The Divine Nature of Jesus
I want to post this article on proofs for the Divine Nature of Jesus in response to a fellow co-worker of mine who believes that Jesus is the Son of God but not God, believing that the things that Jesus did (including the Resurrection) were simply God the Father's doing. I am providing text from the King James Version of the Bible, only because this seems to be the most widely accepted version of the Bible from various Religious groups. I would use my Catholic Revised Standard Version, but I am afraid an argument of text translation would ensue. So here I go:
First of all, I would like to remind folks that Jesus was crucified because He proclaimed Himself to be the Christ-God.
Matthew 26:63-66
"63But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
65Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
66What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death."
64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
65Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
66What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death."
Jesus was more than just a "Good Man". He was and is the Christ Who is Lord.
Acts 2:36:
"36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."
"36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."
I think one of the greatest verses I found was in Philippians 2:5-11
"5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
OK, so Verse 6 seems to make that Jesus is actually God, and in verse 7 we see that Jesus "was made in the likeness of men". So you cannot say that Jesus was "just a man" with this verse in mind. Yes Jesus became man, but He was still God. Then in verses 10 and 11 we see that it is saying that Jesus is Lord and that we should bow down to Jesus. Now, if Jesus was ONLY a man, no matter how blessed, it would be idolatry to worship Him. BUT, since He is God, it is right that we should worship Him.
Finally, I found this very interesting verse in John 20:26-29:
"26And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.
29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast"
You really can't get much more clear here. Thomas called Jesus God, and Jesus never rebuked him for this.
and John 1:1-5 and verses 14-15
"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."
"14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. "
15John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. "
The "Word was with God and the Word was God" and "the Word became flesh" make it pretty clear that Jesus was and is indeed God.
I understand that this subject can be complicated, and that is a mystery to humans that Jesus was and is God and that He became man. But the scriptures clearly point out that Jesus was and is God.
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