make a god of
a man they admired. It was foretold in Hebrew prophecy,
affirmed in the life, teachings and miracles of Jesus,
and confirmed by God the Father Himself. One would have
to deny the Bible as the Word of God in order to deny
the divinity of Jesus.
There is one other form of evidence that needs to be
mentioned. I have in mind the hundreds of millions of
lives that have been radically changed over the past
two thousand years through faith in Jesus as Lord and
Savior. Jesus came alive in their lives and gave them
supernatural power to overcome the weaknesses of their
flesh. Who else but God could have changed a slave trader
like John Newton into a beloved pastor and inspired
hymn writer when he placed his faith in Jesus?
God became man. That is the central fact of history.
It is mind-boggling to conceive a God who would love
us that much; but He did and He continues to do so.
Your response to that fact will determine your eternal
destiny.
A Plea
If you have never done so, I pray you will open your
heart to the truth that Jesus was God in the flesh;
that He died for your sins; that He currently serves
as the High Priest of believers before the throne of
God; and that one day soon He will return in glory as
King of kings to resurrect the dead, judge the world,
and reign over all the nations in peace, righteousness
and justice.
Original Article
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