Biblical Question
Did Jesus Claim to be God?
The Biblical Answer
The Bible is clear about Jesus' nature and identity. In John 17:5, Jesus says, 'Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.' Here, Jesus refers to the glory He had before His incarnation, which is a divine attribute. This is because Jesus is equal with God (John 10:30) and is the 'image of the invisible God' (Colossians 1:15).
Jesus also accepts worship, which was offered only to God in the Old Testament. In Matthew 14:33, after Jesus performed a miracle, people came to Him and said, 'When did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing something and did not help you?' He replied, 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.' (John 14:9). This implies that they were worshiping Jesus in the same way they would have worshiped God, and their worship was correct. Jesus never corrected them or rebuked them for doing so.
Jesus' followers understood this about Him and proclaimed His divinity, saying, 'This man is really the Son of God; he is the One whom God gave to the world,' (John 10:36). So, Jesus did indeed claim to be God, in the sense that He is the unique Son of God and shares equality with God.
Jesus also accepts worship, which was offered only to God in the Old Testament. In Matthew 14:33, after Jesus performed a miracle, people came to Him and said, 'When did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing something and did not help you?' He replied, 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.' (John 14:9). This implies that they were worshiping Jesus in the same way they would have worshiped God, and their worship was correct. Jesus never corrected them or rebuked them for doing so.
Jesus' followers understood this about Him and proclaimed His divinity, saying, 'This man is really the Son of God; he is the One whom God gave to the world,' (John 10:36). So, Jesus did indeed claim to be God, in the sense that He is the unique Son of God and shares equality with God.
"I and the Father are one."
A Prayer for This
"Dear Jesus, we thank you for revealing your divine nature to us and for giving us the chance to know you. Give us the courage to proclaim your glory and divinity to a world that sometimes struggles with doubt and unbelief. In your name we pray. Amen."