- About Jesus -
Jesus answered:
"I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
DEITY OF CHRIST
Jesus
said, "I and the Father are One." Did he mean one in
purpose or is Jesus literally claiming to be God? And if he is, are
there legitimate reasons to accept this claim? The New Testament
records Jesus Christ's direct claim to deity. In John 8:58, He claims
to be Yahweh, the same one who spoke to Moses at the burning bush.
The Jews certainly understood this as a claim to deity because they
immediately grabbed stones and tried to stone him for blasphemy.
In Mark 14:61, Jesus claims to be the Messiah and expresses the prerogatives
of deity. There are many other examples that could
be cited including indirect claims to deity.
For
example, He receives worship (Matt. 4:10; 28:17), which is an
action reserved for God alone. He forgives sin (Mark 2:1-12), another
prerogative of God alone. He performs miracles, claims to be equal
with Yahweh (John 5:17-18), and is ultimately crucified for the charge
of blasphemy. Jesus claimed to be none other than God -- in human
flesh.
And no other great world religious leader ever claimed to be God.
But are there good reasons for accepting these claims?
Well, Jesus had some pretty good credentials to back up His claims.
First and foremost, Jesus fulfills dozens of very specific messianic
prophecies which were written hundreds of years before His birth.
Then, of course, Jesus has had an incredible influence upon
human history. No one has impacted the world for good like He has.
And perhaps most significant of all, the New Testament records in
great detail Christ's resurrection from the dead.
The
apostles were even willing to die for this claim that Jesus appeared
to them again and again over 40 days -- not to mention the empty tomb
and over 500 people who saw the resurrected Christ (! Cor. 15:6).
And remember, the Roman and Jewish authorities are unable to
refute the resurrection. The apostles claimed to have seen, heard,
and touched the risen Christ. He even ate with them.
The New Testament record over 12 different appearances.
When considered with an open mind, the evidence for the resurrection
is indeed compelling. Jesus Christ claimed to be God, and there is
good reasons for accepting His claim.
