Have you ever encountered someone who remarks that Jesus Christ is merely a man? Or someone states that Jesus was just a good person or a prophet? Do you find yourself off guard at such comments?
Who did Jesus say that He was? Who does the Bible (the most accurate and well-attested to literary work in history)say Jesus is?
Here are some helpful references to Jesus Christ's and the Bible's claims to the diety of Jesus Christ:
Mark 9:37 - "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me."
John 5:23 "that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him."
John 8:19 "They said to him therefore, 'Where is your Father?' Jesus answered, 'You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.'"
John 12:44-45 "44And Jesus cried out and said, 'Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.'"
John 14:1 ""Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me."
John 14:7 "If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
John 14:9 "Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?'"
John 15:23 "Whoever hates me hates my Father also."
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
John 5:17 "But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working.'"
John 10:30 "I and the Father are one."
John 14:10-11 "10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves."
John 19:7 "The Jews answered him, 'We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.'"
From the ESV Study Bible:
Jesus Is God: Specific Examples Where Greek Theos (“God”) Is Applied to Jesus
John 1:1 | In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
John 1:18 | No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. |
John 20:28 | Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” |
Rom. 9:5 | To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. |
Titus 2:13 | . . . waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ . . . |
Heb. 1:8 | But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.” |
2 Pet. 1:1 | To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ . . . |
Jesus cannot merely be reduced to being a good man or a prophet...because of the nature of both His and the Bible's claims, He is either God in flesh, a lunatic or a liar. Who do you say that He is?
Mark 8:29 "'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Peter answered, 'You are the Christ.'"