The Divinity of Christ
A self-proclaimed “agnostic-atheist” scholar has made the assertion that Jesus never claimed to be God in the Gospels. It is easy to see that his denial of the divinity of Christ is driven by his unbelief. Nevertheless, this individual has a bit of a following, and so his statements need to be answered. It is true that you will not find Jesus saying “I am God” in so many words. But he does make implicit claims about his divinity, and his actions and deeds also testify to his divinity. In fact, on several occasions the reactions of the Jews make this clear.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes seven statements that begin with the words “I am.” This may not seem significant, but in reality it is, when seen in the light of Exodus 3:14. For example, in John 8:58, Jesus said “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” The phrase “I am” is the New Testament equivalent to the name that God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14. Jesus was asserting his divinity, equating Himself with the God who revealed Himself to Moses.
On other occasions, Jesus either did or claimed to have the authority to do things only God can do. In some of these occasions we are told that his adversaries plotted to kill him because of what they perceived to be blasphemy. For example, in John 5:17, Jesus said “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” In this context, Jesus was claiming to have the authority to work on the Sabbath, and to interpret the true meaning of the Sabbath. In verse 17, Jesus said that He was working just as His Father was working. He was claiming that his word was in concert with the work that His Father was doing. In verse 18 it says “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”
Jesus, in John 10:30 Jesus said “I and the Father are one.” The word “one” in this verse means “one in essence” or “one thing.” Jesus was claiming that He and His Father are one in essence, that they are both equally God. The Jews who heard him knew exactly what Jesus was claiming: divinity. For it says in John, 31 “The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
Those who deny the divinity of Christ are either ignorant of what the Bible teaches or willfully blind or both. Jesus once asked Peter “Who do you say I am.” With Peter, we answer “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
In Christ,
Rev. David L. Putz, Pastor
Holy Cross Lutheran Church (LCMS)
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Good things are happening at Holy Cross! Praise God for that. When we keep Word and Sacrament ministry at the heart of what we do, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is sown. As we share the Word, God gives the growth and we rejoice as humble stewards of the God who changes lives and hearts. Help us always, Lord, to keep Your Word at the center of our life together under your Holy Cross!
Please continue to pray for our congregation and each other. Don’t forget to visit our church website www.holycross-crawfordsville.org to find links for all our services on YouTube.