DID JESUS CONFESS HIS DEITY?
Few deny the existence of Jesus and even his resurrection, although many have made feeble attempts at doing so. A common denial, however, is the deity of Christ. Even among professing believers, there are those who would adamantly claim that Jesus is not God and that he made such a claim himself. I counter that not only is Jesus God but the prophets, the Apostles, and Christ himself suggest otherwise.
The Prophets
First, it is the prophets who
testify to the deity of Christ and his lordship as Messiah. No Old Testament
prophet does not testify to Christ. Jesus himself confessed that the scriptures
testify to himself as the Messiah (John 5:39). It was, further, understood in
the early church that Jesus is indeed the Son of God and, in fact, God himself
(Acts 10:43). Among Old Testament prophets (and figures) that detailed the
Savior’s Advent were Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and even Abraham. Isaiah
explicitly discusses the Messiah in a way related to hope for Israel during the
Babylonian period (Isa 53); yet, his reference to the servant who will save Israel
is prophetic in that it explicitly portrays Jesus Christ and his life-saving
death upon the cross.
Christ is often referred to as the
word in Scripture. In fact, logos
(word) almost always refers to Christ in New Testament writings. John writes
that the word, i.e. Jesus was with God and Jesus (the word) was God (John 1:1);
a statement cannot be much more explicit than that. I have often said that
Jesus (and his righteousness) is not derived from the Bible but the Bible is
derived from him, i.e. Scripture testifies to Christ; he does not testify to
Scripture. Therefore, the reason Christ was perfectly in line with Scripture is
not only that he was obedient but that he literally is the word himself.
From the beginning of the Bible, God’s plan of Christ the Messiah is made evident. God told the serpent that he would place enmity between him and the woman and that her seed would crush his head (Gen 3:15). From that point, the narrative of Scripture reveals Satan’s feeble attempts to thwart the plan of God; yet, he would not and never will succeed. The concept here is that all of Scripture centers around Christ, for Christ has always been the plan. He is Messiah; he is God; the Bible abundantly declares such.
The Apostles
A clear manifestation of Christ’s divine position is the testimony of the Apostles. Throughout apostolic writings, Jesus is referenced as equal to God. Peter, for example, confesses that they (the Apostles) saw Jesus in resurrected flesh as light from the Father and saw and heard God’s glory and voice (2 Pet 1:16-17). Paul, moreover, likens Christ to God in his worth and imminent worship by all people, for one day all will declare him as Lord (Phil 2:11). Paul also contends that there is but one God and one Lord, namely Jesus Christ (1 Cor 8:6) from whom exist all things (Col 1). The deity of Christ is no secret in apostolic writings. Paul even says, “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority” (Col 2:9-10). Thus, the church, for centuries, has counted Jesus as one with the Father and the Spirit and indeed as God himself in the flesh.
Jesus Himself
C.S. Lewis poses what has become known as the Lewis Trilemma: Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord; if he is Lord, he demands total devotion. “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance; the only thing it cannot be is moderately important,” (Lewis) writes Lewis. Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus is seen referencing his deity. Many scholars have missed the meaning of Jesus’ confessions. For one to claim that Jesus never confesses his deity is to either miss what he has made obvious or blatantly deny such. John is replete with not only Jesus’ admittance to the work which the Father sent him to accomplish but also his oneness with the Father (John 10:30). Jesus himself knew who he was while on this earth, for he is eternally God the Son. Thus, not only do the prophets, the Apostles, and Scripture testify to Jesus’ deity, so also does Jesus himself. He certainly professes his own deity and leaves no room for doubt in such a claim.
Belief in Jesus’
Godship: An Imperative to Christianity
The church has confessed the Godship of Christ for centuries. In fact, I contend that doing so is necessary to Christianity. To deny the Godship of Jesus is to effectively consider him, the prophets, and the Apostles liars. Jesus, however, speaks nothing but truth and proclaimed the truth that he is God. Christianity has affirmed Christ’s Godship for centuries and must continue to believe in its truth, lest believers diminish Christ to a mere human without total power and might.
References
Lewis, C.S. (1952). Mere Christianity.
