Is Jesus Christ God?
Is Jesus Christ God?*
Introduction
Was Jesus God? The question is of extreme importance, since if Jesus really is God, He is worthy of worship and praise. We are going to examine several lines of evidence to determine the answer to the question of Jesus' deity. The most extensive evidence is found in the Bible. However, there is extra-biblical evidence that confirms what the Bible says. This page represents a summary of the evidence, much of which can be found in more detail on specific pages of this website.The Bible
The Bible is a collection of writings authored by 40 men over a period of 1,500 years. The writings are roughly separated into the Old Testament (written before the birth of Jesus) and the New Testament (written by the disciples of Jesus after his death in 33 A.D.). The writings of both Testaments are centered around a person called "Messiah" (which means "anointed by God"). The Old Testament says the Messiah would come as the Savior of the world. The New Testament says the Messiah came in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.Both the Old and New Testaments claim that the Messiah would be both man and God - the God-Man - who would save us from our sins. So, if Jesus really were the Messiah, we would expect Him to be God in human form. Our first task is to determine if Jesus was the Messiah.
Old Testament prophecies
There are over 100 prophecies in the Old Testament that gave the characteristics of the Messiah, written hundreds of years before the arrival of Jesus. These prophecies describe the circumstances of His birth, ministry, and death. A sample list of these prophecies are included in the table below:
A complete list of prophecies fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth can be
found at Prophecies of Jesus
Christ as Messiah. Although some of the prophecies are general,
many, especially those surrounding his birth and death (over which he had no
control), are quite striking. The Old Testament describes his death by being
pierced through his hands and feet - at a time before crucifixion was even
invented! Jesus of Nazareth is the only person in history who fulfilled the
Old Testament prophecies for the Messiah in amazing detail. Since the Old
Testament described the Messiah as having the characteristics of God, this
would make Jesus to be God in human form.Rabbinical writings
The Bible is not the only source of Messianic prophecies. Rabbis have been writing about the Messiah thousands of years. Although these sources are not considered inspired by most Christians, they do provide valuable corroboration of the Bible's claims. One from the Sibylline Oracles is particularly striking:
"And being beaten He shall be silent lest any one should know what the
word is, or whence it came, that it may speak with mortals; and He shall
wear the crown of thorns." Sibylline Oracles (B.C. 184-117)
Of course, being silent and wearing the crown of thorns was part of
Jesus' trial leading to His crucifixion. More examples of rabbinical
writings can be found at
Jesus Christ - Messiah of the Rabbinical Writers.Jesus Himself made many claims of deity during His earthly ministry, which we will examine next.
Jesus claimed to be the Son of Man
Although the title "Son of Man" may seem fairly innocuous, it is, in fact, a title of the Messiah, of whom the book of Daniel claims that all people will serve and that His kingdom would never end:
"I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the
clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the
Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. "And to Him was given
dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of
every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be
destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)
Obviously, if the Son of Man were only human, He would not be able to
establish an eternal kingdom. Likewise, He would not be able to convince
all peoples to serve Him. Such abilities and honors are reserved for God
alone.Jesus claimed to be the Son of God
The Bible makes the direct claim that Jesus is the Son of God.1 Many others, including the disciples,2 a Roman Centurion,3 angels,4 demons5, John the Baptist,6 Martha,7 Saul (Paul),8 and the Ethiopian Eunich9 make the same claim. Others said that Jesus Himself made the claim to be the Son of God.10 The gospel accounts also indicate that Jesus Himself made the statement or acknowledged that He was the Son of God many times.11The title Son of God, does not denote second class status. No other prophet ever called himself the Son of God. The Jewish leaders of the time knew exactly what this title implied - that Jesus was claiming to be God Himself:
For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill
Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling
God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. (John 5:18)
Claiming to be the Son of God also conferred the title of Messiah or
the anointed One. Psalm 2 talks about the Messiah (mashiach), whom
it says is God's Son.12 This great messianic
Psalm warns the reader to do homage to the Son and take refuge in Him,13
since He will rule the nations and judge the earth.14
The Sibylline Oracles make it clear that the Son of God is God Himself:
Know him as your God, who is the Son of God.
Sibylline Oracles (Lactantins p. 10 s.)
Jesus claimed to be the Messiah (the Christ)
The Bible says that Jesus is the Christ, or Messiah - the anointed One of God. Jesus Himself made the claim or acknowledged that He was the Messiah.15 The title is especially significant with regard to the question at hand - is Jesus God? The Old Testament tells us that the Messiah is God and the eternal Father:
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the
government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
(Isaiah 9:6)
Other prophecies of the Old Testament tell us that the Messiah would be
God:
"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will
raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and
do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be
called: The LORD Our Righteousness. (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
The title, "The LORD Our Righteousness" indicates that the
Messiah is God. The Hebrew word translated "LORD" is yhvh
(Yahweh), which is the personal name of God.Jesus claimed to have the attributes of God
Jesus claimed to have many of the attributes that God alone possesses. Jesus claimed to have sent the prophets:
"Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and
scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will
scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, (Matthew
23:34)
However, the Old Testament
indicates that God sent the prophets.16
Therefore, Jesus was claiming the authority that was previously reserved
only for God.Jesus claimed that His origins are from heaven, whereas men are from the world:
- "And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man. (John 3:13)
- And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. (John 8:23)
- that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22:30)
- Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." (John 18:36)
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before
Abraham was born, I am!" At this, they picked up stones to stone
him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. (John
8:58-59)
The claim included the term "I am" - a reference God made of
Himself when talking to Moses.17 The Jews
immediately recognized that Jesus was claiming to be God and attempted to
stone Him.Jesus also claimed to have existed "before the world began":
"And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had
with you before the world began." (John 17:5)
This statement is an obvious claim to deity. Not only did Jesus claim
to exist before the creation of the universe, but He claimed to share the
glory of God! Jesus also claimed that He had "all authority... in
heaven and on earth" and that everything of God was His.18
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has
been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18)
Jesus claimed to be the supreme judge who will exercise all
judgment.19 However, there are at least 50
verses in the Bible that claim that Jehovah God will judge the earth (see Who Will Judge Mankind?).
Jesus claimed to be the one to separate the "sheep from the
goats".20 However, the book of Ezekiel
says that Jehovah God will do this.21 Jesus
claimed to be the resurrection and the life.22
He said that He would personally raise everyone from the dead.23 These
are all attributes of God.Jesus claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath,24 although the Bible indicates that God held such title.25
Jesus claimed the ability to forgive sins.26 Even the Jews recognized that this was a function of God alone.27
Jesus claimed that He would return in the clouds in glory.28 Isaiah makes the same claim for Jehovah God.29 Obviously, Jesus was making a claim to deity.
Jesus claimed to be the light of the world who provides salvation.30 In the Psalms, David tells us that Jehovah God is our light and salvation.31 Jesus also claimed to be the way to life32 - an assertion that is made for God.33 Jesus said that He was the one who searched the hearts and minds,34 gives eternal life,35 and rewards those who follow Him.36 All of these characteristics are found only in God.37, 38, 39
Jesus said He was the good shepherd,40 who searches for His sheep.41 These are claims made of God in the Old Testament.42, 43 Jesus claimed to be the fountain of living water.44 This is a clear reference to what God said of Himself as recorded by the prophet Jeremiah.45 Jesus said He would give rest to those who found Him.46 The same claim is made of God in the book of Exodus.47
Jesus claimed to send the Holy Spirit (Helper).48 The same claim is made for God.49 Jesus said that He raised Himself from the dead,50 even though the Bible says that God did it.51 Among Jesus' parting words, He told His disciples to baptize new followers in "the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching
them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)
It should be noted that the other two names (Father and Holy Spirit)
are names for God. In fact, the text says specifically that they should be
baptized in the name (singular), not names, of the three persons
mentioned. In order to be one name, they must all represent God. Jesus
claimed that His disciples would be unable to do anything of significance
without His power. Such a statement is a clear claim of divine power.
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I
in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John
15:5)
More information about how Jesus embodied the characteristics of God
can be found at The Son, Jesus Christ, is God.Jesus accepted the title of God
Not only did Jesus claim the attributes of God, but He even accepted the title "God." Thomas, the ever-skeptical disciple, was unconvinced that Jesus had risen from the dead and wanted to see direct proof. However, when the Lord Jesus appeared to him, his only reaction was "My Lord and my God!"
Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed?
Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." (John
20:28-29)
What was Jesus' reaction to the title of God? Did Jesus rebuke him for
calling Him "God"? No! In fact, Jesus praised Thomas for his
belief. And the belief that Thomas exhibited was that Jesus was Lord and
God. If Jesus were not God, accepting such a statement for truth would be
a grievous sin. Either Jesus is God or He would have to be a sinner!Jesus claimed to be God
Some skeptics say that Jesus and God were "one in purpose." However, this is a rather weak claim. Every disciple of Jesus Christ has the goal of being "one in purpose" with God the Father. Even so, Jesus never used the word "purpose" in His claims of oneness with God.
"I and the Father are one." The Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the
Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but
for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be
God." (John 10:30-33)
Obviously, the Jews did not think that this claim of being one with the
Father referred to purpose. They knew that He was claiming equality
with God, which is why they tried to stone Him. In addition, Jesus
said outright that He was Lord52 and claimed
to be the first and the last,53 an obvious
trait reserved for God alone.54Jesus accepted worship reserved for God alone
Some of the most significant statements Jesus made regarding His deity actually involve an argument from silence - what Jesus did not say. In no less than 12 instances, Jesus was worshipped by various people - the wise men,55 the disciples,56 a leper,57 a synagogue official,58 a woman of Canaan,59 Mother of Zebedee's children,60 a blind man,61 angels,62 and everybody in heaven.63 The Bible clearly indicates that God alone is to be worshipped.64 Even Jesus proclaimed this to Satan, when he tempted Him and demanded that He worship him.65 Some skeptics claim that the people who worshipped Jesus did so improperly. There are a number of examples where people attempted to worship the disciples66 or angels67 and were warned not to do so by the parties being worshipped, since the Bible clearly indicates that angels are not to be worshipped.68 The problem arises that Jesus never told anyone to stop worshipping Him. If Jesus were not God, to say nothing in the face of worship would be a huge sin. So, if Jesus is not God, then He sinned in allowing others to worship Him. If He sinned, then Jesus could not even be the Savior, since the Savior must be without spot or blemish.Non-biblical sources
Besides the writings of the Bible, the writings of the early Christian leaders clearly state that Jesus was regarded as being God by the second century. In the earliest extra-canonical Christian book, the Didache, which scholars agree was written no later than the late 100s, the word "Lord" (Greek Kyrios) was used by the Greeks to designate divinity. In addition, Justin Martyr, a second-century church father, baptized new believers in the name of the triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - acknowledging the equality of the three distinct persons of the Trinity.Among secular sources, the letter from Pliny the Younger, governor of Pontus/Bithynia from 111-113 A.D. to Emperor Trajan stand out. In this letter, Pliny talks about the early Christian church, their worship of Christ, and how he persecuted, tortured, and murdered them:
"They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so."69This example shows quite clearly that even the Romans knew that Jesus was being worshipped and wanted to "check and cure" "the contagion of this superstition" that had "spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and farms."70
Another source indicating that Jesus was worshipped as God before the fourth century was discovered in Megiddo, Israel. A third century Christian church was found with a tile floor inlaid with an inscription that was a tribute to Jesus, "Akeptous, the God-loving, offered this table for (the) god Jesus Christ, as a remembrance." So, it is obvious that early Christians considered Jesus to be God (see Early (3rd Century A.D.) Christian Church at Megiddo, Israel for more information). More information about the secular evidence for the divinity of Jesus can be found at Jesus Christ as God and the Trinity Was Not Invented Until the Fourth Century?
Jesus is God
So, we can see that Jesus and others made numerous claims that He was God in human flesh. However, making the claim in itself does not automatically make a person God. Many crazy people have claimed to have been God. Let's examine the evidence that, in fact, Jesus is God.Teachings of Jesus
I did not read the Bible at all until I was 32 years old. If you grew up in the church or were exposed to the Bible when young, it probably seems rather mundane and ordinary. However, as one who never read the gospels at all, I was struck by the amazing words of Jesus in the gospels. The religious hypocrites of Jesus' time were constantly trying to trap him with "impossible" to answer questions. However, His words were always strikingly effective at shutting their mouths and exposing their hypocrisy. In fact, the words of Jesus were instrumental in convincing me that Jesus was God at the age of 33. For more information, please see Nothing Unique About the Teachings of Jesus Christ?Miracles of Jesus
Jesus performed numerous miracles during His earthly ministry. These are summarized in the table below, although the apostle John told us in his gospel that Jesus did many more miracles that were never recorded in written form (John 21:25).7172 In his rebuttal to Jewish Celsus, Origen reported Celsus as saying Jesus had obtained His miraculous gifts while in Egypt (obviously by the power of sorcery).73 If the miracles of Jesus had been just made-up, the Jews would have denied they ever happened, rather than attribute them to the work of the devil. It was, in fact, the miracles of Jesus that convinced a large number of people that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah.
Resurrection of Jesus
The best evidence that Jesus is God comes from His resurrection. Generally, people who die tend to stay dead. The Bible says that Jesus was captured by temple guards and brought before the Sanhedrin (the religious leaders). He was eventually handed over to Pontius Pilate, who agreed to have Jesus crucified. Jesus was flogged and crucified until the Roman executioners were sure He was dead. The scientific evidence that Jesus was dead by the end of His crucifixion is so strong that a peer-reviewed scientific paper was written to examine this evidence.74 After His death, the body of Jesus was placed into the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea and wrapped according to Jewish burial practices. Because His death had occurred just hours before the Sabbath (on which Jews were not allowed to do any work), some of His women followers went back to the tomb on Sunday morning to finish the burial process. Instead of finding the body of Jesus, they met angels, who told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. When these facts were reported back to the disciples, they did not believe the women, but went to check themselves, also finding the tomb empty. Later, the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples both individually and collectively, and eventually to 500 of His followers. After the His resurrection, Jesus told the disciples to proclaim the gospel (good news) to the entire world. They succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, based upon telling people that Jesus had risen from the dead. If Jesus had not risen, the Jewish leadership could have produced the body and ended the spread of the new sect. We will now examine the non-supernatural explanations that have been offered to try to explain the resurrection.Jesus didn't die
The "swoon" theory says that Jesus didn't die, but just fainted. However, the medical evidence is quite clear that Jesus could not have survived the crucifixion. There are no accounts of people surviving crucifixion other than one individual of three who were removed from their crosses before they had died. However, he was cared for by a physician, while two of his compatriots died. There is no evidence that Jesus was taken down from the cross before He had died. A complete description of why this theory is false can be found at Jesus Didn't Really Die on the Cross?
The disciples made up the story
Numerous pieces of evidence suggest that the disciples did not make up the story of the resurrection. First, opponents of Christianity (the Jewish leadership and Romans) could have produced the body to show that the story was made-up. Second, the story of Jesus' death was something that would not be easy to accept by Jewish people, since the scripture says, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree" (Galatians 3:13, Deuteronomy 21:22-23). In addition, according to the biblical account, the women discovered the empty tomb. At that time, the testimony of women had no legal standing. Therefore, if the disciples had made up the story, they would have had the tomb discovered by the themselves, instead of the women. Ultimately, if the disciples had made up the story of Jesus' resurrection, they would not have been willing to die for a lie. All were martyred for their belief in Jesus as God except John, who was exiled to the island of Patmos. Despite being persecuted, tortured, and killed for their faith, the disciples never recanted the resurrection account nor admitted it was fabricated. Likewise, nobody has ever suggested a valid motive for the disciples fabricating a story about the resurrection. What would they have gained from such a story? None of them ever became rich, but instead were constantly getting in trouble with the authorities for their preaching.The disciples stole the body
To get around the problem of the empty tomb, the Jewish leaders made up the story that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus. The leaders had alerted Pontius Pilate that Jesus had promised to rise from the dead the third day, so he ordered guards be placed at the burial site. When an angel came to the tomb, the guards were terrified, but Jesus had already risen and was not there. The guards reported these events to the chief priests, who bribed them with money and told them to circulate the story that the disciples had stolen the body (Matthew 28:12-15).75 The Toldot Yeshu, a derogatory Jewish parody of the life of Jesus, admitted "that he was not in his grave," but went along with the story that the body had been removed and buried elsewhere.76 Justin Martyr, a second century Christian, reported in his Dialog with Trypho, "Jesus, a Galilæan deceiver, whom we crucified, but his disciples stole him by night from the tomb, where he was laid when unfastened from the cross."77 Tertullian, another second century Christian, reported that the Jews had said, "This is He whom His disciples secretly stole away, that it might be said He had risen again, or the gardener abstracted, that his lettuces might come to no harm from the crowds of visitants!"78 This seems to be the only explanation offered in the first and second centuries for the empty tomb.
The main problem with the
stolen body story were the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. He
appeared to the 11 disciples and over 500 of His other followers (1
Corinthians 15:6). Even Paul,
writing 20-30 years later, reported that most of these eye witnesses were
still alive and could be asked to verify the appearances of Jesus following His
death.79 Because there were so many eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus, the Jewish story that the disciples had stolen
the body held no sway, and the number of new believers grew dramatically
within the first few years.Since all the naturalistic explanations for the empty tomb do not hold water, we must conclude that that supernatural explanation fits the available data the best. Yes, Jesus rose from the dead!
Conclusion 
The Old Testament prophecies and their fulfillment in the person of
Jesus of Nazareth make it clear that Jesus was the promised Messiah of the
scriptures. These same scriptures, along with those of the New Testament
state quite emphatically that the Messiah, Jesus, was God, who took on
human form to both teach us and provide the ultimate sacrifice to erase our
sins, so that we could have a personal relationship with Him. The
teachings and miracles
Jesus performed and His resurrection from the dead testify that Jesus is God.
Since Jesus is God, it is imperative that we do what He told us. Jesus
told us we were to follow Him80 that whoever believed in Him would have
eternal life (John 3:16).81 Those who reject
Jesus after knowing who He is, have rejected the only provision to cleanse
us from our sins in order to live with God in heaven. Do not put off a
decision to follow Jesus, your God. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Now is the
day of salvation!
For He says, "In the time of My favor I heard
you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time
of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)
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