Did Jesus ever claim to be God?

Many people reads the four gospels which gives us a vivid and a detailed account of the life and ministry of Jesus, and yet conclude that our blessed Lord did not make bold claims to be God. Is it true that Jesus Christ did not make claims to be God? The only way I will answer your question is simply by referring you to what Jesus said about himself. Jesus own words about himself, as recorded in the gospels will reveal his true identity to us, as to whether he was just an ordinary Man or God incarnate.

It is written in the book of Luke: The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,"-He said to the paralytic-"I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home" (Luke 5: 21-24). The Pharisees were right in the sense that only God can forgive sins. Jesus exercised this divine prerogatives in forgiving the sins of the paralytic. Jesus wasn't blaspheming as the Pharisees wrongly asserted, but as God incarnate he had the power to grant forgiveness, a power that only God wields.

In the book of John, it is written: So that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him (John 5: 23). Jesus demands that the same honor given to God the father should be given to him as well. Why will Jesus make such statement? Because of his equality with the father, he is as much God as the father is.

In the book of John, it is written: I and the Father are one." The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God  (John 10: 30-33). Jesus made the claim that He and his father are one. This means that Jesus is one and equal with the father and they both possess the same divine essence and attributes. This is a claim to deity and Jesus audience understood his claim, for that was the reason why they picked up stones to stone him for blasphemy, see (Leviticus 24; 16). 

In another place Jesus said: He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me (John 12: 45). Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God, he is the exact representation of God's nature. When you behold Jesus, you are in fact beholding the one who sent him. According to the words of Paul, Jesus is the one in whom dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily, see (Colossians 2: 9). Jesus words is a proof of his claim to be God.

Jesus also said: "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me (John 14: 1). This is a proof of Jesus claim to be God, in the sense that he and God the father are both the object of our faith. Jesus places himself on an equal pedestal with the father and this shows that Jesus is God.

Jesus also said: Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world (John 17: 5, 24). This passages speaks of the preexistence of Christ before the foundation of the world. Jesus was in being with the father before time began, before the world was. Jesus words affirms his deity, because only God is preexistent.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus said: "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1; 8). Jesus described himself as the Alpha and Omega. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This means that Jesus is the beginning of all things and the end of all things. Only God can also be said to be, "who is and who was and who is to come". This are divine words that only God can utter, and Jesus made such utterance which affirms his true identity.

The phrase "the first and the last" is one of the frequent ways God uses to describe himself in the old testament, specifically in the book of Isaiah, see (Isaiah 41: 4, 6, 44: 6, 48: 12). In the new testament, it is written: When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last (Revelation 1; 17). Jesus said again: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 22: 13). Jesus usage of first and last is an infallible claim to deity

Finally, "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star (Revelation 22; 16). Jesus referred to himself as the root and descendant of David. The root of David means that he is David's source, he is David's Lord and God, but in respect to his human nature he descended from the pedigree of David.

The above exposition proves beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus during the days of his flesh and even after his resurrection, and session at the father's right hand did make bold claims to be God. God bless you 

A thought to ponder 🤔 

Jesus is as much God as the father is

We defend and exposit the truth of the gospel

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