Did Jesus ever claim to be God?
Few questions cut closer to the heart of the Christian faith than this one: did Jesus of Nazareth ever claim, in His own words, to be God? Commentators point not only to what He said, but to how His hearers reacted — twice they picked up stones, and finally they condemned Him for blasphemy.
The Name "I AM"
The sharpest claim comes in a debate about Abraham. To see its weight, you have to know the name God gave Moses at the burning bush, when Moses asked what to tell Israel:
Robert F. WallThe answer he received is very well known: "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, 'Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.'" The words "I AM" translate one Hebrew word, "Ehyeh." It comes from the same root as Jehovah and clearly emphasises the eternal nature and existence of the One who can speak this way. It is an unmistakable assertion of deity.
When Jesus took that name for Himself, He was not merely saying He was older than Abraham:
A J PollockHere is the most unqualified assertion of Deity. He claimed to be the great "I AM", Jehovah, the self-existent One.
"I and the Father are one"
His hearers were not confused about His meaning. Their response — and His answer under oath at His trial — settles what was being claimed:
Robert F. WallIn chapter 10 of John's Gospel the Lord says, "I and the Father are one," and once more the Jews "picked up stones to stone him." They knew very well what the Lord was claiming... "It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God" (John 10:32-33). The Lord's statement was a clear affirmation of His deity. Not only was He one with the Father in purpose, but one with Him in essence and being... This was the issue when the Lord Jesus appeared in their council. Charged under oath by the High Priest to say whether He was the Christ, the Son of the Blessed, His plain response was, "I am" (Mark 14:62). As a result of His statement He was again accused of blasphemy and condemned to death.
Calling God His own Father
Long before the trial, one sentence about His Father set off the same reaction. The Gospel itself explains why:
A J PollockThe Jews were certainly under no illusion about what His claims were — equality of Godhead with the Father. We read: "This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God" (John 5:18). In reply the Lord said to them, "that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father" (v. 23). It would be sheer audacity to make such a claim if the Lord were not God, the Son.
The way He spoke
Beyond the direct statements, His manner of speech separates Him from every prophet who ever spoke for God:
Hamilton SmithHis claim to absolute authority involves His Deity. The prophets open their inspired words with "Thus says the Lord." They appeal to their hearers on the authority of the Lord. It is otherwise with the sayings of Christ, which are introduced with "Truly, I say to you." He can make no appeal to a higher authority, for He is the Lord.
What He did that only God may do
He also took to Himself a right His critics knew belonged to God alone — and they were right about that principle:
An Outline of Sound WordsWhen the Lord said to the man in Luke 5:20, "Man, your sins are forgiven you," the scribes and Pharisees thought the Lord was blaspheming, saying, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" They did not know who was standing there before them. They did not know that it was God revealed in flesh, come as Son of Man with authority to forgive sins.
He let people worship Him
A final line of evidence is what He allowed others to do in His presence:
A J PollockWhen the Lord Jesus was here on earth, He was constantly the object of worship, and not once did He refuse to accept such homage. If He were not God, it would have been blasphemous on His part to take part in such scenes; but if He was God, He could not refuse it. Note the contrast in the case of the apostle John. As John fell down to worship, the angel said, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you... Worship God" (Rev. 22:9).
Summary
- Claimed — He took God's own name from the burning bush for Himself: "before Abraham was, I am." Commentators call this the plainest assertion of deity He ever made.
- Confirmed — He said He and the Father are one, and He answered "I am" under oath before the High Priest. He never withdrew the claim.
- Corroborated — His enemies understood Him exactly: they stoned and condemned Him not for good works but for making Himself God, and the Gospel writer states that this was what His words meant.
- Carried out — He spoke with no higher authority to appeal to, and He forgave sins, which the scribes rightly said God alone can do.
- Crowned — He accepted worship that faithful angels and apostles refused, because it belonged to Him.