Is Jesus God

Introduction:

One day Cardinal Bernadine’s assistant came into his office obviously alarmed. “What’s wrong?” the cardinal asked.

“There is a man out here who says he is Jesus Christ. What do I do?” the assistant asked.

The cardinal paused for a moment then said, “Look busy.”

Bottom line

Because of His own testimony about Himself, Jesus is either God or a fraud. There is no logical middle ground. Jesus demonstrated His deity through prophecy, teaching and the resurrection.

1. What Most Everyone Says About Jesus

Some are reluctant to say it, but even if begrudgingly, the vast majority of people, including non-Christian historians, believe Jesus lived.

A. Jesus lived

[Screenshot The Guardian article]

Today some claim that Jesus is just an idea, rather than a real historical figure, but there is a good deal of written evidence for his existence 2,000 years ago

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/14/what-is-the-historical-evidence-that-jesus-christ-lived-and-died

Wikipedia: Sources for the historicity of Jesus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sources_for_the_historicity_of_Jesus

Christian sources, such as the New Testament books in the Christian Bible, include detailed stories about Jesus, but scholars differ on the historicity of specific episodes described in the Biblical accounts of Jesus.[1] The only two events subject to "almost universal assent" are that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and was crucified by the order of the Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate.

Non-Christian sources that are used to study and establish the historicity of Jesus include Jewish sources such as Josephus, and Roman sources such as Tacitus. These sources are compared to Christian sources such as the Pauline Epistles and the Synoptic Gospels. These sources are usually independent of each other (e.g. Jewish sources do not draw upon Roman sources), and similarities and differences between them are used in the authentication process.

In a review of the state of research, the Jewish scholar Amy-Jill Levine stated that "no single picture of Jesus has convinced all, or even most scholars" and that all portraits of Jesus are subject to criticism by some group of scholars.

B. Jesus was a great teacher.

C. Jesus was a great man.

Jesus was wise and compassionate.

The question isn’t if he lived, but if He is God. Here are reasons why I think so.

2. The Bible declares Jesus is God.

The main source of evidence is the Bible. It would be an entirely separate discussion to explain why the Bible is not just a good source but an authoritative source for us. If that’s a discussion you’d like to have, let me know and I’ll be happy to discuss it with you.

Here is a link to an article about how we know the Bible is true. https://goingfarther.net/common-questions/how-do-we-know-the-bible-is-true/

The Bible declare Jesus as God in several ways. One could argue this is the main story of the Bible.

A. Various authors declare Jesus is the eternal Son of God.

John 3:16; 1 Timothy 3:15-16; Colossians 2:9; John 1:1, 14;

The most well-known verse in the Bible says Jesus is God.

John 3:16 NIV

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.

Paul, who wrote the most books in the Bible declared Jesus is God.

1 Timothy 3:15–16 NIV

if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Paul emphasized Jesus as the God-man.

Colossians 2:9 NIV

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,

John, one of Jesus’s closes followers called Jesus the “Word” and said this,

John 1:1 NIV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 NIV

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

There are many verses like these we could list. The

B. Jesus declared He is God.

John 8:58; John 10:30; John 5:17-18; Psalm 110:1; Daniel 7:13; Mark 14:61-64

He didn’t do this by going around saying, “I am God.”

Jesus said He existed before Abraham.

John 8:58 NIV

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Jesus claimed He and His Father are one.

John 10:30 NIV

I and the Father are one.”

Jesus claimed to be equal with the Father

John 5:17–18 NIV

In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

In this statement Jesus referenced two well-known passages from the Old Testament.

Psalm 110:1 NIV

The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

Daniel 7:13 NIV

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.

The Jewish leaders who heard him understood exactly what Jesus said as we can see by their reaction.

Mark 14:61–64 NIV

But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” “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.” The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.

Jesus claimed to be able to do things only God does.

Judge the nations Matthew 25:31-46

Raise people from the dead John 5:25-29, cf. 1 Samuel 2:6

Forgive sins Mark 2:5-7, cf. Isaiah 42:35

Answer prayer John 14:13-14

Always be with His followers Matthew 28:20

C. Jesus proved He is God.

He lived a sinless life.

Hebrews 4:15

There are stories of the sins, faults and foibles of all great religious leaders. Not so of Jesus.

Hebrews 4:15 NIV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Those responsible for his death raised no accusations against Him of sin or immorality. Luke 23:1-5

He came back from the dead.

John 19:17-18

Jesus demonstrated His divinity by His ability to die and rise again. Men have predicted their deaths. Only Jesus claimed to be able to come back from the dead.

John 10:17–18 NIV

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

3. History supports that Jesus is God.

Jesus’s impact supports His claims.

Aquinas argues:

“If the Incarnation did not really happen, then an even more unbelievable miracle happened: the conversion of the world by the biggest lie in history and the moral transformation of lives into unselfishness, detachment from worldly pleasures and radically new heights of holiness by a mere myth.”

Jesus’s influence should have ended with His death, but it didn’t!

A. The extent of Jesus’s influence is vast!

One-third of the world is considered “Christian”, a staggering figure for 2,000 years after His life.

B. The content of Jesus’s influence is vast.

Jesus’s moral teaching has influenced more people than any other.

The character of Jesus not only has the highest pattern of virtue, but the strongest incentive to its practice, and has exerted so deep an influence, that it may be truly said, that the simple record of three short years of active life has done more to regenerate and to soften mankind, than all the disquisitions of philosophers and more than all the exhortations of moralists.” W. E. H. Lecky, a great nineteenth-century historian who put no stock in any kind of revealed truth or religion. https://thecenterbham.org/2014/04/21/jesus-impact-on-history/

C. The range of Jesus’s influence is vast.

His short life influenced artists, poets and musicians to produce some of their greatest works.

“Socrates taught for forty years, Plato for fifty, Aristotle for forty, and Jesus for only three. Yet the influence of Christ’s three-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who are among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures, yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo de Vinci received their inspiration from him. Jesus wrote no poetry, but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by him. Jesus composed no music, still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in their hymns, symphonies, and oratories they composed in his praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble carpenter of Nazareth.” An observation by author Henry G. Bosch. https://thecenterbham.org/2014/04/21/jesus-impact-on-history/

Discussion Questions:

1. C.S. Lewis says we only have three options regarding understanding Jesus. He is a liar, a lunatic or the Lord. What do you think of that statement? 2. What is the hardest thing to believe about Jesus being God? 3. What is the most convincing evidence about Jesus being God?