As Christians, we have faith that Jesus is the Son of God. We also believe that Jesus is our Lord and God, just as Thomas confessed in John 20:28. Some religious groups, today, reject the concept that Jesus is deity. They understand the term, ‘Son of God’, to mean simply that He is a son of God and that we in the same way are all sons and daughters of God. Furthermore, they say that Jesus had His beginning when He was born. Those who hold to this view appeal to the Biblical account of the birth of Christ as scriptural proof. However, they fail to accept what the rest of God’s word has to say about Jesus. If they did, they would understand that Jesus is deity, and that He is the Son of God! In order to understand it all better, let’s word it differently: Jesus is God the Son!
Some of the reasons that people reject the deity of Jesus are indicated by the questions which they ask: like ‘How can Jesus be human and be God (deity) at the same time?’ or ‘Why would God come to earth and allow Himself to become human?’
While affirming the deity of Jesus, the scriptures also explain some of God’s motives for the incarnation. Consider the following Scriptures.
- Jesus is the ‘I Am’ – Jesus is the Son of God. Does that mean He is not God (deity)? From John 8:58, we learn that Jesus is the I Am. This is God’s own description of Himself in Exodus 3:11-14. Jesus is that same ‘I Am’ which means He is God. Speaking of Jesus, the apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians “For in Him, all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” Chapter 2:9. Other translations say “Godhead” instead of deity. (The Godhead consists of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit). All aspects of deity are found in Jesus who was and is God in the flesh and who walked among His creation! Jesus is the I Am!
- Jesus Is the Creator – We are told in Colossians 1:14-17 that Jesus created all things. We can also see back in Genesis 1:26, ‘Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness…’ We see a personal pronoun in plural form used to refer to God. Some religious groups like to think God the Father created us, and all things, and that Jesus was created too. They say that Jesus’ existence began when He was born as a human. This is not scriptural. Jesus is not of this world (John 8:21-23); He is God the Son, and he created all things.
- Confirmed By the Holy Spirit – See Romans1:1-4. The Holy Spirit and Christ’s resurrection confirm that He is the Son of God.
- Confirmed by witnesses – Read 2 Peter 1:1 (Peter) and Titus 2:13 (Paul) and John 20:26 to 29 (Thomas). We have witnesses that testified that Jesus is the Son of God and deity.
- Confirmed and Feared by Demons – Read Matthew 8:28 to 34. The demons didn’t just fear Jesus; they knew He was God the Son. We also see He had authority over the demons. Only God has that kind of authority!
- Confirmed by His Adversaries – Read Mark 9:1 to 12. His adversaries stated only God can forgive sins. They were right and that was Jesus!
- Confirmed By the God the Father – Read Matthew 17:1 to 5. The Father, in His own voice nonetheless, confirmed that Jesus was His Son, God the Son and even commanded that people listen to Him.
- Confirmed By the Miracles He Did – Read John 20:28 to 31. Jesus did many miracles that show He is God the Son. John, through His writing, wanted to highlight the deity of Christ.
This brings us back to the questions with which we began and the objections which they imply
- ‘How can Jesus be human and be God (deity) at the same time?’ or ‘
- Why would God come to earth and allow Himself to become human?’
Matthew 1:18-23 explains that Jesus is God the Son in the flesh and He came to earth to save His people from their sins. He did so by being a perfect sacrifice for us. The fact that He came to earth implies He is deity because He came from somewhere else, somewhere that is not earth. The apostle Paul makes this clear in Phil 2:5-11
Conclusion: Jesus is the Son of God! He is the I Am (John 8:58)! He was not of this world (John 8:21-23) but came to put on flesh, allowing Himself to be born as a human so that He could die to atone for our sins as a physical sacrifice. He died for our sins and rose from the grave, promising that those who belong to Him will one day be resurrected and transformed to prepare for life eternal in heaven. (John 14:1-4)!
See also 1 John 5:11-13.
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