One of the most common objections skeptics raise to the deity of Christ is the idea that Jesus never actually claimed to be God. Sure the church ended up worshiping Him as such, but this was a later development that was projected onto Jesus but wasn’t something He intended to claim for Himself….or so the argument goes.
If you are expecting to find a Bible verse in which Jesus stands on the Mount of Olives and proclaims in English, and every other known language, “I am God!” You won’t find it. He actually did one better….but we’ll save that for the end.
Biblically, there are several ways to know that Jesus is God. He accepted worship, possessed all the eternal attributes of God, did things only God can do, and was given titles of deity. (Those are all great subjects for future blog posts.)
But Jesus did also CLAIM to be God, and here are 3 times He did just that:
Mark 14:61-62
After His arrest, Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court. The high priest asked him point blank: “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus replied, “I am…and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Reading with modern eyes, it looks as if Jesus is simply claiming to be a “son of man”—not God Himself. But when set within its cultural and biblical context, Jesus was making a reference to a prophecy in the book of Daniel. This not only identified Him as the “Son of Man” predicted in chapter 7, but the eternal Sovereign Lord of all, who will return to judge the very court in which He now stood trial. When seen in the light of Psalm 110, Jesus was claiming to sit on the very throne of Israel’s God.
Still fuzzy? It wasn’t to the biblically literate Jews who heard him make these claims. In fact, Jesus’ claim to be God was considered blasphemy, and according to Leviticus 24:16, blasphemy was punishable by death. The high priest acknowledged his understanding of this by tearing his robes and calling for Jesus’ execution. (Mark 14:63-65)
John 10:30
One day, Jesus was walking around the temple complex and was surrounded by some Jews who wanted to know if He was the Messiah. After identifying God the Father as “greater than all,” He said, “The Father and I are one.”
Through modern eyes, this could look like Jesus was simply saying that He and God had some kind of special connection—that they were really “in sync.” But when seen through the eyes of ancient Jews, Jesus was actually claiming to be of the same essence and nature as God Himself.
We only need to look at the reaction of the Jews to know that they understood what Jesus was saying. They immediately picked up stones to stone Him for “blasphemy,” saying, “because you, a mere man, claim to be God!”
John 8:58
While having a heated argument with some Judeans about their relationship to Abraham, they asked Jesus in verse 53, “Who do you think you are?” To this Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” I AM. This is Jesus’ most explicit claim to deity.
Modern eyes might read this and think, I am…. what? Rewind over a thousand years to Exodus 3, where we find Moses standing face to face with a bush engulfed in flames. From within the bush, God calls Moses and unmistakably identifies Himself: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses asks for God’s actual name, God answers, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘ I AM has sent me to you.'”
When Jesus identified Himself as “I am,” He was not only claiming to be God, but the very God of the Old Testament: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Of course, the Jews understood exactly what He was claiming, and once again, picked up stones to execute Him for blasphemy.
Jesus was an intentional and articulate communicator and there was no ambiguous language in His claims to deity. The people to whom he was speaking were not confused—they got the message.
Three times He claimed to be God, and three times they wanted Him dead for it.
Alisa Childers is a former CCM recording artist, turned Mama Bear apologist! She LOVES when people act like she has no idea what she’s talking about because she’s “just a musician.” You can see more writing by Alisa at www.alisachilders.com
You are Factually Incorrect. Yeshua Never Once Claimed Godship. Not ONCE/// The Synoptic Gospels Don’t Mention it, The Writing’s of Saul Don’t Mention it Either… This is a Lie… Only The Gospel of John does it say that…..
Yeshua Bar Yosef, Never Once Claimed To Be GOD, Ever….. The Bible was written long after his none crucified death, & by no eyewitness account or eyewitnesses to the eyewitnesses… Please do some real research, Ty.
Unfortunately, you are confusing “God” with “Messiah.” Messiah is most certainly not God but a mortal being from the House of David that the Jews await.
Jesus had absolutely no idea that he was God. Jesus asked Peter who he thinks he is: Matt 16:16-17: Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” IF EVER there was a chance for Jesus to claim he was God or a member of a Trinity, surely that would have been a fine time to do so!
Of course, in different passages of the OT, “messiah” can refer to a couple of different ppl or groups. Famously Isaiah 45:1 calls Cyrus His anointed one or “messiah” same word. But the Jewish messianic expectations did not come to an end after they read the scroll of Isaiah! In fact, they still wait for their Messiah. So it becomes clear that there is an expectation of a particular “king Messiah” who will save Israel, who fits a set of criteria. What is the identity of this anointed king? This is a big conversation involving many passages of scripture, and it’s evident there wasn’t total agreement in Jesus’ day about who the Messiah really was. Would the king Messiah be God? Isaiah 9 would seem to indicate that: “he shall be called wonderful counsellor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace.”
Interestingly, Jesus himself engages this very question! Consider his reply and decide for yourself what you read here.
Matthew 22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
44 “ “The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” “
45 If then David calls him ‘Lord’, how can he be his son? 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Some other thoughts from Matthew specifically:
– the transfiguration? Mat 17:1-9 (His clothes become pure glowing white and the father declares “this is my Son”)
– Mat 11:27 “No one knows the father but the Son, or the Son but the father” (exclusive son-father knowledge described)
– Mat 9:13 “i desire mercy not sacrifice” (quotes God in the OT as though he personally is repeating it)
Mat 5:18, 7:28-29 (Taught with authority, saying “I tell you” not “God tells you”.. people are shocked by this in the text)
– mat 5:17 (came to fulfill the law and the prophets – wowza!)
– Mat 12:8 (the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath! Rules the seventh day when God rested, the holy day)
– Mat 11:28-29 (offers the jewish people ‘rest for their souls’ if they come TO HIM)
Anyway there’s some stuff to chew on. Peace!
Plus he says it clearly in John, “I Am”
He said before Abraham was, I AM. That’s claiming to be God. If you can’t understand that, then I can’t help you. However you’re pushing out a very weak argument. Come on give Jesus a chance, if it doesn’t work out the devil will always take you back. So don’t worry you’ll have a home either way.
Why did they judge him guilty of blasphemy?
Why did they try to stone him?
If Jesus had been criss-crossing Judea and Galilee claiming to be Yahweh, the Creator, why did no one accuse him of this “blasphemy” when he was brought before the Sanhedrin?
https://lutherwasnotbornagaincom.wordpress.com/2021/11/17/damning-evidence-that-jesus-never-claimed-to-be-god/
The truth is, while Jesus probably claimed to be the Messiah, and that is what got him killed, there is no good evidence in the Synoptic Gospels that he ever claimed to be God.
You are not correct on this Jesus did not run around calling himself God it was only at moments stated and it wasn’t he had actual power actual miracles they all knew this and understood he had a large following that they could not simply go in and kill him .. they needed to scheme and plan as it shows clearly how it all went down.
Now , Jesus himself thought it not robbery to be EQUAL with God stated clearly but made himself a little lower than the angels that one passage is clear enough ..ones foundation should simply be Christ as trinity In the beginning was the word the word was with God the word was GOD ..which of course makes perfect sense .. my word is me your word is you Gods word is HIM .. BUT some try to put A God and most people would know that the A does not go there lol .. but some like to grasp at straws .. either way THIS is a foundational scripture and when read with Genesis Creation story you see why it is stated let US make man in OUR image .. and GOD made man in HIS image going from a plural to a singular ..
let me ask you this how can ALL THINGS be created by the word who was absolutely Christ and yet somehow hes simply not part of the Trinity? when we have the entire creation in genesis showing a form of trinity happening in it?
GOD creating all things ie CHRIST if we believe John 1 GOD says and then GOD creates What God made man in his own image? we reference John 1 and see the word ie , CHRIST as it shows and the word became flesh and dwelt among us! This has to be our foundation about who Christ was all other things now are to be read with this in mind that he is a bit more complicated and we are man and perhaps there are just somethings about GOD that are harder to understand fully than others and I dare say some things we simply with our minds will NEVER understand.
.. how can Christ take credit for this creation ? We know he did take credit for it ,as the apostle learned from him right? ..so John believed this and according to John who wrote this in John 1 and who learned from Christ or do you feel John message did not come from what was learned from Christ? he just lost his mind for the time?
The bible shows clearly NO ONE can forgive sins except GOD. this is well known Jewish OT doctrine! yet CHRIST forgives sin . Christ also lays claim to resurrecting HIMSELF if you destroy this temple in 3 days I WILL REBUILD IT .. research tell me I am wrong!
Paul the apostle constantly puts Christ and is worshipping HIM actual worship unlike what many false teachers love to claim obeisance which is blatantly false wording obeisance is used outside of religious type when you are seeing example an angel being bowed at this is WORSHIP and an angel rejects this type which consists of BOWING so as kings queens bowing is obeisance but bowing to an angel or christ spiritual being is WORSHIP! the bow there is not out of respect its out of AWE its out of worship . and therefore worship iss the word you use cannot pick and choose to fit ones ideas . Just clarifying any doubts that worship is being done and Christ did NOT reject it.
Speaking of worship which is why some cannot have that word even though the apostle thomas dropping down and saying my lord and my God to christ, oh but that’s not worship? sure thing.
you know we cannot worship ANY creature or it is blasphemy ,right? Christ accepting worship even the angels when one bowed down stated do not do this! Christ never rejected this from Thomas he bowed to him and called him my lord and my God ..The church did worship Christ I bet Thomas had something to do with it
either way , Thomas I am pretty sure understood fully at this point who CHRIST WAS and is why he fell before him! The church early on we have documents stating as much . look those up its freely easily found online.
. Do not be like those that tempted CHRIST and was killed by serpents ..paul stated this and its a reference to the old testament scripture where paul clears up who GOD was see this is paul’s point BUT we have those that believe as you he’s not god and they rewrite bible texts that fit their purpose!
KJV and earlier this is GOLD been for hundreds of years and I doubt God will have a big falsehood the entire time even being with us still . but hey NOW he decides to show us all the truth right that for centuries and centuries we simply wasn’t getting the right message?
only mostly nowadays its coming but meanwhile allowing billions to be lied to over the years ?..
interesting how its the opposite way I would think if reading prophecy of Christ and others in the bible .. that the last days is when the devil takes over Christ talked about false prophets in the last days, Sorta contradicts that some major and i mean MAJOR falsehoods have been here all along the biggest one of all Christ as GOD as TRINITY if this is a lie its a very very bad bad lie ..like the biggest ,you cannot get more false meaning the punishment off of this belief if its a lie is a doozy I am sure, it would be blasphemy if it is not true which would make me seriously question GODS character to have such a lie start from soooo long ago up to us now .. so he allows the world to believe Christ is God all through the crusades believed too so all through those years as well . Christ is part of the trinity .
I reject that idea straight up . IT does not fit with prophecy it does not fit with bible scripture in many areas Christ is the Creator .that alone one should really consider what this means . yes I am still going sorry.
The more Logical route meaning the one that lines up with scripture dictates this .. Christ warns about the endtimes kingdom rising against kingdom nation against nation in the last days Christ warns do not be deceived many false prophets will come , so false prophets I would conclude should be different message than what has been preached for very long time that message is Christ is not God not part of the trinity this would be the message for our end days . because if christ is not God he cannot forgive sins so we should not be asking Jesus to forgive our sins since only God can right?
if you study the new testament becomes clear even in revelation where all this leads be to those that take the mark of the beast these days we have the technology to do this make it so no man could buy and sell these are the only days really where this stopping one from buying and selling could finally be done . Think how hard it would be without our social security number? when they lock up this next system .. upgraded from what we have now probably forget it you will know then we are in the end days for sure. but the end days is really going to be about
worship of the evil one worshipping the Anti-Christ the false messiah taking a mark and its eternal mistake . Worship the real Christ the one that has been preached about for centuries Trinity one .. or one may be deceived by Satan,
That said I highly recommend no one take a mark, be it physical or in an oath form at the pressure of beheading, I would def be thinking beheaded if I do not WHERE did I read about this exact thing hmm oh ya the bible lol .. so that would clear it up pretty quick though the answer would be no thanks where should I place my head again? haha one will know who NOT to serve at that point 🙂
Well. Thank you for this blog. I was looking for the details of what the la said about blasphemy. It hit me, full-on today. God/Jesus wrote into the law that claiming to be God (blasphemy) was punished by death. He wrote His death into the law!! All those years before. It was impossible for the Messiah NOT to die. Because the law requires the one claiming to be God to be put to death- and the Messiah was God.
Is this making sense?
This is so beautiful to me.
The Messiah IS NOT GOD. The predicted Messiah was to be a human, born of the seed of David. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost.
If God and Jesus are the same person, how do you explain Mark 14: 62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
Can one person sit beside himself and why isn’t the alleged third person there as well?
Jesus admitted that he was ‘son of man but check out this verse: Psalm 146:3. Do not put your trust in princes, NOR IN THE SON OF MAN, in whom there is no salvation.
Richard,
Interesting observation.
May we appropriate say that salvation is of God Himself – Jesus was/is His instrument.
This would perfectly reflect such powerful statements as 1Tim2.5 –
5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
Answer
The above instances are demonstrating and unfortunate lack of basic Greek grammar
The correct answer is NO!.
Jesus never claimed to be somehow a Divine entity never claimed to be Yahweh.
Such notions are simply based on unfortunate misunderstandings of the Greek grammar as well as poor quality exegesis and the lack of basic hermeneutics.