The Deity of Christ

The Deity of Christ Jesus

A. The Pre-Existence of Christ: before He became man.

1. Before He became the man Jesus, he was God the Word.

a. John 1:1-3  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

b. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

2. His existence has been from eternity past.

a. Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

1). Everlasting [5769 * olam][Strong: concealed, i.e., the vanishing point; generally time out of mind (past or future), eternity…always.]

b. The same Hebrew word is used in Psalms when describing the LORD God.

1). Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

B. Prophecies of his birth

1. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

 a. Immanuel [6005 * Immanuw’el][Strong: with us is God.]

b. This was fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-25.

 2. Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

a. The identity of the “child born” and the “son given” is revealed in the terms used to describe His attributes: “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God”.

b. The term “mighty God”, indicates Jehovah because He is the Mighty God.

1). Jeremiah 32:18 Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name.

C. Jesus declared himself to be God.

1. In Exodus, the Covenant God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob spoke to Moses.

a. Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

2. In the New Testament in John, Jesus declared himself to be the Covenant God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob.

a. John 8:56-59 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and thou hast seen Abraham?

Jesus said unto them, Verily, Verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

3. The Jews wanted to stone him in verse 59 for the same reason they wanted to stone him in the 10^th chapter of John, he declared himself God.

a. John 10:30-33 I and my Father are one.

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

D. The Resurrection of Christ

1. After Jesus arose from the dead he made at least 4 appearances to his disciples, Thomas was the only one of the original 12, besides Judas, who had not seen Jesus yet, and when confronted, stood firm in his unbelief.

a. John 20:24, 25 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

2. Jesus accepted the challenge and eight days later appeared to them when Thomas was present.

a. John 20:26-29 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

3. In his words, “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”, Jesus was referring to those who confess Romans 10:9, 10.

a. Romans 10:9, 10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

E. Worship God only

1. In the book of Hebrews it is recorded that the angels were commanded to worship the “firstbegotten”.

a. Hebrews 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

2. In the book of Acts Jesus is identified as this “firstbegotten”.

a. Acts 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

3. Jesus told Satan we are to worship God only.

a. Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

4. It is foolish, a sin, and a lie to worship man instead of God.

a. Romans 1:22-25 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

5. The writer of Hebrews (who was probably Paul), wrote and quoted a passage in Psalms and applied it to God speaking to the “Son” [Jesus] and called him “God”.

a. Hebrews 1:8, 9 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

b. The passage referred to is Psalms 45:6, 7.

1). Psalm 45:6, 7 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

6. In Hebrews 1:10-12, the writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 102:25-27 as God saying those words to Jesus.

a. Hebrews 1:10-12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

b. Psalm 102:25-27 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

c. Both of these quotations from Psalms are quoted as “God” speaking to the “Son” who is referred to as “God”. What we must realize also is these words were prophesied in Psalms but actually spoken to Jesus probably after the resurrection, at least after his birth, because as we shall see in a later post, Jesus did not become the Son of God until his birth. Previous to his conception, he was the LORD God, who existed from eternity past, “from everlasting”.

F. The Diety of Christ in Paul’s epistles.

1.  A powerful witness of the Deity of Christ is found in the epistle of Paul to the Philippians.

a. Philippians 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

b. In  Philippians 2:9, 10 the Apostle Paul was quoting a passage from Isaiah where God is speaking first person and applying it to Jesus.

1). Isaiah 45:22, 23 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

2. In Titus, Paul refers to jesus as the great God and Saviour.

a. Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

b. Yet again in Isaiah the prophet records God as saying first person that He was the only God and the only savior.

1). Isaiah 43:10, 11 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

G. Jesus after his resurrection.

1. Jesus claimed to be the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

a. Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

b. The “first and the last” is a term applied to Jehovah God of the Old Testament.

1). Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.