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The Deity of Christ
By: M. S. Shiflett
There are many truths within the Word of God that require faith to believe. Some truths are simple and self-evident, while others are more complex and quite difficult to explain. God and His way of working are not limited to mere human comprehension, and the Divine Plan is not restricted to man's intelligence. The biggest difference between the believer and the unbeliever is the element of faith. Faith in the Word of God is the most elementary factor in the salvation experience. Doubt in the Word of God is the result of man's feeble attempt at understanding every jot and tittle and failing miserably. Men doubt the Word of God because they either do not understand it, or they don't want to obey it, so to justify their disobedience, they cast doubt on the Word of God. One of the most denied truths today is the doctrine of the Deity of Christ. There is almost no controversy whatsoever over the fact that Jesus was a teacher and a good man. The world collectively will not even doubt that He was a good prophet that taught some very exceptional truths.
However, the great debate is whether or not He was the Son of God. Those that do not believe that He is the Son of God do not line up with the Holy Scriptures. The Bible is filled with numerous passages declaring boldly that Jesus is God. The doctrine of the Deity of Christ is without a doubt one of the "fundamental doctrines" of the Bible. A person cannot be saved that does not believe that Jesus was God. Without believing this, that person is placing their faith in a man, and their faith is no different than the faith of a Muslim, a Buddhist or any other false religion for that matter. Some may wonder what the Deity of Christ really is. To say that the Bible teaches the Deity of Christ is to say that Jesus is God in the flesh. He was the God-man. Jesus was 100% man and 100% God. His humanity began at Bethlehem, but his Deity has always been.
The Word "Deity" is derived from several sources. The Latin word for god was "deus". The Old French word "deite" meant a god or goddess. Another way to say the "Deity of Christ" would be to say "the Divinity of Christ". It is impossible to believe in the Deity of Christ without believing in the Trinity. The Godhead consists of three Persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Now that we have looked at the definition of His Deity, we shall look at the doctrine itself and the character of Jesus while He was here on earth.
It is impossible to think of our Lord's life here on earth without thinking of his parents, Mary and Joseph. Notice I did not refer to Joseph as his father. Jesus was the Son of God and Mary. Joseph was not the father of Jesus. In Matthew 1:16, after fifteen verses of genealogies, the Scripture suddenly changes it's format, and simply says, "And Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." The Virgin Birth of Jesus is one of the most scoffed and most ridiculed of all the doctrines of the Bible. The Bible is filled with many references to the Virgin Birth, and they are not all in the New Testament. Isaiah 7:14 says, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
One of my favorite verses that describes the awesomeness and the miracle of the Virgin Birth is Isaiah 53:2 where it says, "And He shall grow up before them as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground." That word "dry" there has several meanings. It means to be parched and dry, but it has another meaning. In this verse, "dry" means a barren, solitary place, or a wilderness. In normal life, a root does not spring up in a desert, but in Isaiah 53 we see the most descriptive portrait in the Old Testament of our Lord's earthly ministry. Isaiah begins his message by saying: "Who hath believed our report?" He knew the abnormality of the concept of a virgin conceiving a child, and he began his message by descriptively emphasizing the unique ministry of Christ that was supernatural, even when it was still a "root".
It is a known scientific fact that the blood of an embryo does not come from the mother. It is derived from the father at the time of conception. Science had proven that from the time a fetus is conceived until the day of its birth, not one single drop of blood is ever passed from the mother to the child. Dr. M. R. DeHaan, in his book The Chemistry of the Blood, deals with the Virgin Birth from a medical standpoint. He stated that the birth of Christ resulted in Divine blood.
"Conception by the Holy Spirit was the only way the Virgin Birth can be accomplished. Mary nourished the body of Jesus and He became the seed of David according to the flesh. The Holy Spirit contributed the blood of Jesus. It is sinless blood. It is divine blood. It is precious blood, for there has never been any other like it"
Even as a child, Jesus was God. He was like other children in that He had to learn and to grow. He had to obey his parents, and undergo the same traditional customs that all Jewish children had to. There is not a lot of insight in the Gospels of the childhood of Christ. We can only imagine Mary's fantastic realization of the fact that the fruit of her womb was perfectly normal in every aspect of his life except for one significant difference. He was completely sinless! We must not forget that He did not have Adam's sinful blood, but rather divine blood flowing in his veins. He was human, but was the essence of holiness. I was once told by my second grade school teacher during morning devotions that no doubt Jesus' innocence caused a lot of jealousy among his peers. She went on to say that they probably lied on Him in order to get Him in trouble. She also said that Mary probably believed their trumped up stories and Jesus was punished even as a child even though He was innocent. I could hardly believe my ears, and as a young, eight year old boy I reminded the teacher that Mary knew who Jesus was. She knew from His conception that the fruit of her womb was the eternal God. If nobody else believed her purity and virginity, she did! She was convinced of His Deity from the very outset.
The Bible does give one peek into the childhood of Christ at the age of twelve. We find Him traveling with His Parents to the Temple at Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. After the feast was over, Mary and Joseph left Jerusalem and traveled a days journey, which was about twenty miles. The soon realized that Jesus was not with them. After three days of searching, they found Him in the midst of the teachers and doctors asking questions. Here we see a profound sign of His humanity. But we also see a very explicit display of His Deity. The Scripture tells us that "all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers" (Luke 2:47).
Mary rebuked Him for His absence, but Jesus reminded her that though He might have neglected his earthly parents, He was being a responsible steward of the business that His Heavenly Father had entrusted to Him. However, being a sinless son, He submitted Himself unto their care and to their authority. Again, Scripture reminds us of Mary's constant awareness of the fact that her Son was God by saying, "but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart" (Luke 2:51). This chapter is concluded by a very thorough summary of Jesus' early life. "And Jesus increased in wisdom (intellectually), and stature (physically), and in favor with God (spiritually), and man (socially).
The four Gospels give many detailed accounts of the every-day life of the Lord. They are all told from a different point of view, or various angles. Nevertheless, they all convey the same truth about the same person. That person is Jesus Christ. His earthly ministry began at the age of thirty. It was Jewish law that a man could not teach the law before the age of thirty. Before Jesus could ever achieve the respect of the Jews as a Master of the law, He had to wait until His time was fulfilled. Many of the human characteristics that Jesus had are a great stumbling block to the scoffers who doubt His Deity. In their mind, a God-man would be more like a bionic man; one who is utterly invincible. The Bible clearly says in John 10:18 concerning his life, "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself." Many have no doubt said that if Jesus had so desired, He could have called a legion of angels to take Him off of the cross and they would have killed every one of them that crucified Him. One thing is for sure! He did not have to have anybody's help if He had so desired to do that. He was God!
It was no problem for Him to put every one of those soldiers on their backs in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He could have done it again from the cross, but He did not. In Philippians 2:8 we find a demonstration of what the God-man was all about. It was His humility and His obedience that displaced His invincibility. Paul told the Philippians, "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."
His humanity is shown in many of the stories of Him in the Gospels. We see Him growing and learning in Luke 2. We see Him baptized in Matthew 3, and tempted of the devil in Matthew 4. In Matthew 8, we find the Lord asleep after a busy day with the disciples. We read where He ate in Matthew 9 and was thirsty on the cross in John 19:35. He was angry in Matthew 21, and very sorrowful at the condition of the lost and sick in Matthew 9:36. At the death of Lazarus, a very close friend of the Lord, the Bible tells us in John 11:35 that Jesus wept. There is no doubt that Jesus was human. His life here on earth was filled with the same emotions and sorrows that we live with every day of our life. Jesus was not only born a human, and lived the life of a human for 33 years upon earth, but He also died like a man. He suffered, He bled, He grew weak, He was thirsty, and His body suffered excruciating pain. After He had paid the ultimate sacrifice for sin, He did what all men will do sooner or later: He died. However, in spite of the normality of death, there was nothing normal about the death of Christ. The fact that He even made it to Golgotha is an exceptional display of His love for mankind, as well as His human strength and stamina.
Though submissive to the will of God, and full of compassion, Jesus was not a weakling by any stretch of the imagination. He was much of a man, and He proved it time and time again. You will not find a wimp fasting out in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights! You will not find a sissy running a bunch of crooks out of the Temple with a whip! Many men died during the scourging that Jesus endured at Pilate's Hall, yet Jesus not only lived, but He carried His cross up the hill and was alive and alert for several hours. The death of Christ was the introduction of the greatest power, the greatest force ever to operate in heaven and in earth - and that is the love of God.
We have looked at several aspects of His humanity, now we shall look at his Divinity. His human parent was Mary, and His earthly father was Mary's husband, Joseph. However, his real Father was God Himself. The Father overshadowed Mary in the power of the Holy Ghost and Mary brought forth the Son of God, manifested in the flesh. All throughout the Scripture Jesus refers to himself as the Son of God, and God the Father refers to Jesus as His Son. There is absolutely no way possible that someone could read the Scripture and deny that Jesus was the Son of God. Billy Graham once said that one did not have to believe in the Virgin Birth in order to be saved. If Jesus was not the Son of God, He was not qualified to forgive sins! The Lamb that was to be offered up for our final sacrifice had to be spotless and perfect.
There has never been a man that fits that description except Jesus Christ. Luke 19:10 says "For the Son of Man is come to seek and save that which was lost." All the prophets down through the years could only point Israel to one person. John the Baptist preached in the wilderness and could only point to one person. The person that they preached about and pointed to was none other than Jesus Christ of Nazareth, "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). After John baptized Jesus, a voice from Heaven rang out saying, "This in my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17). In John 3:16, Jesus is called the "only begotten Son." Hebrews chapter one explains how that Christ is superior over the prophets because of his Deity. (Heb. 1:4) God said that his Son was beloved, begotten and better! I don't see how you can improve on that! Jesus was much more than a teacher from Galilee. He was much more than a carpenter with knowledge of the law. He was the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth.
One of the most fascinating things about the Lord while He was here on earth was how much He said about His eternal existence, that the other people never seemed to hear. He never tried to hide His eternal state, and He never shied away from declaring Himself to be God. In Matthew 12:8, Jesus was defending His disciples picking corn on the Sabbath, and He made a bold, silencing declaration to the Pharisees when He said, "For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." The Jews were very familiar with the Law of Moses and the commandment which said "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy", and here was a homeless, hungry man that not only picked corn on the sabbath day, but boldly declared to be the Lord of it! What an impact that should have made on them!
Instead of them getting indignant over this statement, they waited until after He went into the Temple and healed the man with the withered hand. It was only after this miracle that they held council against Him. In John 8:58, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, Verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." The next verse says "they took up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself." He declared his equality with God in his nature and in the way he worked. He answered the Jews in John 5:17, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." Dr. Oliver B. Greene noticed something unusual about the way Jesus manifested himself as an adult, and the way he did when he was a child. Notice the difference in his words now and his words in the Temple as a twelve year old boy:
"Here we see Jehovah God displaying in Jesus unusual wisdom and understanding, but keeping His identity hidden - because the same doctors and religious leaders who heard Him in the Temple at the age of twelve, later demanded His death: and He did not come into the world to die as a babe, at the hands of Herod, nor as a youth of twelve at the hands of the doctors of the law. He came to die at Calvary in accordance with the foreordained plan of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost."
There are many verses and passages of Scripture within the New Testament that prove the eternal existence of Jesus, but I believe that we can see Christ in the Old Testament as well. After much study and research, I have to arrive at the same conclusion as many other students of the Bible concerning the identity of Melchisedec, the king of Salem in Genesis 14. The fact that he was the priest of the Most High God long before the law and the priesthood was established is one of the most convincing facts to me. Abraham had to have been pretty convinced of his identity to give a tithe of all he had to this king. Hebrews 7:1-10 reveals even more about this Christophenes.
Verse three says, "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of day, nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually." I believe we see Christ again in Genesis 32 wrestling with Jacob on the banks of the river. We see Him being met by angels in verse one, but verse 24 does not say angels again. Rather it calls Jacobs opponent a "man". Angels were never referred to as men. They are either "angels" or "messengers". The angels that went to Sodom to get Lot looked like men, and the Sodomites thought they were men, but the Bible consistently refers to them as "angels". I have no doubt whatsoever that God the Son wrestled with Jacob in Genesis 32 and touched him, blessed him and changed his name, changed his walk and changed the way that he fought. Jacob was a different man after his meeting with Christ. Let's turn our attention to Christ's divine characteristic. His divine Father and His eternal existence are two very convincing proofs of his Deity.
However, though He had every human characteristic that we have, except for our ability to sin, He had every divine attribute that God has. His holiness and perfection is perhaps the greatest of His characteristics. We could refer back to the Old Testament law that required all sacrifices to be spotless and without blemish. They could not even offer up a dove if it had a spot or a disease of any kind. God required that the sacrifice be as perfect as possible and then He would require the priest to fully inspect the animal before sacrificing it to God. Jesus was our Supreme Sacrifice and there is absolutely no way that God could have seen the travail of his soul and been satisfied (Isa. 53:11) if his righteous servant had been anything but that - righteous. We see Him courageously resisting Satan's direct temptations in Matthew 4, but this was by no means the only time Satan assaulted the Lord during his time here on earth. We find Jesus weak, hungry and lonely after His time of fasting in the wilderness, yet he sinned not.
The Word of God tells us in Hebrews 4:15, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities: but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Pilate's wife even recognized that Christ was a just man, and Pilate even declared to the Jews, "I find no fault in Him." What blessing for the lost heathen of the world, who have no desire to have any part of Him, who have no desire to have Him in their life, who don't want us to have any association with Him, to have to say after their examination of Him, "I find no fault in Him!" Amen!
Another of His divine characteristics is His great love. The love that Jesus displayed was nothing other than divine love. There is no man that could have the compassion and show the mercy that Jesus showed. Dr. Oliver B. Greene put it like this in his message, "Christ":
We are studying God's Christ - He who was in the beginning with God, He who was in the bosom of God (John 1:1,18). But he left the Father's bosom, He left Heaven's glories, and the singing of the angels. He stepped from the bosom of the Father to the womb of the virgin Mary, and was "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death... that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man." (Heb. 2:9).
In the scripture we are told that Jesus was "moved with compassion toward them." He was filled with compassion when He saw them as sheep having no shepherd. He was moved with compassion at the sight of the sick multitude. He was moved with compassion at individuals that were sick and needy. The bottom line was that He was moved when He saw that He was needed. He is needed still today, and His heart is still moved by compassion when He sees a need and a void in a life that is without God and without hope. Hebrews 2:18, "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (to run when called for) them that are tempted." We also see the perfect obedience of Jesus in regard to the will of his Father. He was conscience of His Father's will even as a child in the Temple, but as he got older, His mission was foremost in His mind. His mission is defined in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
When everyone else was concerned about their needs and desires, He was concerned about the desire of His Father. At the well of Samaria, "his disciples prayed him saying, Master, eat. But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples on to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:31-34).
In the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed and asked God to remove the cup. It was customary in those days for men of importance that were sentenced to die to be given poison, usually hemlock. Socrates was condemned this way, and he drank this bitter poison with dignity and died in prison for his teachings. Jesus prayed in the Garden, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done." I am again reminded of the verse in Philippians 2 where Paul tells us that "he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Our Savior was the perfect God-man. One hundred percent man in His desire to live, yet one hundred percent God in His desire to save! Hallelujah!!
Though Christ lived a sinless life, and paid the ultimate price for our sin, if He had not resurrected, it would have all been in vain. His victory over death, hell and the grave was the ultimate proof of His Divine power and glory. The resurrection was prophesied in the Old Testament (Psalms 16:8-11) and it was foretold by Jesus himself. "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matthew 16:21). Paul states in Romans 1:4 that Christ's resurrection proves that he is the Son of God: "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Many have tried to deny the physical, bodily resurrection of Christ, saying that Christ was only manifesting himself in the Spirit. Even the disciples thought that Jesus was a spirit, and not an actual body. He told them to touch him, and He even ate food to prove to them that He had risen bodily. He was in the grave for three days and three nights, just like He said He would be. "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40).
The fact that Christ was raised from the dead is the guarantee of our justification, "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25). No doubt there are some that believe that Christ was resurrected, but they do not want to admit that Christ had any part of it. If they can keep His hand out of his own resurrection, then in their eyes, they have denied him of His equality with God. But John 2:19, we see where Jesus said unto the Jews that required a sign, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." Jesus' part in His own resurrection was not passive - it was active!
There are many who believe in the doctrine of the Deity of Christ, but who have not studied their scripture concerning the matter. The result is false doctrines that are not Biblical and have no truth whatsoever. The Catholics believe that Jesus was the Son of God, but they have gone awry on several important issues. One of their most blatant false doctrines in the one called the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. This doctrine teaches that Mary did not have a sin nature and never committed any wrong doing. The following quote is from Catholic publications:
The Immaculate Conception - or the fact that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin - is a doctrine of the faith contained implicitly (meaning that this doctrine is not actually taught in the Bible) in Holy Scripture. The Holy Ghost did not express it in so many words; but he deposited it in some Biblical statements from which, like a seed, it grew up in the living church of Christ until it reached its full-sized dimension. Could the mother of the Savior, sharing in her Son's victory, be, even for a moment, under the power of Satan? She had to be free from original sin. Finally, in 1854, Pope Pius IX declared it a revealed doctrine - one of those that have to be believed by all who share the faith of the church. (Any Questions?, p. 67)
Mary was the mother of Christ's humanity, but she was NOT the mother of His divinity! The God-head has no mother. Romans 3:23 says "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." That includes Mary. She never once placed herself above the Lord. She told those at the marriage of Cana, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it" (John 2:5). This does not sound anything like the way that Mary is thought of today. Mary was not the mother of God or the Queen of Heaven. She was just a willing, clean vessel fit for the Masters use.
Another false doctrine circulating today is that Christ was not a sinless sacrifice. One of the more recent attacks on Jesus' sinless perfection was the Hollywood presentation "The Last Temptation of Christ", which depicts Jesus as an adulterous hippy having sexual relations with Mary Magdalene. This portrayal of the Son of God is the epitome of blasphemy. There is absolutely no basis for this belief. This is only the effort of a wicked, perverse generation's attempt to pollute and demonize the very center of Christianity. If they can successfully destroy the person of Christ, then they have won a great victory toward eliminating the effect that Christians have on today's society.
The homosexual community has proclaimed that Christ was a sexual pervert, along with other great men of faith found in the scripture. Those who teach this will one day receive their due reward. Christ never sinned, and he hated sin and its hold on the lives of men. God the Son was perfect and sinless, and the Bible says that one day every knee shall bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10,11). When He returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, there will not be anybody mistaking this "King of Righteousness." What a glorious day for the people of God to see their Lord and Savior in all his Power and Glory!!
Another false doctrine that some men like to believe is the failure of the Lord to die on the cross. Some have the audacity to claim that Jesus merely swooned and fainted and was placed alive in the tomb. They offer no explanation for his quick recovery and ability to exit a tomb sealed by a stone. However, the Bible uses the words "dead", "death" and "gave his life" continually throughout its pages. He did not die symbolically. His death was literal. Above this fact, it is a medical fact that when the Roman soldier pierced the side of the Lord of the cross with his spear, and blood and water came out, that this could only happen after death. Those that believe this lie are admitting their own damnation, for without the death of Christ on the cross, there is no salvation for man. "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life" (Rom. 5:10). The Deity of Christ was quite a surprise for the people of Israel when Jesus began to reveal His true identity as the Son of God. However, the disclosure of his Deity began way back in the Old Testament and was revealed to the prophets of old centuries before the birth of the Messiah. Isaiah in chapter 9 and verse 14 gave a very plain and obvious prophecy: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
This very same prophet foretold again under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost the phenomena of his impact on humanity: "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, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). Micah the prophet even told of the birthplace of the future ruler of Israel in Micah 5:2, and even declared that "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Psalms 2:7, we see that God called his Son "begotten Son". I don't understand how those that knew the law could not see and believe. All the young women were hoping to be the one chosen by God to bear the Messiah.
The Old Testament was filled with prophecies concerning the coming Messiah, even down to the forerunner in the wilderness (Mal. 3:1). One of the most complete pictures of Jesus in the prophets is Isaiah 53. It was extremely detailed in almost every detail of his life. It started with His virgin birth; it carried us through his life of rejection, His beating and crucifixion. I am amazed at the accuracy of every verse. Verse nine mentions "He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." When I read about the two malefactors that were crucified alongside the Lord, and how that Joseph of Arimathaea took responsibility for his body and how that Nicodemus brought a mixture of aloes and myrrh and anointed the body of Jesus, I am amazed at the foreknowledge of God.
Even while Mary and Joseph were settling down in the stable, awaiting the birth of the Christ-child, the Bible tells us that Shepherds were abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. These shepherds were doing what had been done for generations and generations. They had no idea the impact this night would have on them and their nation. They were simply going about their duties when suddenly the sky was filled with light and the angel of the Lord appeared. These men were afraid at the sudden appearance of the messenger from Jehovah God. They had heard of God's judgment and vengeance their whole life, and no doubt had worshipped God carefully and observed all the laws and rituals. Now they were afraid that someone somehow had displeased Jehovah and they were filled with fear at the awesome possibilities they were about to witness. However, instead of words of judgment and wrath, we see here the proclamation of the gospel (good news). The angel told them not to fear, for he had tidings of great joy! "For unto you is born this day... a Savior which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). Author Jim Bishop looks at the shepherds response in his book, The Day Christ Was Born."
"The shepherds repeated the words, "A savior... Lord Messiah...David's town... lying in a manger." There was nothing frightening in that news. The angel had spoken correctly. It was good news. It was better than good news. It was long-awaited news. It was the thing promised by God a long time ago. Here was the advent of Him who would save the people of the world."
There is no doubt now that the entire nation of Israel should have been alerted to the fact that their Messiah was on the scene. Luke 2:17,18 says concerning the shepherds observation: "And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds." Why did they not believe? It is not as if God tried to hide the fact that His Son was now here. He announced it from the heavens. He even placed a star in the sky and alerted those in distant lands that God the Son was now in Bethlehem, yet the people of Israel did not believe!
What about the preaching of John the Baptist in the wilderness? Jesus is now about to come on the scene in full force and begin His ministry. We see Him being preceded, according to prophecy, by a man that was sent to be the forerunner of the Son of God. His ministry was simple; alert the people of the arrival of the Son of God and prepare their hearts to accept Him as such. He boldly proclaimed to them "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." This "Lord" here in Mark 1:3 is kurios in the Greek, which means "supreme in authority; controller; God, Lord and Master. There is no excuse now for the nation of Israel not knowing the true identity of this Jesus of Nazareth. Did John the Baptist not quote verbatim the words of the prophet Isaiah found in Chapter 40 verse three? He even got the attention of Herod the King!
John the Baptist was a true man of God. He was not worried about prestige, for he preached in the wilderness. He was not concerned with riches, for he wore camel's hair and a leather girdle. He was not obsessed with fine foods like many preachers today, for he lived on honey and wild locust. He was not interested in a large following, for when the Pharisees and Sadducees flocked to his baptism, he called them a generation of vipers. No, John the Baptist was not concerned about anything but fulfilling his calling - and that was to preach the coming wrath of Almighty God. When Jesus did appear, John announced His arrival by declaring His title and mission: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John the Beloved no doubt visited John the Baptist and got this story straight from the horses mouth. For the Bible says that John bare record saying; "I saw and bare record, that this is the Son of God." John must have been excited about the arrival of Jesus on the scene.
He no doubt had offered many sacrifices for his sin, and he was elated at this fulfillment of almost 2,000 years of sacrificial postponing of judgment. No more would they post-pone the wrath of God until the next year! The final, perfect, spotless sacrifice was here to pay the sin debt once and for all. The very next day John and two of his disciples saw Jesus walking by, and again John declared with authority and excitement, "Behold the Lamb of God!" as if to say, "That is Him!... This is the one we've been talking about, and looking for!... This is the Lamb mentioned in Isaiah 53!... This is the fulfillment of prophecy!"
After reading the accounts of Herod's attempt to destroy Christ as a baby, I am convinced that Herod knew the true identity of this child. It was normal procedure for the Roman rulers of the day to be up to date on the culture and the customs of the people they ruled over. He surely must have known of the anticipated advent of the coming Messiah. No doubt he was jealous of his throne, and it is a known fact that he killed whoever stood in his way. He even killed some of his own sons to prevent them from taking over his throne. However, he told the wise men (Matt. 2:8) that he wanted to worship this new king. Granted, he wanted to destroy him simply because he was a king, and he thought that he faced potential competition. But the fact that he mentioned worship is a good indication that he was aware of his Deity. The Romans were pagans, and they had gods and goddesses for everything in the world. But we don't see them worshipping other men; especially not other kings. No, Herod knew this was the promised Messiah. He probably even knew that He was the Son of God. Satan was trying his best to use Herod to destroy the Son of God even before He reached early childhood. How many times has the birth of mere mortals been announced by a star in the sky? Common sense would tell you there is something different about this child!
Even after all of the obvious events that preceded the ministry of Christ, the Jews were blinded to His true identity. As He talked and stated who He was, and they refused to see the truth, Jesus called them a "faithless generation". They would constantly be seeking a sign or something spectacular to prove what He said was true. The Bible says a lot when it says "The just shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk. 2:4). Hebrews 11:6 reminds us of the importance God places on faith: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is," --that He is what? That He is who says He is!! The ministry of Jesus Christ was filled with teachings and parables that were given for one reason, and that being that the Jews might see who He was!
A good example of this is the parable of the wheat and the tares. He told of the man that sowed the good seed, and the enemy that came by night and sowed the tares. After a while, they both grew up and the servants came and inquired of the master whether he had sown the good seed. He told them that he had, and when he found out about the tares, He told his servants not to worry about it. He assured them that he would deal with the problem at the time of harvest. The disciples did not understand the meaning of this parable, and they asked Him to declare the meaning of it to them. Jesus began by saying, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man."
He went on to inform them that the world is the field, and the enemy was the devil. He told his disciples that when the end of the world is come, the Son of Man shall send forth his angels, to gather all those things that offend, and to cast them into a furnace of fire. Does this sound like a man of normal descent? How could the Son of man send forth His angels if He was not also the Son of God? Who else but God has the authority to cast anyone into the fire? What about all the many times in His conversation and in His daily life that we see the Deity of Jesus Christ. I am reminded of the incident on the Mount of Transfiguration. I find it amazing how that Jesus was not only transfigured into a countenance that is almost a match of the description found in Revelation 2, but He allowed Peter, James and John to be witnesses.
This moment made quite an impression upon them, for Peter mentioned it many years later in his epistle, II Peter 1:16-18. Who, after seeing what these three disciples saw, could argue that Jesus was God? Here are two men that have been dead for hundreds of years, standing here talking to Jesus like old friends. There is no doubt they talked many times before in the presence of God, and here they are again, talking about the soon to come death of Christ in Jerusalem. I am appalled every time I read of the disciples being heavy with sleep, and missing out on visitors from another world. When they woke up, however, they saw the glory of the Son of God, and strangely enough, they recognized Moses and Elijah. Peter was so frightened he did not know what to say or what to do. He offered to build three Tabernacles; one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. People have wondered if we will know each other and our loved ones when we get to heaven. If Peter, in his corruptible, earthly body recognized someone he had never seen, then we will not have any problems recognizing our loved ones in heaven. After the Transfiguration was ended, we see God descending in a cloud and repeating what He had already said once before at the baptism of Christ: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
What about Jesus' control over the elements of the earth? The earth in itself is an awesome thing to behold. With all of its natural wonders, and its breathtaking scenery, it is fascinating just to look and observe it and its many characteristics. But one aspects of nature that has caused fear in the hearts of the bravest of men is its elemental force and strength. There is no one on the face of God's earth that has any desire to face a tornado, hurricane or the force of strong, flood waters. Imagine being out on a sea when the wind began to blow and causes the boats to bob like a cork in the wake of the waves. Jesus' disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee when this very thing begins to transpire. Though they had made their living on the waters and in these boats, they were about to see something that they would never forget. As the contrary winds rocked the ship, they saw movement upon the water.
They thought at first that it was a ghost, and their hearts filled with fear. Jesus told them not to be afraid, and he walked over to the ship and climbed aboard. Immediately the wind ceased, and they began to worship Him and they said "Of a truth thou art the Son of God" (Matt. 14:38). When they saw the Lord rebuke the winds and the sea in Matthew 8, that was quite a display of power for someone to witness. They marveled and said, "What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him." I'll tell you what manner of man it was! It was the omniscient, omnipotent God, made manifest in the flesh - the man Christ Jesus! John 1 explains how this man could so easily control the wind and the seas. "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 anything made that was made." The Creator of the universe should not have any problems controlling His creation. If only we men would be as yielded to our Creator as the rest of creation, how much more glory could be brought upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
We have looked at the Lord's display of His Deity in His parables, and in His performance. Now let us look at the display of His Deity in His preaching. Many people do not think of Jesus as a preacher. He was, however, the greatest preacher in the Bible. He was always filled with the Spirit, because He and the Holy Spirit were one! He always had the message for the hour. He never had any un-confessed sins in His life. He never compromised His stand, but rather preached the truth at all costs. It ultimately cost Him His life, but He never backed down or watered down his message for the convenience or comfort of someone else. He was obsessed with only one thing- and that was to fulfill the will of His Father that sent Him. He preached with Divine authority on literally dozens of different subjects. He preached on everything from kindness to taxes, from heaven to hell. But one thing remains constant throughout the Gospels. He never went long without reminding us that He was God.
In John 10:24, the Jews found Jesus in the Temple and proceeded to ask Him questions. They asked Him, "If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." They wanted to know if He was the one they were looking for. Jesus answered them by saying, "I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me." He went on to say, "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." How dare this man stand here in this Temple and declare that He has the authority to issue eternal life? This remark no doubt sparked their indignation. I am sure that Jesus' next statement really confused them. He said in verse 29, "My Father which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." What is this man talking about? He just got through saying that no man shall pluck His sheep out of His hand. Now He is saying that they are in His Father's hand. How can this be? His next statement not only explained what He was talking about, but it was the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak. "I and my Father are one." This was the ultimate! They took up stones to stone Him, but He slipped away and escaped out of their hand.
In the very next chapter, we find that the friend of the Lord is dead. Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. He was told that Lazarus was sick, but He did not hasten to where he was to heal him. Instead, He tarried where He was for two days. After that, they started toward the place where Lazarus lived. Even before they arrived at the place, Jesus told them, "Lazarus is dead" (John 11:4). No one but a sovereign God could have known this without having been told. He arrived after Lazarus had already been in the grave for four days. Mary and Martha were both distraught at the Lord's late arrival. Jesus comforted Martha with some very powerful words: "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believed in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." Then He asked her a question, not just to be asking it, but He really wanted to know the answer. He asked her, "Believest thou this?" The next verse says, "She saith unto him, "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." This was the response that Jesus wanted to hear. He wanted to be believed!
He did so many miracles, and so many wonderful works over and over again for one simple reason: that they might believe! John the Beloved ended his gospel by reminding us of the endless works of the Lord. After we read the Scripture and see all of the signs and wonders that He performed, we all marvel at the response of the nation of Israel. But can we imagine the works and sayings that went unrecorded? There is one thing that Jesus cannot be accused of, and that is of not going above and beyond the highest expectations in His attempt to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10). After we have looked at the display of His Deity, I would like to skim through the New Testament and glance at some of the declarations of His Deity by some others who saw who He was, and believed on Him through the eye of faith. These men were not ignorant cult bait that were tossed about by every wind of doctrine. These men sacrificed their lives ultimately for their faith in this man called Jesus. They gave up their livelihood, their positions in society and everything they knew and loved to follow Christ. Their declarations concerning Jesus make quite an impact on me. It encourages me to follow their steps in the pursuit of the crowns and rewards that are offered to those that believe His Word and obey it.
Thomas was a doubter. He was a skeptic. He was also one of the twelve, handpicked disciples. He followed the Lord, and saw every work, every miracle and every mighty deed that Jesus performed. He saw thousands healed, and many that had their sins forgiven them. And yet Thomas doubted the true identity and power of Jesus. After Jesus' resurrection, He appeared in the place where the disciples met. They had shut the doors for fear of the Jews. Jesus appeared in the middle of the room and said, "Peace be unto you." He then showed them the wounds in His hands and His side. They were so glad to see the Lord, and they shared the good news with Thomas, who was not present at the place where Jesus appeared. When Thomas heard what had happened, he declared that until he placed his finger in His hand, and thrust his hand into His side, he would not believe.
However, the very next week, at the same place, Jesus appeared unto His disciples again. This time, Thomas was there. Jesus addressed Thomas directly and challenged him to put his finger in His hands, and to thrust his hand in His side. But the Bible doesn't say that Thomas did. Instead, he answered the Lord with a cry of faith, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). Thomas was not blinded, but rather, he believed. His declaration of the Deity of Christ was not met with rebuke. Instead, Jesus accepted his worship and John went on to say in verse 31, "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing ye might have life through his name."
What more does anyone need in order to believe what the Scripture has to say about the Deity of Christ. If a man will not believe God, there is no hope for his salvation. We could go on and on with many more Scripture that are yet to be mentioned that only strengthen the argument. Luke the Physician did not hesitate to announce his conviction on the matter: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28).
Paul goes on even further, as if to remove any doubt in the minds of the Colossians. He elaborated while speaking of Christ, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Col. 1:15-17). Paul met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. The Jesus he met was not the same one the Jews crucified on Calvary. Jesus manifested himself in power and the Jesus that Saul had been persecuting suddenly seemed much more than just a fanatical Jewish prophet. This Jesus had Saul lying on his face in the dirt and trembling just at the sound of His voice.
Oh yes! Paul did not have any problems believing that this Jesus was also the Creator of the universe. Paul went on to say in Colossians 2:9, "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Paul did not even see where there was any room for debate concerning the matter. In fact, he told Timothy in I Timothy 3:16, "And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
Can you imagine how much more dogmatic Paul would have been if he had walked with the Lord for three and a half years, and seen all the things that Thomas saw? Paul was sure of the identity of his Savior! He later referred to Jesus as "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords" (I Tim. 6:15). When writing to Titus, Paul wrote him some wonderful words of encouragement by saying, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ."
John the Beloved was pretty fluent in his declaration of Christ's Deity in his epistles as well. John wrote in I John 3:16, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us..." My favorite proof text is undoubtedly I John 5:7, where John doesn't leave any doubt about who makes up the God-head. He told us plainly in the first chapter of his Gospel who the "Word" was. Now, he reminds us that "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." You talk about thorough and simple doctrine! Even a child can see the composition of the God-head in these verses of Scripture.
In my personal life, I have talked to several people that did not believe that Jesus was God in the flesh. They do not have any problem accepting Christ as a god, but they do not want to place Him on equal grounds with the Almighty. I like to read them two verses of Scripture, though the Bible is full of proof, as we have seen in this study. No one has yet been able to argue or even explain away the truths written in the Word of God. The Bible says in Isaiah 43:10, "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." The next verse says, "I, even I, am the Lord: and beside me there is no savior." This verse seems harmless enough, if it is left alone. But after reading Acts 4:12, there is an absolute truth that must either be believed, or either we would have to say that God is a liar, and His Word is not truth. Peter preached to the Sanhedrin with the power of God, and Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, recorded these blessed words: "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
In conclusion, I have to say with the Apostle Paul, "For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" He answers his own question in a matter-of-fact fashion. "God forbid: yea let God be true, but every man a liar" (Rom. 3:3, 4).
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