Don Stewart :: Does the Bible Indirectly Teach That Jesus Is God?

Does the Bible Indirectly Teach That Jesus Is God?

What Everyone Needs to Know about Jesus – Question 6

The New Testament gives direct evidence that Jesus is God. Indeed, a number of passages make this beyond all doubt. However, there is more. It also provides indirect evidence for the deity of Jesus Christ.

There are many indirect references that could be cited. They include the following testimony.

Jesus Possesses the Attributes of Deity

According to Scripture, Jesus possessed certain attributes that belong to God alone.

1. Jesus Is All-Knowing

Jesus is said to have been all-knowing. He knew the thoughts of people. Luke writes about this in his gospel. He put it this way:

Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man to stand up where everyone could see him. And the man stood up. (Luke 6:8 CEV)

While some believe this is Jesus merely perceiving what people were thinking by their expressions, it seems to mean much more than this.

We find that Jesus was able to tell the Samaritan woman her past history without having previously met her. Jesus said,

For you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly. (John 4:18 NKJV)

Jesus knew all of these things about her without having ever met the woman.

This Samaritan woman later testified to His supernatural knowledge when she said the following to the people of her village:

Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he? (John 4:29 NRSV)

He knew things that mere humans do not have the ability to know.

The disciples of Jesus recognized this fact. They said the following words to Him on the night of His betrayal:

Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God. (John 16:30 NRSV)

This unique ability of Jesus was recognized by His disciples.

We also read elsewhere in John’s gospel of the complete knowledge of Jesus. He records the following exchange between Jesus and Simon Peter:

Jesus asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt sad because Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So Peter said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17 God’s Word)

Peter recognized Jesus’ ability to know all things.

In the Book of Acts, we read of Jesus’ disciples acknowledging His ability to know all things. They realized that He knew everyone’s heart:

And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.” (Acts 1:24 NKJV)

They realized the extent of His knowledge; it was unlimited.

Jesus demonstrated knowledge about things that only someone who is all-knowing could know. This includes things which will take place in the future. We read the following predictions of Jesus in Matthew:

From then on Jesus began to point out to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. (Matthew 16:21 HCSB)

These predictions came true just as Jesus said. The evidence from Scripture is that Jesus is all-knowing. Of course, being all-knowing, or omniscient, is something which belongs to God alone.

2. Jesus Is Everywhere Present

Jesus said that He is present with believers everywhere. Matthew records Him making the following statement:

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20 NKJV)

Where believers gather, Jesus is there.

At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says that He would always be with His disciples:

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20 NLT)

This is a wonderful promise of Jesus. He will be with those who are His until the end of this present age.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians about the fact that Jesus is everywhere-present. He explained it in this manner:

And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence. (Ephesians 1:23 NLT)

Jesus’ presence is everywhere.

Paul also wrote to the Ephesians about the presence of Jesus Christ extending to the entire universe. He said,

This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so that he would fill the whole universe. (Ephesians 4:10 CEV)

Paul wrote to the Colossians about Christ being “in everything.” He said,

Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Colossians 3:11 NIV)

The fact that Jesus is everywhere present is taught in Scripture. This is another indication of His deity since only God can be everywhere present.

3. Jesus’ Nature Is Unchangeable

The character of Jesus does not change. Indeed, the writer to the Hebrews said He remains the same forever.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)

Only God is unchangeable in His nature. This is another indication that Jesus Christ is the eternal God.

4. Jesus Has Life in Himself

The Bible says that Jesus has life in Himself. John wrote,

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4 KJV)

Later, in John’s gospel, we read of Jesus claiming to be “the life.”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NRSV)

All other creation, humans, animals, and plants, are alive because someone, or something, else has given it to them. Jesus has life in Himself; it is not derived from any other source. This is a further indication of His deity.

5. Jesus Is All-Powerful

Jesus is also said to be all-powerful, or omnipotent. This is an attribute which belongs to God alone. Jesus Himself claimed this. We read,

Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! (Matthew 28:18 CEV)

The fact that Jesus is all knowing, everywhere present, unchangeable, has life in Himself, and is all-powerful, demonstrates that He is God. Indeed, these attributes belong to God alone. Nobody, human or angel, could claim them.

6. Jesus Has Existed for All Eternity

There is more evidence. The Scripture teaches the eternality of Jesus. This means that Jesus Christ has existed for all eternity. There was never a time when He did not exist. The biblical testimony is as follows.

A. The Testimony of John

The Apostle John wrote that Jesus existed prior to the creation of the universe. In the very first verse of his gospel, he said the following:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. (John 1:1 KJV)

As far back as we go Jesus is already there.

Jesus Himself prayed that God the Father would restore His eternal glory to Him. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus said,

So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. (John 17:5 NRSV)

Jesus was in the Father’s presence, will all of its glory, before the world had been created. This is certainly a sign of deity.

Isaiah the prophet also saw Jesus’ glory and spoke of Him. John wrote about this in his gospel. He said,

These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. (John 12:41 NKJV)

The reference to Isaiah seeing the glory of Jesus is found in Isaiah 6:1-3. It reads as follows:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:1-3 NIV)

The fact that Jesus has existed for all eternity is also known as the “doctrine of eternality.” It is sometimes equated with the doctrine of pre-existence. However, the pre-existence of Christ merely means that He existed before He was born. It does not necessarily mean that He existed eternally, but it could mean that.

B. The Testimony of John the Baptist

Although John the Baptist was born before Jesus, John testified that Jesus existed before him. It says in the gospel of John,

John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’” (John 1:15 NRSV)

While Jesus was born after John, He actually existed before him.

John the Baptist also said the same thing. We read his words as follows:

This is the One I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because He existed before me.’ (John 1:30 HCSB)

While strictly speaking this does not mean that Jesus Christ was eternal, it is consistent with the idea of His eternal existence.

The writer to the Hebrews said that God the Son made the universe and everything which is in it. He said,

Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it. (Hebrews 1:1, 2 NLT)

God the Son created the universe. This is another indication of His eternal existence.

7. Jesus Is God the Son, a Member of the Trinity

Jesus Christ is God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity. It is important to realize that what is true about God is true about each Person in the Trinity. The Bible says that God has existed for all eternity. The psalmist wrote,

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:2 NRSV)

Since eternal existence is an attribute of God alone, it logically follows that Jesus is God. Jesus, therefore, being God has existed for all eternity. This means that there was no point when He came into existence. Since He had no beginning He will have no end. He is not limited by time in any sense. Of course, this characteristic or attribute belongs to God alone.

8. Jesus Is Equal to God in His Names

Jesus is also spoken of as an equal with God. They both possess the same names. We can make the following observations.

A. Jesus Is the “I Am”

At the famous encounter at the “burning bush” the God of the Bible told Moses that He was the, “I am.” We read,

God replied, “I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14 NLT)

Thus, the God of the Bible says that He is the “I AM.”

Jesus applied this same title to Himself. In the Gospel of John we read of Jesus making this claim when addressing the religious rulers:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:56-58 NKJV)

The fact that the people understood His claim can be seen in their reaction. Scripture says they attempted to kill Him with stones when He made this statement.

B. Jesus Is Lord

The God of the Bible is called the LORD in the Old Testament. We read in the Book of Exodus about this. It says,

God also said to Moses, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.” (Exodus 6:2, 3 NIV)

The LORD is the personal name of God. It is the Hebrew Yahweh or Jehovah.

Jesus is also addressed as LORD. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter said the following about Jesus to the crowd that had gathered:

Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah! (Acts 2:36 HCSB)

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead gives further proof that He is Lord.

Paul wrote that Jesus Christ is Lord, Yahweh:

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3 NRSV)

Jesus is the God of the Old Testament.

C. Jesus Is the Lord of Lords

The God of the Old Testament is called LORD OF LORDS. Moses wrote the following:

For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. (Deuteronomy 10:17 HCSB)

Jesus is also called the LORD OF LORDS. In the Book of Revelation, it says,

They will go to war against the lamb. The lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.” (Revelation 17:14 God’s Word)

Both the God of the Old Testament, and Jesus Christ, are called the Lord of Lords.

D. Jesus Is the Shepherd

The Lord is the shepherd of His people. David wrote,

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1 KJV)

Jesus is also the Good Shepherd.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:14, 15 NRSV)

There is only one “Good Shepherd.” It is the Lord.

E. Jesus Is the Alpha and Omega

God alone is the Alpha and Omega. John wrote in the Book of Revelation about God claiming this for Himself:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8 HCSB)

While the Lord God is the Alpha and Omega we also discover that Jesus Christ is also the Alpha and Omega. Jesus said,

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” (Revelation 22:12, 13 NIV)

Therefore, we see that there are a large number of names that belong to God alone, that also belong to Jesus.

F. Jesus Is Immanuel: God With Us

Jesus was to be called “Immanuel—God with us.” We read about this in Matthew’s gospel. He wrote,

All this happened so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: “The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:22, 23 God’s Word)

The fact that Jesus is called, “God with us,” is another indication of His deity.

9. Jesus Has a Unique Relationship with God the Father

There is more indirect evidence for Jesus’ deity. We find that He had a unique relationship with God the Father. Indeed, He called God “My Father”:

Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.” (John 8:49 NRSV)

There is something else we must note. Jesus never equated His relationship with the Father with the relationship that His disciples had. He never referred to the Father as “Our Father” when referring to His relationship with God. It was always “Your Father” and “My Father.”

For example, at His resurrection He made this distinction to Mary Magdalene. We read the following:

Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17 NRSV)

Thus, Jesus was careful to make the distinction between His relationship with God the Father and that of others. Indeed, it was not the same.

Jesus and the Father Are One

We find further statements from Jesus which illustrates this truth. He said to the religious rulers,

I and my Father are one. (John 10:30 KJV)

The religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus for making this statement because they knew He was claiming some type of equality with God. In fact, when they brought Him before Pontius Pilate they made clear their reason for wanting Jesus dead:

The Jewish leaders replied, “By our laws he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” (John 19:7 NLT)

They realized Whom Jesus claimed to be. Though they did not believe His claims they certainly understood what He was saying.

10. Jesus Is Put On an Equal Level with God

On a number of occasions Jesus is associated with the God of the Bible in an equal manner. For example, the baptismal formula in Scripture puts Jesus on an equal level with God the Father. We read,

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19 NRSV)

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all equated in the baptismal formula.

We also find Jesus, along with the Holy Spirit, equated with God the Father in the apostolic benediction. It says,

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. (2 Corinthians 13:14 NRSV)

Again, He is placed on an equal level with God the Father. Since God shares His glory with nobody this is another indication of the deity of Christ.

11. Jesus Has a Heavenly Origin

Scripture says that the origin of Jesus Christ was not from earth but rather from heaven. The writer to the Hebrews compared the Old Testament character Melchizedek with Jesus. He made the comparison in this manner:

Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. (Hebrews 7:3 NRSV)

Melchizedek resembled God the Son in that Scripture records no beginning and no end for him. As the eternal God, Jesus had no beginning and certainly He will have no end.

The Bible says that Jesus Christ came to earth from heaven. The Gospel of John records the words of John the Baptist:

The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. (John 3:31 NIV)

John testified of Jesus’ heavenly origin.

Jesus Himself claimed that He came down from heaven to the earth. He said,

For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want. (John 6:38 NLT)

According to the Bible, Jesus’ origin was from heaven above. This is further testimony of His divine origin.

12. Jesus Allowed Himself to Be Worshipped

The God who reveals Himself in the Bible has made it clear that He is the only One deserving worship. In the Ten Commandments He said,

You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3 NKJV)

Worship belongs to God alone.

When Satan wanted Jesus to worship him, Jesus refused. Instead, He responded in the following way:

“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him.’” (Matthew 4:10 NLT)

Worship belongs to God alone.

A. Jesus Was Worshipped by the People

Jesus testified that worship is something that is reserved for God alone. Yet, Jesus allowed Himself to be worshiped:

And as they went, Jesus met them. “Greetings!” he said. And they ran to him, held his feet, and worshiped him. (Matthew 28:9 NLT)

Jesus received their worship.

On another occasion, Scripture records someone saying the following words to Jesus:

Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. (John 9:38 NKJV)

Jesus allowed Himself to be worshipped on this occasion also. If only God is to be worshiped, as the Bible testifies, and Jesus allowed Himself to be worshiped, then the natural conclusion is that Jesus believed Himself to be God.

On another occasion, Jesus said,

That all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. (John 5:23 NKJV)

Jesus said people were to honor Him “just as” they honor God the Father. If Jesus were not God then for people to honor Him as they honored God would be blasphemous.

B. The Angels Were Commanded to Worship Jesus

The first chapter of Hebrews tells us that God commanded the angels to worship Jesus. It reads as follows:

For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” And again God said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” And then, when he presented his honored Son to the world, God said, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” (Hebrews 1:5, 6 NLT )

Since God the Father commanded worship of the Son, the Son must be of equal character with the Father. Otherwise He would not give that command.

C. All Creation Is to Worship Jesus

We are told that all creation will worship Jesus. John wrote about this in the Book of Revelation. He put it this way,

I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea. Every creature in those places was singing, “To the one who sits on the throne and to the lamb be praise, honor, glory, and power forever and ever.” The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the leaders bowed and worshiped. (Revelation 5:13, 14 God’s Word)

Jesus richly deserved the worship of creation.

13. Jesus Was Addressed in Prayer

Jesus was also directly addressed in prayer. We find that the Apostles asked Jesus who should replace Judas:

Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen.” (Acts 1:24 NIV)

We only pray to God, nobody else.

Stephen, the first recorded martyr of the Christian church, prayed to Jesus as he was being killed by an unruly mob. He said,

While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died. (Acts 7:59, 60 NRSV)

Only God is addressed in prayer. Jesus, therefore, must be God.

14. Jesus Forgave Sins

Another indirect testimony to Jesus being God is His ability to forgive sins. In the presence of the religious leaders, Jesus told a sinful woman that her sins were forgiven:

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:48 NKJV)

He claimed to be able to forgive sins.

In another occasion, He said the following to a paralyzed man:

My son, your sins are forgiven. (Mark 2:5 NLT)

The religious rulers on both occasions were indignant. They demanded an explanation as to why Jesus would speak in this manner:

Why would he say such a thing? He must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins. (Mark 2:7 CEV)

No doubt the rulers were remembering when God said,

I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25 NRSV)

If only God has the ability to forgive sins, and Jesus claimed the ability to forgive sins, then Jesus is claiming to be God. Humans may temporarily forgive sins committed against other humans, but only God can eternally forgive sins. By claiming to forgive sins Jesus demonstrated His Deity.

There is something else. Jesus forgave sins that were committed against the Lord God. Only God has the right to forgive sins against Him. We can only forgive sins that have been committed against us. This is another indication that Jesus is God.

15. Jesus Will Judge the World

Judgment of the world is something that only God can do. The Bible says the following about God judging the earth:

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. (Psalm 96:12, 13 NIV)

The Lord will come and judge the earth.

Jesus claimed that He would judge the world. We read in John’s gospel:

For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son. (John 5:22 NKJV)

The Son will be judge of the world.

The Apostle Paul said that God will judge the entire world through Jesus. Before a hostile crowd in Athens, Paul said the following about Jesus.

Because He has set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 17:31 HCSB)

According to Paul, Jesus will be the One which every human being will have to answer to.

Paul wrote to Timothy about Jesus judging the world. He wrote,

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge. (2 Timothy 4:1 NIV)

The Bible says that only God has the right to judge the world; no one else has that authority. However, it also says that Jesus claimed that He would be that judge. This is more indirect evidence that Jesus is God.

16. Jesus Is the Creator

Among the many deeds attributed to Jesus is the creation of the entire universe. The Scripture expressly states that Jesus was involved as the Creator. The Gospel of John, in speaking of Jesus, said,

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3 KJV)

Here we have the statement that Jesus created everything. Not one thing has been created apart from Him.

The Apostle Paul also testified to Jesus being the Creator. He wrote of this aspect of Jesus’ character to the church at Colosse:

Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:16 NLT)

This statement makes it abundantly clear that Jesus created all things in the universe. This includes all things visible and invisible.

Though Jesus was the Creator of all things, this world did not recognize Him as such. One of the saddest verses in the Bible testifies to that fact:

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (John 1:10 KJV)

Jesus created the world but when He visited His creation the people did not receive Him for who He truly was. This, of course, is tragic.

17. Jesus Sustains All Things by His Spoken Word

Not only did Jesus create everything in the beginning, He also sustains His creation. The Apostle Paul, after testifying to the creative work of Jesus, wrote,

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:17 NKJV)

All things are held together by Christ.

The Book of Hebrews takes this a step further. It teaches that Christ is “upholding all things by the word of his power”:

The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. (Hebrews 1:3 NLT)

Jesus is the one who holds the universe together. That is, He is the Person who keeps it running in an orderly fashion. The idea is that Jesus is keeping all things together by His spoken Word. Thus, it is the spoken word of Jesus that now upholds the universe. This testifies to the magnificent power which he possesses.

18. Jesus Is the Ruler Over All Things

The Apostle Paul testified that Jesus Christ is the ruler over all things in the universe. He said to the Colossians,

And you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. (Colossians 2:10 NRSV)

Jesus rules the universe, and all that is in it. Thus, Jesus Christ is both Creator and Ruler.

19. Jesus Will Raise the Dead

Scripture teaches that Jesus Christ will raise the dead as well as transform the bodies of believers. John records the Lord saying

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (John 5:28, 29 NIV)

These are tremendous claims which Jesus has made of Himself.

The Apostle Paul also wrote about Jesus raising the dead when He returns. He explained what will happen in his letter to the Philippians:

He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere. (Philippians 3:21 NLT)

Since only God has the power to raise the dead, this is another indication that Jesus Christ is indeed God Almighty.

20. Jesus Gives Spiritual Life to Believers

The Bible says that Jesus has the authority to grant spiritual life to whomever He pleases. Jesus Himself said,

Just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants to. (John 5:21 CEV)

Both the Father and the Son have authority to give life to believers. This put the Father and Jesus on an equal level.

21. Jesus Will Give Eternal Life to Believers

Jesus said that He will give eternal life to those who believe in Him. John records Jesus saying the following:

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:28 NRSV)

He is the One who grants life everlasting. Again, we have another fantastic claim by Jesus.

When Jesus prayed to God the Father, He again acknowledged He was able to do this. John records Jesus saying to the Father,

For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. (John 17:2 NLT)

This is another indication of Jesus’ deity.

22. Everyone Will Confess That Jesus Is Lord

The Scripture says that everything in heaven, earth, and under the earth will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The Apostle emphasized this in his letter to the Philippians. He said,

This is why God has given him an exceptional honor—the name honored above all other names—so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will kneel and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. My dear friends, you have always obeyed, not only when I was with you but even more now that I’m absent. In the same way continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him. (Philippians 2:9-12 God’s Word)

The fact that everything in the universe will confess Jesus is Lord (Yahweh, or Jehovah) proves that He indeed is Almighty God.

23. Jesus Has Equal Glory with God the Father

Jesus claimed equal glory with God the Father:

So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. (John 17:5 NRSV)

Only God could claim that. He shares His glory with no one. We read in Isaiah,

I am doing this for myself, only for myself. Why should my name be dishonored? I will not give my glory to anyone else. (Isaiah 48:11 God’s Word)

Since God shares His glory with no other, Jesus must be God.

24. He Has the Same Nature as God

Scripture says that Jesus has the same nature as the God of the Bible:

Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. (Philippians 2:6 NLT)

The writer to the Hebrews said that Jesus is the exact representation of God:

He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3 NRSV)

Jesus is God by nature.

The Claims Are Not Enough

If God did reveal Himself to humanity, then we would expect Him to identify Himself as God. However we would expect more than mere claims. They would have to be backed up with a demonstration of His power and knowledge. Jesus realized that claiming to be God does not, by itself, make the claims true. He said,

If I testify about Myself, My testimony is not valid. (John 5:31 HCSB)

This is why Jesus did more than make claims about Himself. He backed it up with His works. He said,

But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent. (John 5:36-38 NRSV)

He backed up His claims with convincing evidence. These evidences include miracles, fulfilled prophecy, and His resurrection from the dead. All of the evidence points to the fact that Jesus Christ is more than a mere man. Indeed, He is the Almighty God.

Summary – Question 6
Does the Bible Indirectly Teach That Jesus Is God?

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus Christ was fully human. However, Scripture gives evidence both directly and indirectly that Jesus Christ was more than a mere man. From the description of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament, we find that He is the eternal God. We have the following indirect evidences that Jesus is the God of the Bible.

For one thing, we find that Jesus possesses a number of attributes or characteristics that belong to deity. Indeed, Scripture says that Jesus has existed from all eternity. Only God is eternal in nature.

Scripture teaches that Jesus is also a member of the Holy Trinity. In fact, we find that He is put on an equal level with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. This would never happen unless Jesus was God Himself.

Jesus Christ is also equal to God in certain names. There are names which belong to God alone such as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Good Shepherd which are also given to Jesus. This is another factor in demonstrating that they are equal in nature.

We also find that while on earth Jesus had a unique relationship with God the Father. He could address Him as “My Father” in a unique way from other people. Jesus never equated His relationship with the Father with that of others.

The Bible also emphasizes Jesus had a heavenly origin. In fact, His origin is contrasted with human beings whose origin is from the earth.

One clear mark of deity is that Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be worshiped. Worship is something which is due to God alone. The fact the Father commanded the angels to worship Jesus as well as the fact that He received it goes to show that Jesus is God Himself.

There is also the fact that Jesus was addressed in prayer. Only God is addressed in prayer. We do not pray to angels or to other humans.

Of all the indirect references that show that Jesus is God one of the clearest is His claim to forgive sins. In the Old Testament, the God of the Bible makes it clear that He alone has the right to forgive sin. The New Testament records that Jesus claimed the same right. Jesus would not make this claim unless He had the right to do so.

Jesus also claimed to be the judge of the world. Other New Testament writers echoed His claim. Since Scripture is clear that the judgment of humanity belongs to God alone, the logical inference is that Jesus is the God of Scripture.

The Bible also says that Jesus is the Creator of the entire universe. Furthermore, He sustains the universe by His spoken word. Jesus also presently rules the universe. Thus, the creation and the running of the universe belong to Him.

We also find that Jesus will raise the dead at His coming. Again, He claimed this right for Himself. Since only God can raise the dead, Jesus must Himself be God.

Jesus gives spiritual life as well as eternal life to believers. This is something which only God can grant. No human or angel can impart life.

The Apostle Paul wrote that everyone will one day confess Jesus Christ as LORD. This means they will acknowledge Him as Yahweh, or Jehovah.

The New Testament also says that Jesus has equal glory with God the Father. Since God will not share His glory the conclusion is that Jesus is God Himself.

Thus, Jesus performs work that only God can perform. These abilities cannot be delegated because they are characteristics of God alone.

We conclude that the Bible indirectly teaches in a number of different ways that Jesus Christ is Almighty God—the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.