Is Jesus God?

Is Jesus God?
Here is the question at hand – Is Jesus God? It’s a question as profound as it is controversial. Jesus’ biographers report that he was called many things in his own time. So, Jesus asked his disciples (followers), who people said he was. Their responses varied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." In the two thousand years since his life on Earth, Jesus has been called many other things. Some have called him a gifted teacher while others labeled him a rebel and revolutionist. Some declared him to be a great prophet while others said he was a demon-possessed lunatic. Some honored him, others worshipped him while many scoffed at his claims. Yet, the question with which we are confronted is this – Is Jesus God?

The identity of Jesus has been a topic of interest and controversy since his lifetime. Even today it’s a topic of debate across many cultures. Was Jesus a great prophet, a good example for us to live our lives by, or was he in fact God? To better understand the issue, it’s helpful to get some historical context to the question of is Jesus God?

Is Jesus God?: Historical Context
The question is Jesus God goes all the way back to the very beginning of Jesus’ story. His biographers suggest that Jesus’ life started out as unique and controversial as the rest of his life would play out. That is, Jesus’ conception and birth are reported as being of supernatural origin. They suggest that Jesus was conceived not through the normal means of reproduction; rather, God intervened and brought about his conception miraculously through a virgin. His biographers report that this supernatural means of conception was necessary because Jesus was none other than God in human flesh (see John 10:25-42).

Also, to better answer the question of is Jesus God, we need to understand why he would need to be born in a special way. His biographers suggest that God wanted to be born into the human race and yet he needed to bypass everything that wrong with mankind in terms of their spiritual condition. So, although he was born through the natural birth process (albeit via a virgin), he was conceived in such a way that he was not contaminated with the spiritual illness that causes everyone to do wrong things. This approach to his concept allowed Jesus to live a perfect life free from the moral mistakes and failures (sin) common among everyone else.

Jesus is reported to have lived a perfect life. He taught how to love people unconditionally and then he demonstrated what that looks like. He performed many miraculous deeds in order to demonstrate unconditional love. He healed the sick, cast out demons from people, fed thousands with a handful of food, and restored sight to the blind (to name a few). But it is not his teachings or his miracles that most uniquely define Jesus. Instead, it was his claims. He claimed to be none other than God in human flesh.

To understand whether Jesus is God, we need to know what Jesus had to say about himself. Jesus is recorded as saying, “‘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.’” (John 10:30-33) In this reference, we discover that Jesus differentiated himself from his Father in heaven but said that they were one. So, Jesus claimed to be one with God and yet a separate being from him at the same time.

In our exploration into the question of is Jesus God, we find another relevant historical reference. Here, Jesus gives us more insights into his relationship with God. He defined his purpose for coming into the world in this manner, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:16-18)

Jesus' disciples had difficulty understanding the relationship between God the Son (Jesus, who came into the world in human flesh) and God the Father (who dwells in heaven). So, one of them posed a question to try to better understand Jesus’ relationship to the Father. “Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.’” (John 14:8-11)

Jesus is recorded as claiming to be the exact representation of God the Father. Jesus was suggesting that if God the Father were to dawn human flesh, he would look and behave precisely like Jesus. So, Jesus claimed to be one with God the Father and yet he was a separate and unique person from him. They were separate and yet one and the same. So, in response to the question of is Jesus God, Jesus clearly stated that he was.

Also, Jesus is recorded as teaching that there is a third person that comprised the person of God. Jesus indicated that following his death, burial and resurrection (return from the dead), that he was going to return to heaven so that he could send the third aspect of God’s nature to earth to help his followers understand his ways and follow them. Here are things Jesus said about the helper or Holy Spirit we was going to send, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26) “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,” (John 15:26) "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;” (John 16:6-8)

Is Jesus God? Well, Jesus is recorded as having taught that God is triune in nature or having 3 unique persons to his being (the trinity). Jesus is recorded as having clearly distinguished these three persons that make up God, “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Jesus’ biographers reveal that Jesus taught some amazing principles about the nature of God. He taught that the three persons that make up the nature of God (the Godhead) each have a unique role. God the Father has ultimate authority and understanding about his plans and timing. Jesus played the role of coming into the world and visibly showing us the person and nature of God the Father. Then, he gave up his life to save the world from its mistakes and make a way for people to be restored in their relationship with God. Finally, God the Holy Spirit was sent as an invisible agent of God who role is to help the followers of Jesus understand him, follow him and do the same kinds of things Jesus did.

So, to answer our question is Jesus God, we need to understand that Jesus clearly claimed to be God. He also taught that his Father in heaven was equally God. What's more, history records that his disciples also gave their lives standing up for their belief that Jesus was God. Jesus also taught that an invisible helper that he was going to send as his replacement on the earth when he returned to heaven was just as equally God. Hence, Jesus is recorded as teaching that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are all God and yet each separate person all united in purpose and intent.

Is Jesus God?: Personal Application
It can be difficult to comprehend how a being could have multiple persons and yet all three be one and the same. Naturally, we are finite beings who live in a reality that imposes constraints upon us that do not apply to God. Just imagine how beings that dwell in a 2-dimensional reality could not comprehend the capabilities that beings living in a 3-dimensional reality could experience. Consequently, we tend to be quick to claim something to be impossible because we have difficulty comprehending what is possible outside of the constraints of our reality.

Some illustrations have been given in an attempt to help people get their minds around this seaming paradoxical concept of God’s triune nature. One example that has been used to try to illustrate the concept of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as being three separate persons or beings and yet all making up the same person of God is an egg. An egg is a single entity and yet it is comprised of an inner yoke, a white layer and a shell.

The Bible gives another example that can be helpful. It describes people living in eternity (beyond this realm of time/space) as a city. A city is a single entity that can be experienced and described as a whole. Yet, it is comprised of many individuals each unique and separate. So, a city can be defined as many unique individuals and one entity at the same time.

Is Jesus God?: Key References to Explore

1. John 1 – Jesus’ biographer describes Jesus’ divine nature
2. John 10:25-42 – Jesus talks about his relationship with God
3. John 14 – Jesus describes his role and the role of the Holy Spirit
4. John 17 – Jesus gives insights into his purpose and his followers in this prayer
5. Matthew 24:36 – Only the Father knows the timing of his plans

Is Jesus God?: Launching Points

1. Is Jesus God?
2. I am One with God the Father
3. Paul Describes Jesus as Son of God or Messiah
4. Miscellaneous Witnesses Describe Jesus As God or Son of God
5. John Describes Jesus As Son of God or Messiah