Faith and Self Defense

Is Jesus God? (Part 5)

Witnesses To The Deity of Jesus Christ

In our last study, we saw that the Apostles of Jesus Christ believed He is God. That was while Jesus was with them on earth, but what happened after Jesus ascended to Heaven? Did their belief change? Did their experiences in preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God show them that they had been wrong about the Deity of Jesus Christ? We know both from what Luke wrote about them in the Book of Acts and what the Apostles wrote to other believers.

The Apostles in the Book of Acts

Jesus ascended into Heaven in full view of His followers. As they were watching Jesus, two angels appeared to them and said – “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) The apostles witnessed the Son of God do something that is humanly impossible and heard angels say that He would come again in the same way.  They left the mount called Olivet and returned to Jerusalem to the “upper room.” All of the Apostles were there, except for Judas who had hanged himself. Mary, the mother of Jesus, along with the Lord’s earthly brothers and other disciples continued with one accord with the Apostles in prayer and supplication.

Peter stood before them and said it was time to choose someone to take Judas’ place. The Lord had chosen 12 Apostles to take the message of the Kingdom of God to Israel, so Peter gave them the requirements for making their selection – “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” The group proposed two men – Joseph called Barsabas (surnamed Justus) and Matthias – then prayed for God’s leading in choosing the 12th Apostle – “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” After they prayed, they cast their lots and the lot fell on Matthias, so he was numbered with the 11 Apostles. (Acts 1:21-26)

The stage is now set – Jesus ascended to Heaven to take His Place with God the Father – the Lord’s followers chose a replacement for Judas – the only thing left was to wait for what Jesus promised them – “… you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) They didn’t wait long -

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4

The Apostles had already received the Spirit of God on the day Jesus Rose from the grave when the Lord breathed on them and gave them His Spirit (John 20:22). On the Day of Pentecost, Jesus sent His Spirit to them as a group of believers in great Power and they began to preach. What they preached that day tells us a lot about what they believed concerning the Deity of Jesus Christ.

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’ Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:22-39)

Peter presented Jesus as being “exalted to the right hand of God.” No human could ever attain to that level because to be at God’s Right Hand was to be God Himself. Peter also presented Jesus as the “Lord” and “Holy One” of King David’s prophecy. Peter told the crowds of Jews in Jerusalem that day that God had made Jesus, whom they had crucified, both Lord and Christ. This message from the Apostle Peter about the Deity and Supremacy of Christ was so powerful that thousands were cut to the heart, repented and were baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins – and they all received the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

In our next study, we will see how the Apostles took the message of Christ’s Deity throughout Jerusalem and Israel in the days, weeks and months following Pentecost.

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

Faith Defense

Building Confidence Through Evidence

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Is Jesus God? (Part 4)

Witnesses To The Deity of Jesus Christ

In our last study, we saw that members of Jesus’ earthly family (Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, James, Jude) were witnesses to the Deity of Jesus Christ. We move next to people closest to Jesus during His earthly Ministry.

John the Baptist

John the Baptist was the man God used to prepare the way for “the Lord.” John preached a baptism for the remission of sins and the coming wrath of God. He also preached - “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7-8) John was preparing the way for the Messiah of Israel – Who would baptize people with the Holy Spirit and fire – Who would thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, gather His wheat into the barn, and burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The Old Testament Scriptures attributed this same Power to God alone.

Jesus came to John for baptism – not for remission of sins, but to fulfill righteousness and for special anointing as God’s Priest, Prophet, and King of Israel. John immediately knew who Jesus was and said – “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” (John 1:29-30) There was no doubt that John knew that Jesus was the One about Whom he preached. He also knew that Jesus existed “before” him even though John was several months older by his earthly birthday.

The exchange between Jesus and John is very telling of what John knew about Him:

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17)

John the Baptist was arrested sometime after baptizing Jesus. He heard about the works of Christ and sent two of his disciples to ask Christ an important question:

“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

John’s question is surprising on the surface because God had shown him that Jesus was His Anointed One, but we need to understand what Jews believed about the Messiah. The Old Testament prophets presented Messiah as a Conquering King. They also presented Messiah as the Suffering Savior, but so many Jews missed the significance of what God was going to do for them by suffering for them. Even though it was in their Scriptures, they didn’t comprehend the significance of Messiah dying for their sins and being raised from the dead for their justification. What Jesus did in answering John’s questions was to point him to the “evidences” of the Messiah – the blind seeing, the lame walking, lepers being cleansed, the deaf hearing, the dead rising to life, and the poor having the Gospel preached to them. Those were prophetic evidences John the Baptist would recognize. He went to his death knowing that Jesus is the Promised Messiah of Israel.

The Apostles

Jesus selected 12 men who would become His closest disciples – men we know as the Twelve Apostles of Christ. They spent 3+ years traveling the country with Jesus. They witnessed His Miracles and Teachings. They saw Jesus heal the suffering multitudes and cast thousands of demons out of oppressed people. 11 of the Apostles were witnesses to His Death, Resurrection and Ascension. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and experienced His Great Power in their own lives and ministries as they preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Did these men who knew Jesus best believe He is God? Let’s see what the Gospels shows us about the beliefs of the Apostles about the Deity of Jesus Christ.

“Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away … Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:22, 33

These Jewish men would have only worshiped God. They really believed that Jesus is God.

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 16:15-17

The Apostle Peter understood from what he had witnessed that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:1-4

The Apostle John made it clear in his account of the Gospel that Jesus is the Word of God and that the Word of God is God. John believed that Jesus was in the beginning with God and that every created thing was Created by Jesus.

“Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

The Apostle Nathanael (also called Bartholomew) recognized Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel. This was on their first meeting when Jesus told Nathanael He had seen him standing under a fig tree before Philip called him to meet Jesus. Nathanael knew that Jesus had not been near him and immediately saw that Jesus is the Son of God.

“And Thomas answered and said to Him, “’My Lord and my God!”

When Thomas saw Jesus after His Death and Resurrection, he recognized that Jesus is God and testified to his belief.

It is clear from reading the Gospel accounts that while Jesus was with them on earth the Apostles believed Jesus is God, but what did they believe after He Ascended into Heaven? What about the early years of their ministries? Did their experiences change their minds about the Deity of Christ? What do we learn from the letters they wrote to other believers decades after Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension? Did they still believe He is God? We’ll look at that in our next study.

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

Faith Defense

Building Confidence Through Evidence

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Is Jesus God? (Part 3)

Witnesses To The Deity of Jesus Christ

In our last study, we saw that angels are a mighty host of witnesses to the Deity of Jesus Christ. We move next to members of His earthly family. Though Jesus was God, He humbled Himself and became a Man so He would be the Heavenly sacrifice for the sins of the world (Philippians 2:5-8).

Mary and Elizabeth

God chose a young Jewish girl named Mary to become the earthly mother of Jesus. The angel Gabriel told Mary that the Holy Spirit of God would come upon her, and the Power of the Highest would overshadow her, and she would conceive and give birth to “that Holy One” Who would be called “the Son of God.” God did as He said He would do and Mary supernaturally became pregnant with Jesus.

Mary went to visit an elderly relative named Elizabeth. Elizabeth, the wife of the priest Zacharias, was already pregnant with the baby boy who would grow up to become the prophet John the Baptist. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby inside Elizabeth leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Here’s what Elizabeth said about Mary:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Luke 1:42-45

Notice that Elizabeth called Mary “the mother of my Lord.” That’s another term for God. Elizabeth prophesied and said that what God had told Mary would be fulfilled.

Mary was also filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied after Elizabeth:

“My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.” Luke 1:46-55

Mary knew that what God was doing in her was something so great that all generations that followed would call her blessed because of it. The Greek word used here is makarizo and means “to pronounce happy, fully satisfied.”

Mary had a front row seat to what God was going to do for Israel and the world. She witnessed the visits of shepherds and wise men who came to visit her Child. She saw the wise men bow before Jesus and worship Him. Mary witnessed Simeon take the baby Jesus in his arms and speak as the Holy Spirit came upon him:

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32

Mary watched as the elderly prophetess Anna told everyone looking for redemption in Israel about Jesus as she gave thanks to the Lord. (Luke 2:36-38) Mary was also witness to the 12-year-old Jesus astounding teachers in the Temple in Jerusalem with His knowledge and understanding of the Law of God. When Mary asked Jesus why He left them to go to the Temple, He answered: “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49) It might seem strange for Jesus to talk about teaching in the Temple as His Father’s “business” since Joseph, Mary’s husband, was a carpenter, but it demonstrates that Jesus had come for one Holy Purpose.

Mary was a witness to her Son’s earthly ministry, including His Death, Resurrection and Ascension. She knew for certain when she saw Him alive after His Death on the Cross that her Son was everything the angel had told her He would be – God in Flesh.

Joseph

Though Joseph, Mary’s husband, helped raise Jesus and acted as His human father, Joseph died before Jesus began His earthly ministry. We do know that Joseph was witness to the angel’s message about Mary and the Baby she carried in her womb. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”  (Matthew 1:20-21) Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took Mary as his wife and did not have sexual union with her until after she gave birth to her Son. Joseph called His Name Jesus.

Joseph was also a witness to the visit of the shepherds and wise men. He heard what Simeon and Anna said about Jesus. An angel of the Lord appeared again to Joseph to warn him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. After Herod died, the angel told Joseph to return to Israel from Egypt. Joseph was afraid to return when he learned that Archelaus had become King of Judea, so God told Joseph in a dream to go instead to the region of Galilee and live in Nazareth (Matthew 2:13-23). Joseph was witness to the time when Jesus as a 12-year-old Child confounded teachers of the Law in the Temple with His Knowledge. Joseph also had the amazing privilege of teaching Jesus the carpenter trade. They worked side by side for many years. Joseph did not live long enough to share with Mary in her experience of watching Jesus teach, preach, heal, forgive, raise the dead, be Crucified and Resurrected. Joseph was not a witness to those events, but he knew Jesus would accomplish great things in His Life. He had seen the evidence.

Jesus’ Brothers and Sisters

We know that Mary and Joseph had several children of their own because of what the Gospel writers mentioned about Jesus (Matthew 12:46-47; 13:55-56). Here’s an interesting exchange between Jesus and people in His own synagogue at Nazareth. They had a hard time understanding Jesus’ Message because they were so familiar with Him as a person who grew up in their village.

“Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Matthew 13:55-57

We learn that Joseph had at least four brothers and two or more sisters. The brothers were named James, Joses, Simon, and Judas. Here’s what we know about them and their relationship to Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

James

James was the Lord’s younger half-brother. He knew Jesus well, but didn’t understand His Deity until after the Lord’s Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). James became a powerful leader of believers in Jerusalem, especially after the death of James the brother of John (Acts 12:2, 17). James was a direct and powerful connection to Jesus Christ because he was a member of the Lord’s earthly family and because of the power of God’s Hand on his ministry.

James may be best known for the Letter he wrote to believers – we know it as the Book of James. It is obvious from his writing that James believed Jesus is God. James called Jesus the ”Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1) and “our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1).

Judas

Judas, also called Jude, was another of the Lord’s earthly half-brothers. He wrote a short letter to believers that is included in the New Testament as the Book of Jude. In it, Jude writes that he is a “bondservant of Jesus Christ.” He wrote that believers are “sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.” Jude wrote about the Father and Son in similar phrasing – “Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” He spoke of the “Lord” saving His people out of the land of Egypt. He told them to “remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude placed Jesus alongside of the other Members of the Trinity.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Jude 20-21

As powerful as that statement is, it is just a prelude to one of the strongest verses in the New Testament attesting to the Deity of Jesus Christ, the Savior of His people.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,  And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25

Joses and Simon

Joses and Simon are not mentioned in the New Testament as followers of Jesus, but some early Christian writings identify Simon as bishop of Jerusalem following the death of his brother James in about A.D. 62. Joses is also mentioned by early Christian writers as being a believer and leader in Jerusalem.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ had a profound effect on the Lord’s earthly family. They realized He is God and served Him as Lord for the rest of their lives.

In our next study, we will look at what those closest to Jesus during His earthly Ministry thought about Him. They knew Jesus well. Did they believe He was God?

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

Faith Defense

Building Confidence Through Evidence

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Is Jesus God? (Part 2)

Witnesses To The Deity of Jesus Christ

It is our belief that Jesus Christ is God – not “a god” as many religions would have us believe – but The GOD of Creation. We saw in our previous study from the Old Testament that many people saw Jesus Christ before His Incarnation and responded to Him as God, but what about in the New Testament – did any witnesses acknowledge that He is God? The answer is – YES!

The first witnesses we see in the New Testament are God’s angels. God Created them before human beings. They’ve been with God in Heaven for a long time and would know Who is God and who is not. They stood in the Presence of God, heard Him Speak and received assignments directly from Him. The Bible says there are millions of angels in Heaven, which is a large number of witnesses. Their testimony would certainly be accepted in a court of law.

In Luke 1 we see the angel Gabriel appearing to an elderly Hebrew priest named Zacharias. The angel told Zacharias that he and his barren wife would have a son (John the Baptist) and that he would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of the Prophet Elijah and “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17) As we will see, John the Baptist was preparing people to meet Jesus Christ.

Also in Luke 1, we see the angel Gabriel going to a city in Galilee named Nazareth. Gabriel’s assignment was to visit a young girl named Mary and deliver a special message to her. Mary was a virgin who was promised in marriage to a man named Joseph. Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would conceive a child Who would be called Jesus. Gabriel said  ”He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:32-33) Gabriel explained further that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the Power of God would overshadow her. Gabriel called Jesus “that Holy One” and said He would be called the “Son of God.”

In Matthew 1, an angel of the Lord also appeared to Joseph in a dream. Joseph was Mary’s espoused husband. The angel told Joseph that the baby Mary carried in her womb was conceived of the Holy Spirit of God and that His Name would be Jesus because He would save His people from their sins. The angel of God came to Joseph with an unusual message. Mary, Joseph’s wife to be, was pregnant with a child that the Holy Spirit of God had conceived in her. That is a supernatural occurrence. Something else supernatural was that Jesus would save His people from their sins. Saving the people of Israel from their sins is something only God can do, so the angel attributed the Character and Work of God to Jesus. Another thing to ask is how did the angel know the baby was conceived of the Holy Spirit and that Jesus would save His people from their sins? Only God would know these things. The angel’s message was from God.

An angel of God appeared to a group of shepherds and told them about Jesus’ birth. The angel said, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) The angel called Jesus three things – Savior, Christ, and Lord. The shepherds would have understood the angel to say that the baby born that day in Bethlehem would be the promised Messiah of Israel Who came with the Authority of God to save Israel. The next thing the shepherds saw was a large number of angels praising God by saying – “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:13-14)

We also see angels in the New Testament serving Jesus after Satan tested Him in the wilderness (Mark 1:13), witnessing Jesus’ Crucifixion (1 Corinthians 4:9), appearing to Jesus when He was on the Cross (Luke 22:43), being witnesses to Christ’s Resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:2-7), witnessing the Ascension of Jesus to Heaven (Acts 1:9-11), helping those involved in the early ministry of preaching that Jesus is God (Acts 5, 8, 10, 12), responding to God’s command that they worship Jesus (Hebrews 1:5-7), and witnessing the great Glory of Jesus as the God of Heaven (Revelation 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22).

The angels of God are a powerful and continual witness to the world that Jesus is God and that faith in Him and submission to Him are required of all men.

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:  God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16

In our next study, we will look at the witness of Jesus’ earthly family to His Deity.

Is Jesus God? (Part 1)

Is Jesus God?

This question is the most important one we can ask and answer in our lifetime. If Jesus is God, then everything He does impacts everyone in the world in every imaginable way. However, if Jesus is not God, then nothing He has done impacts anyone in any substantial way. So, how can we know for sure? What historical methods are there for proving that Jesus is or is not the Son of God? Are there credible ancient documents available for our investigation? Are there trustworthy accounts of credible witnesses that can help us know which it is? Did Jesus ever address the question about whether He is God? Did the Apostles believe Jesus is God? Did the early Church believe Jesus is God? The answer to all of these questions is – YES!

Documentation

The Bible (Old and New Testament) is a compilation of many ancient documents of tremendous credibility (we will go into detail about the Bible’s credentials in a future study). The Bible is also the history of God and His people. Does this historical document offer us any insight into whether Jesus Christ is God? It does in many of the Old Testament Scriptures that foretell the coming of God’s Anointed One – the Messiah of Israel.

The Hebrew Prophet Isaiah wrote – “the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) The word Immanuel translates as “God with us.” The Apostle Matthew quoted this verse from Isaiah and added the translation for those who did not speak Hebrew so they would know that Jesus is “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) Isaiah carried this teaching further several paragraphs later as he described a future time when God would send a great light to Israel and increase its joy – “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called  Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Notice carefully the names Isaiah said this “Son” would be called – Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The true prophets of God had taught the people of Israel for centuries that there was only One God. Isaiah was involved in fighting against the pagan influences on Israel. So, it seems clear that a prophet of the One God would not have written that the Son of a virgin would be born to lead and govern Israel and be called Mighty God unless He really was the Mighty God.

Keep in mind that the proof of whether a Hebrew prophet was a true prophet of God was whether everything they said was true and everything they prophesied came to pass. If Isaiah’s prophecy about the Son born of a virgin being the Mighty God was not true, then Isaiah was not a true prophet of God. Interestingly, the text for proving true and false prophets is found in a writing of Moses that includes a Messianic prophecy.

“And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” Deuteronomy 18:17-22

The Hebrew Prophet Daniel saw many visions from God about future events. Many of those events have already come to pass just as Daniel prophesied. Many others are still in the future. In one of those visions, Daniel saw God – The Ancient of Days – judging the “beasts” of the earth (world leaders who opposed God). It was during that vision that Daniel saw the “Son of Man” receive dominion, glory and a kingdom that would never pass away.

“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14

Daniel was troubled by what he saw in the visions, so he asked an angel of the Lord what it meant. In his answer to Daniel, the angel tells us more about the kingdom that would belong to the Son of Man.

“Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’ ” Daniel 7:27

The angel correlated the future kingdom of the Most High with that of the Son of Man. That is why the religious leaders of Israel were so upset when Jesus referred to Himself as the “Son of Man” (scores of times in the Gospels). He was claiming to be the One Daniel saw in his vision – the One Who would rule the everlasting kingdom as the Most High.

We could also reference Genesis 1:26 where God said – “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Even earlier evidences of Jesus being God are found in His relationship to people in the Old Testament. This relationship is often called “Preincarnate” because Jesus is meeting with people prior to His Incarnation (Christ’s Birth to the Virgin Mary). Here are several examples from the Old Testament. Notice in these examples that the Angel of the Lord speaks as God, is recognized as God, and is worshiped as God.

The first example is when the Angel of the Lord spoke to Hagar, the servant of Sarai and mother to Abraham’s son Ishmael. The Angel told Hagar to return to Sarai and submit to her and that He would multiply her descendants exceedingly. Here’s what Hagar said about the Angel of the Lord Who spoke to her – “Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” (Genesis 16:13) Hagar knew that the Angel Who spoke with her was God.

The next example is when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac. The Angel of the Lord spoke to Abraham as only God could or would – “And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me … By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:12, 16-18)

The Angel of God spoke to Jacob many years later and again referred to Himself as God – “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillarand where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.” (Genesis 31:13)

The Angel of Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire from the middle of a bush. Here’s how Moses described the Angel of the Lord – “God called to him from the midst of the bush … Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.’ Moreover He said, ‘I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.” (Exodus 3:4-6) Clearly, the Angel of the Lord called Himself God – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Angel of God Who went before Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 14:19) is spoken of as the One Who would not forgive their sins if they provoked Him (Exodus 23:20-21). The Man Who said He was the Commander of the Lord’s army accepted worship from Joshua and told Israel’s leader to take off his sandals because the place where he stood was holy (Joshua 5:13-15). When the Angel of God ascended to Heaven in the flame of fire after speaking to Samson’s parents, Manoah said to his wife – “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!” (Judges 13:22). More evidences of Appearances of Jesus Christ as God in the Old Testament – before His Incarnation revealed in the Gospels.

In our next study, we will look at the evidence of credible witnesses who believed Jesus was God.

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

Faith Defense

Building Confidence Through Evidence

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”