Is Jesus God?

Is Jesus God? Can we logically say Jesus is God? Well, let’s look at the life and claims of Jesus first. It has been said that nowhere in the Bible is Jesus quoted as saying “I am God”. This is an accurate statement, but does not mean He is not God. You see, in the time of Jesus, many Rulers and Kings referred to themselves as deities. So for Jesus to say that I am God would have been meaningless to the culture and the people of His time period. He spoke in much more defining words as to His being God.

In all four Gospels, Jesus claimed equality with God. Matthew 26:63–66; Mark 14:61–65; Luke 22:66–71; John 10:31–39; 19:7. In Matthew 26:64, Jesus affirms that He is the Son of God. In Mark 14:61, Jesus affirms again that he is the Christ, the Son of God. In Luke 22:70, Jesus responds to the question, “Are you the Son of God?” His response was, “You say that I am.”. In John 10:38, He is quoted as saying, “The Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

Jesus claimed he had the ability and authority to forgive sins. By making that claim, He was claiming rights, powers, and privileges that belong to God alone. In Mark 2:3, Jesus is recorded as saying, “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins.” At that time, not only did he forgive the man’s sin, but He also performed a miracle of healing the lame man to authenticate His claim.

If Jesus was nothing more than a teacher, prophet, or simply a good person, He would have made it clear that such worship of Him was misguided and wrong. In Matthew 21:16–14, Jesus is confronted about the praises He is receiving. His response to the chief priests and scribes was that praising Him was the right thing to do. Jesus responded in the correct way because He was God and worthy of praise.

For Jesus to tell His followers to pray in His name to the Father would have been blasphemous if He were not God. By this teaching, Jesus is not only claiming to be God but also that He is a mediator and reconciler between man and God. In Matthew 11:27, Jesus makes it clear: “That the Father must be revealed through the Son”.

Common sense tells us that Jesus was not one who would purposely mislead people. His teachings on love and character. His humility and self sacrifice. The constant vulnerability in ministering and loving His followers and would be followers. He was not man to live a lie but sought honesty and truth.

If we try to say that He was mentally insane and thought He was God when He was not. It is absurd to come to that conclusion. Mentally insane people do not go about with the wisdom and character that Jesus had.

Is Jesus God? We have to conclude yes when we look at the life, character, and teachings of Jesus, He is the Living God. He not only loved us all the way to the cross, but continues to love us through His resurrection from the dead to bring victory to all who will repent, believe, and put their trust in Him.