The following is taken from "The Answers Course" by Chris Losey and is copyrighted material.
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Who is Jesus?
The average man on the street?
Have you ever met someone who seemed to be the average person on the street, only to find out he or she was somewhat of a celebrity? It happened to me. My older brother was being recruited for college football and one of the recruiters came to our high school and then to dinner at our home. He was polite and spent the evening asking us about ourselves, never really mentioning much about his own background. Because he was average size and didn't portray the rough-tumble football type, I concluded he probably had never played football himself.
The incident faded in my memory until a few years later when I discovered that the recruiter was Ken Hatfield: all-State athlete in two high school sports (one being football), college academic all-American, and leading punt-returner in the nation his senior year at the University of Arkansas. This information came via the book, Courage To Conquer, which had stories of various well-known athletes. Since that time, Ken Hatfield has also been the head coach at such colleges as the Air Force Academy, the University of Arkansas, and Clemson University.
Discovering these facts surprised me. It definitely was a case of misplaced identity. My preconceived notions and Ken’s casual manner had caused me to draw a wrong conclusion. The old adage holds true, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
But what does misplaced identity have to do with Jesus? Many people see him as the baby in the manger at Christmas who never became anything more than a meek and mild-mannered teacher. Other view him as nothing more than a religious leader like Buddha or Mohammed. Still others have only heard his name as a swear word. Indeed Jesus has been the object of many misplaced identities.
The purpose of this study is to search out and discover Jesus’ true identity. In doing so, the following questions will be asked and answered – What are Jesus’ misplaced identities? What identity is supported by the evidence? With these thoughts in mind, let’s begin.
What are Jesus’ misplaced identities?
There was a time when Jesus asked his disciples (his followers) the question, “Who do people say that I am?” He received several responses found in Matthew 16:13-16. Some said he was John the Baptist. Others said, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets... One disciple, Peter, said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In another passage, the Jewish authorities claimed that Jesus was demon possessed. Matthew 12:22-24 records their accusation, "Then there was brought to Him (Jesus) a demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb, and He healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed, and began to say, 'This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?' But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, 'This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.'"
Just as confusion surrounded Jesus’ identity in his day, much confusion still exists today. Regarding his identity there are SEVEN basic options; six are misplaced, and a seventh is overwhelmingly supported by the evidence. Let's first examine the six.
1. A legend
The first misconception about Jesus’ true identity is that he was a legend. The dictionary defines a legend as a story handed down from the past and not regarded as true history, although partly based on actual facts. Like with King Arthur, Paul Bunyan or other legendary figures, some people regard Jesus and the stories about him as the result of someone’s fertile imagination.
Although this view makes sense to a few skeptics, it is rather uninformed. Even outside of the Bible, overwhelming evidence exists for Jesus’ life and great works. The famous Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote about Jesus in his Antiquities of the Jews, “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles? And the tribe of Christians, so named for him, are not extinct at this day.”1
Think of our western calendar and the centrality of Christ. The key holidays, Christmas and Easter, are all about him. Christmas honors Christ’s birth, and Easter celebrates his resurrection. If Jesus was the figment of someone’s imagination, there is no way he could have become our calendar’s central focus.
Even our calendar’s dating system, revolves around Jesus. The year AD 2002 means 2002 years since the birth of Christ. Some people think AD means After Death. Actually, it is two Latin words anno Domini meaning, "In the year of our Lord," dated from Christ's birth. BC means Before Christ. If AD meant After Death, the 33 years that Jesus walked the earth would be lost from the calendar. Having BC mean Before Christ, and AD mean in the year of our Lord (dated from his birth), no years are lost. Again, to think that a legendary figure could become the central figure upon which the western calendar is based is a bit na?ve.
As an interesting side note, in recent days there is a very silent but deliberate attempt by those who oppose Christianity to remove anything Christian from society. One rather covert way is by changing the calendar dating system. Rather than BC meaning, before Christ, writers have changed dates in new textbooks to read BCE, defined as “Before the Common Era”. Unsuspecting readers and children in schools are caught totally unaware. Rather than having a calendar that for centuries revolved around Jesus, it now revolves around nothing. Ironically, however, even though BCE no longer includes the word “Christ” it still is based on the arrival of Jesus.
There is more historic evidence for Jesus' existence than for any other person in ancient times. The idea that Jesus is a legend is simply incorrect.
2. A learned teacher or prophet
Just as other religions have their great teachers, some people see Jesus as the learned (extremely knowledgeable) teacher or prophet of Christianity, but nothing more. This is not only a popular view today among non-Christians, it was popular during Jesus' time. When people addressed Jesus, they often called Him teacher. Matthew 8:19,20 records such an incident, "And a certain scribe came and said to Him, 'Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.' And Jesus said to him, 'The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'"
In Matthew 9:11, the Pharisees referred to Jesus as a teacher, “And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, 'Why is your Teacher eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners?’"
Besides being a teacher, Jesus was also a prophet. He referred to himself as such in Luke 13:33 when he talked about his upcoming death, "Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.”
Although Jesus was a great teacher who taught amazing truth, and a prophet who spoke prophetically, these are not adequate explanations of his total identity. The reason is, he also claimed to be God. John 10:30-33 records the incident and Jesus’ own words, "'I and the Father are one.' The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, 'I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?' The Jews answered Him, 'For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.'"
In this passage, Jesus said he and the Father are one. The Jews understood his claim and wanted to stone him, believing he was only a man. If they were right, and Jesus’ claim was false, at best he was a lunatic or liar.
3. Lunatic
Because Jesus claimed to be God, some people say He was crazed with delusions of grandeur. Although this view pleases some folks, Jesus' life did not fit the pattern of lunacy. He lived an emotionally stable life. His actions and interactions with people (except religious hypocrites) were loving and kind, even in the pain and agony of crucifixion. When others were out of control, Jesus remained rock-steady. Nothing in Jesus’ life indicates he was crazy. This accusation is groundless.
4. Liar
Because Jesus claimed to be God, some people accuse him of lying in order to gain a following so he could set up a personal kingdom. Again, nothing in his life indicates he ever lied to anyone. On the contrary, he told the truth even when it was not to his benefit. One such account is found in Matthew 26:59-68 when he was on trial before the high priest.
Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; and they did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, and said, "This man stated, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.'" And the high priest stood up and said to Him, "Do You make no answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?" But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his robes, saying, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think? "They answered and said," He is deserving of death! " Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, and said, "Prophesy to us, you Christ; who is the one who hit you?"
Jesus never tried to set up his own earthly kingdom, but always talked about his Father's kingdom and how he had to die and rise from the dead to give people the opportunity to enter that kingdom. The claim that Christ was a liar has no factual support.
5. Lucifer’s emissary
In Jesus’ time there were those who believed that Jesus was an agent of Satan. In Matthew 12:24, the Pharisees accused him of casting out demons by using Satanic power. Jesus’ response was quite clear (vv 25,26), "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?" In other words, if Jesus worked for Satan it would make no sense for him to cast out demons. He would be working against his own boss! The fact was, Jesus worked for God the Father, and cast out demons on many occasions (Mt 8:28-34, Lk 4:33-35, Luke 4:41).
The notion that Jesus worked for Satan was and is irrational. At every turn Jesus opposed Satan. He certainly was not Lucifer’s emissary!
6. A lesser God
Since Jesus was not a legend, lunatic, liar, or Lucifer’s emissary, and since he was more than a learned teacher, what options are left regarding his true identity? Actually, there are only two. The first is that he was some type of deity but not equal with God the creator of the universe. This view is held today by nearly every cult. They say Jesus was and is God's Son but not equal with God the Father. They say he is a lesser God. To support their view, cults say the Bible teaches there are other gods.
Indeed the Bible does teach there are many gods (with a little g). The judges of Israel are referred to as gods in Psalm 58:1-3 and again in Psalm 82:6. This did not mean they were deities like God, but instead that they sat in positions of power, administering God’s justice on the earth. They acted as God’s representatives.
In the Old Testament the children of Israel fashioned a god of gold. Exodus 32:3-4 states, "Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."
In addition, the pagan peoples of the Bible worshiped gods of their own making, but all of these gods, including the molten calf, were really just idols. They had no real power or authority and could not help or hurt anyone. That is why the one true God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments. The first commandment instructed the people not to worship anything or anyone but the one true God. Exodus 20:1-6 states, "Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
1 Corinthians 8:5-6 sheds more light on this subject, "For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him."
In Jesus’ time the Greeks and Romans had innumerable false gods and lords. The same is true today. Even though most people in modern times don’t bow down to idols, they have made their work, their hobbies, their recreation or something else, their gods. Their false gods are the things that command their devotion and consume their time.
No matter what gods or lords people have in their lives, there is still only one true God and Lord. That one God is in three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. These three comprise the one triune Godhead called the Trinity. The Trinity will be looked at in more depth in future pages.
The view that Jesus is a lesser God does not square with other passages of Scripture, either. Isaiah 43:10,11 makes it clear there is only one God and will never be any others.
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no savior besides Me.”
To say Jesus is a lesser God would mean there is more than one God, but the above verses do not leave this option open. In the passage, God the Father, clearly states there is only one God. There were no Gods formed either before or after Him! Therefore, Jesus can’t be some lesser God.
If Jesus is not a legend, lunatic, liar, lucifer’s emissary or a lesser God, and if he is more than a learned teacher and
prophet, who is he? This brings us to the second major question to be answered, “What identity is supported by the evidence?”
What is Jesus’ true identity?
The only option left for Jesus’ identity is that He was and is the LORD, God in human flesh! How do we know this? First, He performed amazing miracles that were witnessed by many people. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, read people’s minds, walked on water, calmed a storm, multiplied food, turned water into wine and even raised the dead. Only God could do these things.
Illusionists and tricksters can do many amazing feats through slight of hand, but Jesus’ miracles were beyond the realm of illusion. They were true miracles. For example, no one but God could walk on water in the midst of a storm in the middle of an unfrozen lake. No one but God could raise someone who had been dead for several days.
Even beyond His miracles, the testimony in the Bible overwhelming points to the fact that Jesus is none other than God Himself. Here are seven more reasons to support this claim.
1. Jesus claimed equality with God
As stated previously, in John 10:30-33, Jesus claimed to be equal with God the Father, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” When Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” He was not saying He was the same person as the Father, for they are different persons in the Godhead or Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). He was saying He had the same essence, nature and power as God the Father. The Jews understood exactly what He meant. He was claiming equality with God. That’s why they wanted to kill Him.
Why did Jesus claim equality with God? He claimed it because it was true! The fact that Jesus claimed to be God does not prove He is, but it certainly makes His feelings about His identity crystal clear!
2. Jesus is called the Word, and the Word is equal with God
John 1:1 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Listen now to John 1:14 a little later on in the passage, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. In these two verses, the Bible not only makes it clear the Word was with God, but the Word was God. It also makes it clear the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Who became flesh by coming from heaven to be born a baby and dwell among us? Jesus! Who was and is the Word? JESUS!"
If the WORD is God, and the WORD is also Jesus, then Jesus is God. When two entities are equal to a third entity, they are equal to each other.
3. Jesus forgives sin
The Bible testifies that Jesus is God because He has the authority to forgive sins, and this authority is God's alone. Listen to Luke 5:20,21, "And seeing their faith, He (Jesus) said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
The Jewish religious leaders knew only God had the authority to forgive sins. When Jesus claimed He had this authority, they accused Him of blasphemy. They failed to see Who He was and is.
Since God alone has the authority to forgive sins, yet Jesus forgives sins, then Jesus must be God.
4. Jesus is the one who created all things
Did you know that Jesus created all things? It's true. This is one more reason He is God. Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” According to Scripture, there is no doubt that God is the Creator of all things. Yet John 1:1-3 clearly states the Word (Jesus) created everything, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him (Jesus, the Word), and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."
Colossians 1:16,17 also refers to Jesus as the Creator, "For by Him (Jesus) all things were created both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."
These verses make it clear that Jesus is the Creator. If God is the Creator, and yet Jesus is the Creator, then Jesus is God.
5. Jesus is to be worshiped
The fifth reason why Jesus is God is because He is worthy of worship. Exodus 20:1-5 makes it clear that God alone is to be worshiped, "Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.”
God’s people are to have no other gods or worship any. On the other hand, the following verses clearly teach that Jesus is to be worshiped. In Hebrews 1:5,6, angels are instructed to worship Jesus, "For to which of the angels did He ever say, 'Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee'? And again, 'I will be a Father to Him and He shall be a Son to Me'? And when He again brings the first-born into the world, He says, 'And let all the angels of God worship Him.'"
Philippians 2:10,11 says all people will worship Jesus, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
In Revelation 7:9-11 Jesus is worshipped in heaven, "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Jesus), clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.' And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God."
Notice in the above passage that God the Father and the Son (the Lamb) are both worshiped by angels. In the last verse they both are simply referred to together as God. If only God is to be worshiped, and yet Jesus is to be worshiped, then Jesus must be God.
6. Thomas’ testimony confirms Jesus is God
When Jesus rose from the dead and first showed Himself alive to a group of His disciples, Thomas was not present. Upon hearing the news Thomas refused to believe. In John 20:25 Thomas stated, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Soon afterwards, Jesus appeared again. This time, Thomas was present. Seeing Jesus alive changed Thomas’ mind, and caused him to make an amazing declaration recorded in John 20:26-29. Listen to the account, "And after eight days again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst, and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then He said to Thomas, 'Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.' Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to Him, 'Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.'"
When Thomas saw Jesus alive he declared, "My Lord and My God!" If Jesus was not Lord and God, He would have corrected Thomas and set the record straight. He did not, but instead told Thomas that the truly blessed ones were those, like Christians today, who having not seen Jesus in the flesh, still believe.
Thomas’ declaration is another indication from Scripture that Jesus is God.
7. The Trinity
One more indication that Jesus is God is the doctrine of the Trinity. Simply stated, the Bible teaches that there is only one God, but that three beings are called God. Those three (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) make up the one God. Listen again to the words of Isaiah 43:10,11, “'You are My witnesses,' declares the Lord, 'And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord.'"
This passage clearly teaches there is only one God. There were no “Gods” formed before the one true God, nor will there be any after Him. This does not insinuate that God Himself was formed, for He is eternal. It simply means that there are no other Gods besides Him, period! Yet, three persons are called God. God the Father is obviously called God. We have already seen that God the Son (Jesus) is called God. And in Acts 5:1-4, the Holy Spirit is also called God. Listen carefully to the passage.
"But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.'"
Ananias and Sapphira were not obligated to sell their piece of property, or to give all of the proceeds to the church. It was a choice they made freely. The problem arose when they lied about it. They said they gave the entire amount, when in fact they kept back some for themselves. If they had said they were giving a lesser portion, that would have been fine. If they had not wanted to give any, this too would have been acceptable. The problem was, they said they gave it all, but did not.
This passage makes it clear that by lying to the Holy Spirit the couple lied to God. People don’t lie to a force, they lie to another person. In this case, that other person was none other than the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Godhead or Trinity.
There is one passage where all three (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are mentioned together. Matthew 28:19 records some of Jesus’ parting words to His disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER and THE SON and THE HOLY SPIRIT...”
Notice that Jesus says in the name, not in the names of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Why? Because Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God. Collectively, they are the Godhead! They have a single name: God!
Even though the idea of three in one is difficult for the human mind to grasp, God has placed trinities all around us to help us better understand His nature. For example, time is made up of past, present and future time, yet it is all one continuum of time. We live in a universe of time, space and matter, yet it is a single universe. Water can be liquid, steam or ice and yet it is all one molecular substance, H20. To measure the location of something in a room the three dimensions of length, width and depth are needed, yet they give a single location. An egg has a shell, an egg white and a yoke, yet it is one egg.
In relation to God, it is not that God changes from one form to another (from Father to Son to Spirit and back again). This would be modalism. Instead He is three in one at the same time. This may be hard to grasp in our finite minds, but it must be remembered that God is infinite!
Are there passages that indicate Jesus isn’t God?
There are a few passages that some people try to use to show Jesus is inferior to God, but when understood in the proper context, these verses do not contradict the clear teaching that Jesus is God.
John 14:28
In John 14:28 Jesus states, “You heard that I said to you, ?I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.”
In this verse Jesus announced to His disciples that He would soon leave earth and return to the Father who was greater than He. Does this verse teach that Jesus is inferior to the Father, making Him a lesser God? Absolutely not!
It must be remembered that Jesus is not only God, He was also a man. He was the God-man – God in human flesh. Although fully human (He had a human body) He was also fully God (He possessed all the fullness of the Godhead). John 14:28 simply refers to the fact that the physical part of Jesus was inferior to the Father who was pure Spirit. But on the flip side, Jesus’ spiritual nature was equal with God the Father. That’s why He said in John 10:30, "I and the Father are one."
In Colossians 2:9 the apostle Paul confirmed the fact that all the fullness of Deity was in Christ even in His earthly body, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”
John 10:31-33 also makes the point of Jesus’ deity crystal-clear,"The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, 'I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?' The Jews answered Him, 'For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.'"
Jesus was not just claiming to be like God. He was claiming to be God. The Jews understood exactly what He was saying and wanted to kill Him for it.
Philippians 2:5-7
Another set of verses some people use to try to disprove Jesus’ divinity is Philippians 2:5-7. The passage states, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Some skeptics say this verse teaches that Jesus did not try to be equal with God, but was really something less. Again, this is an incorrect interpretation.
Notice the verse says, “Although He (Jesus) existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.” The word form refers to essential form. In other words Jesus had the essential form of God, and was equal to God the Father from eternity past. When He came to earth and took on human flesh in order to die for our sins, He emptied Himself. This emptying does not mean He lost His divine attributes, but that He merely laid them aside and chose not to use them at certain times. For example, when Jesus traveled He could have transported Himself instantaneously from one place to another, but instead chose to walk. He could have made it so He didn’t need sleep or food, but instead chose to rest and eat. He even allowed Himself to feel the pain of crucifixion.
On the flip side, there were many times when He did use His divine attributes, like when He walked on water, healed the sick, and raised the dead. Jesus’ emptying did not undo His deity; it was really a confirmation of it.
The next verses in Philippians further confirm that Jesus laid aside His divine attributes in order to die for the sins of mankind, "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God (the Father) highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:8-11).
The Son glorified the Father, and the Father honored the Son. Indeed, Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Colossians 1:15-17
Another passage that is often used to try to disprove Christ’s equality with God is Colossians 1:15-17, "And He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."
The argument against Christ’s deity goes as follows: as God’s Son, Jesus was the firstborn. If He was born then He didn’t live forever. If He didn’t live forever, then He can’t be God because one of God’s primary attributes is that He is eternal.
To properly understand these verses it is vital to understand the term firstborn. Although the term firstborn can mean the first one born, it is also a term used to designate position and authority. In the context of Colossians 1:15-17 the later is the correct rendering. It is not that Jesus was created by the Father for then there would be a second God created, and we have already seen in Isaiah 43:10,11 that there were no Gods created before or after God. Again, those verses state, “'You are My witnesses,' declares the Lord, 'And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord.'"
The term firstborn, when used of Jesus, speaks of His position and authority over all creation because He made it. Just as a firstborn son in the Old Testament was given the position of prominence in the family whereby he inherited the greatest amount, so too, Jesus holds the position of firstborn and has authority over the whole universe.
In another sense, it is true that Jesus was God’s firstborn in that He left His place in heaven with the Father and the Holy Spirit and was born as a human in order to become Immanuel which means God with us. Matthew 1:23-25 makes this point clear, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which translated means, God with us. And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife, and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus."
It is true that Jesus was born in His humanity. John 1:14 states, “And the Word (Jesus) became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” But in His Deity, Jesus existed from eternity past. That’s why John 1:1-3 states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."
Jesus was already with the Father in the beginning. He pre-existed the creation. That’s why the verses state, “apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” If Jesus was a created being this passage would mean that He would have had to create Himself since nothing came into being apart from Him. This is a logical impossibility. He didn’t create Himself, He already existed. That’s why He responded to the Jews the way He did in John 8:57-59, "The Jews therefore said to Him, 'You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?' Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.' Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple."
By Jesus saying, “before Abraham was born, I am,” He was confirming His pre-existence. He was declaring He was God, and had existed from eternity past. No wonder the Jews tried to stone Him! They thought He was speaking blasphemy!
1 Corinthians 11:3
Some people try to use 1 Corinthians 11:3 to show that Jesus is inferior to God. In this verse Paul states, "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ."
The question arises, “If God is the head of Christ, doesn’t that make Him inferior to God? The answer is no! If this argument were true, it would also mean that women are inferior to men because the verse also states, “The man is the head of a woman.” Women are not inferior to men, they simply have a different role to fulfill in God’s economy. Galatians 3:28 makes it clear that men and women are equal in God’s sight, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Although women are to submit to their husbands in marriage (Eph 5:22) and not to usurp men’s authority (1 Tm 2:12) these are not statements of inferiority, but indicators of chain of command. The Godhead also has a chain of command. Although Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal, the Son willingly submits to the Father. That is why Jesus said in the garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will, but thine be done” (Mt 26:39). That is also why Jesus willingly left His throne in heaven to come to earth to be born as a baby in a manger and eventually die for the sin of mankind (Phil 2:6-8).
This point is further illustrated by the military. I was stationed at an Air Force Base where the Base Commander and the Wing Commander were both colonels. At the staff meeting the Base Commander called the Wing Commander, “Sir.” As a young officer, I wondered why one colonel called another, “Sir,” then I realized that although they were equal in rank, the Wing Commander was higher in the chain of command.
Matthew 26:39
Yet another verse used by some to try to show that Jesus is inferior to the Father is Matthew 26:39. This verse records Jesus’ prayer to the Father in the garden of Gethsemane, shortly before Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified. The verse states,
And He (Jesus) went a little beyond them (the disciples), and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”
In these verses Jesus prayed to the Father. If Jesus is God, isn’t it illogical that He would pray to Himself? In this regard it must be remembered that although the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) are One, they are also individual persons. It is thus not illogical to think of Jesus in his humanity praying to the Father.
The Bible not only teaches that Jesus is God, it also clearly shows He is part of a Trinity composed of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
So WHO is JESUS?
He is not a LEGEND.
He is much more than a LEARNED TEACHER OR PROPHET.
He is not a LUNATIC.
He is not a LIAR.
He is not LUCIFER'S EMISSARY.
He is not a LESSER GOD.
He is LORD!
This fact is confirmed by the myriad of miracles Jesus’ performed, and by Scripture’s testimony.
Since Jesus is Lord, the question arises, “How should people respond to Him?” This will be the subject of a subsequent study.
Who is Jesus? - Discussion Questions
1. Now or in the past, what has been your position on the true identity of Jesus? Why?
2. Is there any part of this session that particularly stands out in your mind as noteworthy? Explain.
3. What is a legend? Why is this possibility a poor choice for the true identity of Jesus? How does our modern calendar apply?
4. Even though Jesus was a teacher and a prophet why are these inadequate descriptions of His true identity? How does John 10:30-33 apply?
5. Why do some people accuse Jesus of being a lunatic or liar? Why does this identity not fit Him?
6. Read Matthew 12:24-26. What accusation did the religious leaders make regarding Jesus’ identity, and what was Jesus’ reply?
7. Some people say that Jesus is a lesser God, but not the true God. What light does Isaiah 43:10,11 shed on the subject?
8. Do you think Jesus’ miracles are strong evidence He is God? Why or why not?
