The Divinity of Jesus Christ

People who call themselves Christian are basically proclaiming that they believe God exists. Not only do they believe God exists, they also believe the Bible accurately reveals who God is. Unfortunately, some people who claim to be Christian don’t understand the significance of their proclamation, and as a result, are easy targets for those who misrepresent Christianity and the divinity of Jesus Christ. Regardless of religious affiliation, personal conviction or denomination, those of us who claim to be a Christian must agree on a few things.

Was Jesus God, an angel or just a man?

If any person, group or church tells you that Jesus was not God, that he was only a man, an angel, Lucifer’s spirit brother, or anything other than God, they are false teachers concerning Christianity. Also, if any group or person claims that we can become god someday, they are false teachers.

As Christians, the divinity of Jesus Christ is one point we cannot disagree upon. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that Jesus was and is God. Unfortunately, many professing Christians are well-meaning folks just looking for answers, but not finding them. They wait for someone else to tell them what to think and instead of studying and learning for themselves, they end up knowing just enough to be dangerous.

Who did Jesus claim to be?

People who deny the divinity of Jesus Christ often use clever scriptural distortions to back up their claims. Even with the multitude of scriptures supporting Jesus’ divinity, they somehow “work them out” until the passages no longer resemble the actual text or intended meaning. For me, the most convincing proof that Jesus is God came when I decided to study who he claimed to be. Here are a few Bible verses that defend the divinity of Jesus Christ. Keep in mind there are many more.

What God Said About Jesus

Matthew 1:22-23: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel which means, “God with us.”

In this verse Jesus is clearly Immanuel, which means “God with us.” I’ve heard folks try to explain this one by saying God is with us all in a generic sort of way. When you take this verse at face value, while also considering related passages, it’s pretty difficult to tweak it to mean anything other than what it says.

Hebrews 1:7-8: In speaking of the angels he (God) says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.” But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.”

God the Father is clearly calling the Son (Jesus) God. Also, God makes a very clear distinction between his angels, servants and his son, Jesus.

Isaiah 9:6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

In this passage Isaiah (a monotheistic Jewish prophet) is calling a human “Mighty God” which was a controversial statement to say the least. God obviously fulfilled his prophecy centuries later through Jesus Christ.

What Jesus Said About Himself

John 8:56-58: “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham?” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am.”

Compare this verse to Exodus 3:14 which reads, God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Obviously, Jesus was claiming to be the same “I AM” (God) who spoke to Moses.

John 10:30-33: Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Many who deny the divinity of Jesus point to “I and the Father are one” to say we are all one in purpose with God. What they are unable to explain is why Jesus did not deny he was claiming to be God. Why do you think Jesus was crucified? It was because the Jews knew Jesus was claiming to be their messiah (see Matthew 14:32-33).

John 14:6-9: Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

Here again, Jesus is saying he and God the Father are one. I’ve heard folks use the same argument about everyone being one with God, but I really don’t see how this bold statement by the Jesus can be twisted. In all of these passages, Jesus is clearly claiming to be God.

You alone are responsible for your spiritual journey, and as followers of Jesus Christ it’s imperative that we be grounded in the foundational principles of Christianity. Study the Bible for yourself. Understanding Christianity is not that difficult, and anyone who tells you otherwise is turning the Gospel into something that God never intended.

For example, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Pretty simple, right?

About Kim Linton

Kim Linton began her writing career in 2001 as a contributor for Ministrymaker Magazine. Kim's work has since been published on a variety of websites including Woman's Day and Intel, and featured on several news sites including USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.