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The Claims of Jesus
There are only TWO choices - either Jesus was the Son of God made flesh or he was a raving lunatic. The picture of Jesus as a wise man or a prophet among prophets are all impossible (thus nullifying the beliefs of a variety of major world religions who describe him as such, by the way).
He CANNOT be a wise man who gave good advice! The claims he made about himself are so outlandish that we HAVE to conclude that he was either completely deranged and megalomaniacal and a compulsive liar and fraud - OR - he was the Christ and he was telling the truth.
You be the judge.
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His claims to pre-existence
1. Jesus claimed
the have been pre-existent before his birth--he was around before
Abraham (Jn 8.58-59)
2. Jesus claimed
to have been pre-existent in heaven with glory before His incarnation
(Jn 3.13; Jn 6.33; Jn 6.38; Jn 6.62; Jn 8.23; Jn 8.42; Jn 10.30-39;
Jn 16.28; Jn 17.5)
His claims relative to worship, glorification, exaltation, object of religious faith, title of "God".
1. Jesus promised
to come in 'the glory of the Father' (Mark 8.38)
2. Jesus held
himself out as a legitimate object for religious faith (Mark 9.42; Jn
3.15; Jn 9.35f) even to the same extent as the Father (Jn 14.1)
3. He NEVER
corrects those who accuse him of making himself equal to God (Mr
2.5ff; Jn 5.17ff; Jn 8.58-59; Jn 10:30-39) nor those who called him
"GOD" (Jn 20.28).
4. He claims
loyalty greater than ALL human loyalties (Mt 10.37)
5. Jesus claims
that he should be honored co-extensively with the Father! (Jn 5.17f)
6. He claims the
Father is seeking Jesus' glory (Jn 8.50 with 8.54b; Jn 13.31) and
that the two are linked (Jn 11.4)
7. He uses the
divine epithet "I AM" (Jn 8.58-59, 24, 28)
8. He accepts
worship without rebuke, and even with commendation (Jn 9.35-38)
His claims to authority
1. Jesus claimed
to be able to forgive sins (Mark 2.5ff; Lk 7.48f)
2. Jesus had
authority over the Sabbath (Mark 2.28; Mt 12.8)
3. Jesus claims
that the elect are his, and that the angels are his (Mr
13.26f)--either in possession or authority over
4. He implied that
he had the ability/authority to abolish the law (Mt 5.21)
5. He implied by
his "but I say to you..." passages a divine authority (Mt 5)
6. He had the
authority to give authority over evil to others (Lk 10.19)
7. He claims to
have universal authority (Jn 17.2)
8. He has
authority to confer a kingdom--in the SAME MANNER that the Father
does (Lk 22.29f)
9. He claims to
have authority to send/give the Holy Spirit of God! (Lk 24.49; Jn
4.10 with 7.37-39; Jn 15.26; Jn 16.7)
His claims to IDENTITY/EQUALITY with the Father
1. Jesus claims
that one's response to Jesus is equated to one's response to God (Jn 15.23).
2. Jesus claims
that to see Him is to see the Father! (Jn 14.9)
3. He claims to
be, and is repeatedly called, the potentially blasphemous title
"Son of God" (Mr 14.62 et. al. )
4. He NEVER
corrects those who accuse him of making himself equal to God (Mr
2.5ff; Jn 5.17ff; Jn 8.58-59; Jn 10:30-39) nor those who called him
"GOD" (Jn 20.28).
5. He claims to be
on a par with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Mt 28.19)
6. He claims that
his coming was the same as God's coming (Lk 19.43ff)
7. He claims to
operate co-extensively with the Spirit (Mk 21.14-15 with Mt 10 and Mr 13)
8. He claims to
operate co-extensively with the Father (Jn 5.17ff; Jn 10.30-39; Jn 15.9)
His claims to a UNIQUE relationship to the Father
1. Jesus
considered His Sonship-relation with the Father to be ABSOLUTELY
unique (Mr 12.1-11; Jn 20.17)
2. He claims to be
the unique Heir of God (Mr 12.1-11)
3. He claims to
have EXCLUSIVE knowledge of the Father (Mt 11.27; Jn 7.28-29)
4. He claims to
have been the only one to have seen the Father (Jn 6.46; Jn 8.38)
5. He claims to be
absolutely perfect/sinless-he ALWAYS pleases the Father (Jn 8.29; Jn 8.46)
His exalted nature and powers
1. Jesus is often
linked to the word 'Lord' (Mr 11.3; Mr 5:19-20)
2. Jesus claimed
to be greater than King David (Mr 12.35-37), than the Temple (Mt
12.6), than the prophet Jonah (Mt 12.41), than King Solomon (Mt 12.42).
3. He claims that
his rank in the universe is superior to the angels (Mr 13.32)
4. He implies that
he is, or will be, omnipresent (Mt 18.20; Mt 28.19)
5. He claims to
have access to knowledge of the future, and events occurring in
heaven (Lk 22.31).
6. He claims to be
able to give freedom (Jn 8.36)
7. He claims to be
able to raise himself from the dead! (Jn 10.17ff)
Claims of Jesus which make NO SENSE if He were not God
1. Jesus claims
that his words will outlast time itself! (Mr 13.31)
2. He claims that
the eternal destiny of people depend on their response to HIM! (Mt
7.21ff; Mt 25.17ff)
3. He claims to
have been the only one to have seen the Father (Jn 6.46; Jn 8.38 with
Ex 33.20)
4. He claims to be
absolutely perfect/sinless-he ALWAYS pleases the Father (Jn 8.29; Jn 8.46)
5. Jesus makes
statements that are completely ludicrous, if he is not God. (Jn
14.28; Jn 15.5; Jn 17.10)
How those around Christ responded to Him
1. God calls him
"Son" and declares that He is "pleased" with
Jesus (Mt 3.16)
2. God tells some
of the disciples to pay attention to Jesus (Mt 17.5)
3. Evil spirits
knew he was the Son of God (Mt 8.28-29; Mr 3.11ff) and the Holy One
of God (Mr 1.23f)
4. His enemies
knew he was claiming to be God (Mt 9.3; Mt 26.63ff; Jn 5.18; Jn
10.33)--and accused him of blasphemy.
5. Some of the
general populace called/considered him God (Lk 7.16; Lk 8.39-40)
6. John the
Baptist recognized Jesus' RADICAL superiority to himself (Mt 3.13; Jn
1.26-30 w/.34)
7. The disciples
and those whose lives He touched WORSHIPPED Him (Mt 14.33; Jn 9.35ff)
8. He was
repeatedly called the Son of God (Mt 14.33; Mt 16.16; Jn 1.26-30
w/.34; Jn 1.49; Jn 11.27)
9. He was called
"God" directly (Jn 20.27f)
10. Later
Rabbinical writings 'remember' some of these exorbitant claims of Jesus.
How the Church understood the claims of Jesus and the events of His life/death/resurrection
His pre-existence and His role in creation.
1. He is described
as pre-existent in glory with the father (Gal 4.4; I Cor 15.47; 2 Cor
8.9; Rom 8.3; I Tim 1.15; Eph 4.9; Col 1.15-17; 2 Tim 1.9; Heb 1.2;
Jn 1.2-3; Jn 1.14; Jn 3.31-32; I Jn 1.2; I Jn 3.8; I Jn 4.2, 9;) and
active at the time of Moses (Heb 11.26)
2. He created ALL
things in the universe, including angels (Col 1.15-17; Heb 1.2; Jn
1.2-3; Jn 1.10)
The appropriateness of worshipping Him and of the title of "GOD" applied to Him
1. Citations from
the OT in the NT show that Jesus was YHWH (Rom 10.9; Mt 11:10; I Cor
10.26; Rom 10.9-13; Eph 4.8; Heb 1.8ff; Heb 1.10ff)
2. The earliest
materials (e.g. hymns, blessings, prayers, formulas, doxologies)
indicate that the early church recognized Jesus as God, equal with
the Father (Phil 2:6-11; Col 1.15-20; I Tim 3.16; Mt 28.19; I Thess
3.11; 2 Thess 2.16; I Cor 16.21)
3. Jesus is often
singled out for glorification by the Church (Heb 13.20-21; 2 Peter
3.18; Rev 1.5-6)
4. Jesus is
CONSISTENTLY called "Lord"--a VERY misleading title if He
were not God (close to 200 times!)
5. The angels
belong to Him (2 Thess 1.7) and are to worship Him (Heb 1.6)
6. He is described
in words like 'glorious' and 'Lord of Glory' etc. (Js 2.1; I Cor 2.8)
7. Jesus is called
Savior (Titus 1.4; 2.13; 3.6) AS IS the Father (I Tim 1.1; 2.3; 4.10).
8. He is to be
co-extensive with the Father in being praised (Rom 1.25 with Rom 9.5;
Phil 1.20; Rev 5.12ff ) and in worship and glory (2 Tim 4.18; 2 Pet
3.18; Heb 1.6; Rev 5.12ff ) and even in being offered a sacrifice!
(Rev 14.4)
9. He explicitly
is called "God" (I Tim 3.16--in the best texts--, Acts
20.28; Rom 9.5; Titus 2.13; Jn 20.28; 2 Pet 1.1; Heb 1.8ff; John 1.1;
Jn 1.18; I John 5.20 w/1.2; Rev 1.1 with 22.6,16 ) or some derivative
thereof (Col 2.9; Phil 2.6-11)
10. The churches'
use of the substitute epithet "The Name" and the nomina
sacra demonstrate a firm and early belief in the deity of Jesus.
His authority
1. The angels
belong to Him (2 Thess 1.7) and are to worship Him (Heb 1.6)
2. His is Lord of
ALL (Acts 10.36).
3. The Father put
ALL things under His feet (I Cor 15.27)
His identify/equality with God the Father (and the Spirit)
1. Jesus is
described at the co-source of grace and peace, with the Father, in
the benedictions (2 Cor 13.14; Rom 1.7; 2 Cor 1.2; 1 Cor 1.3; Eph
1.2; Phil 1.2; Eph 6.23; Gal 1.3 ).
2. He is sometimes
MENTIONED alone in such benedictions (Rom 16.20, I Cor 16.23; Rev
1.4) as is the Father sometimes (2 Cor 1.3-4)
3. Citations from
the OT in the NT show that Jesus was YHWH (Rom 10.9; Mt 11:10; I Cor
10.26; Rom 10.9-13; Eph 4.8; Heb 1.8ff; Heb 1.10ff)
4. The "Spirit
of Christ" is identified with the "Spirit of God"
(Gal 4.6; Rom 8.9-11; Phil 1.19; I Pet 1.11) and the "mind of
the Lord" with the "mind of Christ" (I Cor 2.16)
5. He is described
co-ordinately with the Father in our obligations to him, and co-extensively
with the Father in actions (I Cor 7.17)
6. Jesus is called
Savior (Titus 1.4; 2.13; 3.6) AS IS the Father (I Tim 1.1; 2.3; 4.10).
7. He is to be
co-extensive with the Father in being praised (Rom 1.25 with Rom 9.5;
Phil 1.20; Rev 5.12ff ) and in worship and glory (2 Tim 4.18; 2 Pet
3.18; Heb 1.6; Rev 5.12ff ) and even in being offered a sacrifice!
(Rev 14.4)
8. How one
responds to Jesus equates to how one responds to the Father--the are
identified that strongly (I Jn 2.22-23)
9. The wholesale
identification of the titles, names, roles, actions, commitments of
the OT YHWH and the NT Christ was made and lived by the early church.
His UNIQUE relationship with the Father
1. He is
repeatedly called God's unique Son (Gal 1.15; Gal 3.20; I Thess
1.9--et. al.--over 40 times)
2. He is the
reason the universe was created (Col 1.15-17)
His exalted nature and powers
1. He created ALL
things in the universe, including angels (Col 1.15-17; Heb 1.2; Jn
1.2-3; Jn 1.10)
2. He sustains the
universe (Col 1.15-17; Heb 1.3)
3. He has
super-creaturely characteristics (Eph 3.16ff; Eph 1.10, 22; 4.10;
6.8; Col 2.2ff; Heb 1.10ff; Heb 10.12ff; Jn 3.34; I Jn 2.2)
His difference from 'mere humans'.
1. Jesus is
contrasted with mere men (Gal 1.1)
2. He is described
as being sinless (2 Cor 5.21; I Pet 2.22; I Pet 3.18)
3. There are a
number of passages that talk about Christ's "human nature"
or "physical body"--implying that there was something
"more" about Him (Rom 1.3-4; Rom 8.3; Rom 9.5; I Tim 3.16;
Col 1.22; Heb 2.14; Jn 1.14; I Jn 4.2; 2 Jn 7)
If we step back from the data at this point, and look at it in its entirety, we cannot but be overwhelmed by the massiveness of it! We might be able to argue away a little here, and a little there, but the sheer bulk of this cannot be moved. One cannot stop an avalanche 'one rock at a time'. We come face to face with the reality that the Son of God shared ALL of the attributes, glory, and status of God the Father, and that this reality was disclosed in the life and words of Jesus Christ.
There are simply no other ways to account for this. The earliest texts have a full-blown divine Christ. The earliest texts are so close to the events as to preclude some 'legendizing' activity--at a level of comprehensiveness, success, integration into the life of the church, etc. that would match the data we have seen. And quite frankly, the apostles probably couldn't have even thought that up--given their background and context.
To be sure, there are difficulties with this conclusion, but we must be honest here and admit that the data we have seen is simply too 'stubborn'--it is our handling of the 'problems' that will have to give way first.