What is meant by the divinity of Jesus?

Meaning of divinity of Jesus Christ

The Divinity of Jesus Christ is the belief that Jesus Christ is God. And this belief is one of the central beliefs of the Christian faith and it is relevant to our salvation. To understand the Divinity of Jesus Christ, we need to know who He is.

Who is Jesus Christ?

The person we know today as Jesus Christ has long been there before His first coming to this earth; He told us that Himself when He said,

“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

John 8:58

The man we know today as Jesus Christ has been there from eternity in heaven. He had been with God before anything was made, before angels, before the earth, and before humans. But then, He was not called Jesus Christ, neither was He a human being. The Bible testifies about Him that He is the Word of God –

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 1:1-3

In heaven, Jesus is known or called by the name the Word of God. Apostle John testified,

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Revelation 19:11-13

So Jesus is the Word of God. There is something about God that really sets Him apart from us and makes Him much of a God. Man’s word – what we say – is a sound that gives information and nothing more. It is not the same with God; God’s word is alive and gives life. God’s word is a living person who can be seen and touched. This person was later born into this world and was given the name Jesus Christ. The Word was not created. Actually, you do not create your word, rather it has been part of you since your birth and it is as old as you are. The Word has always been with God and has always been part of God.

From the beginning, the Word of God has been the living tool of God, for God does everything by His Word. He does not do anything without His word:

  • God blesses by His Word, E.g.: Genesis 1:22; Genesis 1:28; Genesis 22:16-18; etc.
  • God curses by His Word, E.g.: Genesis 3:14-19; Genesis 4:11-12; etc.
  • God creates by His Word – He says things that are not there and they come to be, Eg.: Genesis 1:3; Genesis 1:9; etc.
  • God destroys by His Word, E.g.: Genesis 6:7; etc.

Basically, the Word makes God reign as God. The Word is as powerful as God Himself for God does everything He wants to do by using His word – He speaks and it comes to pass. The Word is His living tool. He exercises His power, His sovereignty, and His authority by His Word. The Word, hence, cannot be less powerful than God. He is God and just as powerful as God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God came to the earth

Because of the salvation of humanity, the Word of God was to be born into this world to bring salvation to man – salvation from sin, Satan, death, hell, and the wrath of God. According to angel Gabriel, when He is born, He would be called by the name Jesus and many other names:

30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Luke 1:30 – 35

Is Jesus God? Answers from Jesus Christ Himself

The Divinity of Jesus has been an issue of controversy for ages; right from the days of His ministry on this earth to this day. It is about time we took Jesus at His word and considered His attitude with respect to the subject of His Divinity to draw conclusions from it. What does Jesus Himself say about His Divinity? From the buildup above, one should not entertain any doubt that Jesus is God.  The Bible says it so glaringly that Jesus, the Word of God, is God. He creates and reigns together with the Father and the Spirit. It was not Christians who forced it on Jesus that He is God; rather, Jesus Christ Himself claimed, accepted, and taught the people that He is God. Let revisit a few of Jesus’ words that were His claims that He is God:

30 “I and My Father are one.” 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

John 10:30 – 33

After Jesus said, ‘I and My Father are one,’ the Jews wanted to stone Him to death. Why? Because they understood well what He meant to say. He meant to say that He is God and equal with God, the Father; and they thought He has spoken blasphemy.

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 5:17, 18

Right from His earthly life, Jesus Christ was well understood that He claims to be God and makes Himself equal with God. The Bible testifies that Jesus was a perfect, righteous man –

“Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”

1 Peter 2:21-22

Jesus Christ did not sin and never lied. Now if such a person said that He is God, why should we doubt Him? We have to believe Him, for He would not have said it if it was not true.

Other evidences of Jesus’ divinity

Angels are not to be worshiped

6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!“

Revelation 22:6,8,9

What is happening here is that after the angel of God has shown Apostle John all the wonderful revelations, John, stunned and moved by gratitude, wanted to worship the angel for his good work. But the angel refused, for angels are not to be worshiped; only God should be worshiped. So the angel said to John, “Do not do it. …. Worship God!”

Holy men of God are not to be worshiped

25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.”

Acts 10: 25, 26

An angel of God told a man called Cornelius to send for Peter and he did. And when Peter came, Cornelius, as a form of reverence, fell down to worship him, but Peter rebuked him, and refused that he should be worshiped, for he is just a man and should not be worshiped. Only God should be worshiped.

God alone should be worshiped

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,

Exodus 20:4,5

By this command, God meant that mankind should not bow down and worship anyone or anything, be it human or angel or idols, etc.; only God should be worshiped.

Jesus Christ is God so He accepted worship

Now Jesus Christ was worshiped several times as recorded in the Bible. Let see some pieces of biblical evidence –

Evidence 1: The magi worshiped baby Jesus

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

Evidence 2: The man born blind worshiped Jesus

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” 36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” 38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him (Jesus).

John 9:35 – 38

Evidence 3: The disciples worshiped Jesus

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:25-33

Jesus was worshiped yet He did not rebuke anyone for worshiping Him, neither did He refuse that He should be worshiped; rather He accepted it. All these lead to the truth that Jesus is no ordinary person but God.

Other claims of Jesus Christ that are evidence of His divinity

Other claims of Jesus that prove His Divinity:

  • Jesus claimed He is eternal: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)
  • Jesus claimed He gives life: “For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. (John 5:21)
  • Jesus claimed He shall judge mankind: ‘For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, (John 5:22)’

At any point in time, if you should ask anyone to tell you one sin that Jesus did, or report one lie that Jesus told, or to say one moral weakness of Jesus, he or she will find nothing provable to say. Jesus never sinned, never lied, and had no such thing as a moral weakness as we have. Therefore, what justifies our doubts about His claims? He is right about everything He said about Himself and we have to believe Him. Amen

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