What Should We Think of Jesus?

Who is Jesus? Down through history, people have been challenged to answer this basic question. The first Gospel of the Bible records Jesus asking this question for the very first time. Matthew 16:13-17 “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” Every person in the world is presently on trial based on their response to the question, “Who is Christ?” as one can either accept Him or reject Him with no option to ignore Him. Once again, we can quote Jesus: John 3:18 “Whoever believes in [me] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Nothing less than our soul’s eternal destiny is at stake and every single person must weigh for themselves the evidence for or against His claims to be the Savior of the world and Lord of all.

One of the most common claims by skeptics is that Jesus never said He was God. It is true that nowhere is it recorded that Jesus of Nazareth said the words, “I am God,” but there are quotes recorded in the Gospels that assign Him deity: 

John 5:21-23 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 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.” Jesus ascribed God’s authority and honor to Himself in commanding the dead to rise.

John 10:25-33 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” Jesus is about to be stoned because He declares His co-identity with God. The Jews themselves, His harshest critics of the day, state that He, Jesus, claims to be God.

John 14:6-9 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” Jesus is explaining to Philip that it isn’t necessary to see the Father because you have seen the Son – they are One!

John 8:58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” Jesus was declaring His pre-existence and the Jews objected that Jesus could know nothing not directly recorded in Scripture but then He declares His self-existence by applying to Himself the very sacred name of God, I AM.

Throughout scripture, the actions and words of Jesus are entirely consistent with His belief that He was the divine Son of God. He forgave sins; He changed people’s names; He claimed an authority equal to Scripture; He claimed divine attributes for Himself; He accepted worship from people.

There is a conundrum in the arguments regarding the deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus could only be one of three things (a trilemma, if you will) either he was a liar, a lunatic or the Lord. 

If Jesus was a liar, how could a compulsive liar teach with a moral authority that would ultimately sway millions? Even unbelievers see Him as history’s greatest moral teacher, and you can’t be a liar if you are a true disciple of the truth. Secondly, would a conman be willing to pay the price for his lies? Jesus maintained His belief under the suffering of crucifixion and convinced a pagan centurion to believe it!

If Jesus was a lunatic, how did His behavior differ from normal human behavior? Did He act in any way like a person deluded or demented? Jesus conducted Himself in a manner consistent with a rational human man, albeit one with great concern for the condition of others and how we should treat one another. He taught with compassion and humility but with the authority and assurance consistent with what we would expect from God in human form.

And if Jesus was not a liar and if He was not a lunatic, the He must be what He claimed to be: God come in the flesh.

There is also the matter of bona fides; the facts and information that clarify Jesus’ credentials.

Prophetic credentials If Jesus were indeed God, we would expect Him to fulfill the prophecies found in the Old Testament, foretelling the coming of the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled these prophecies in amazing detail. 

Moral credentials If Jesus were indeed God, we would expect His teaching and actions to match those of God Himself. The teachings of Jesus have formed the basis of the highest standards of moral conduct. His morality, exhibited in both His life and His teachings, are what we would expect if God visited us in human form. 

Power credentials If Jesus were indeed God, we would expect Him to have divine power. We can see it in the Gospel record. Everywhere Jesus went, He touched those who were sick, and they were healed. He even commanded the dead to live and they came back to life. 

Authority credentials If Jesus were indeed God, we would expect creation to bow at His command. In the Gospel accounts, we find Jesus exhibiting an unpretentious authority over the wind and the waves, consistent with a man who claimed to have created all things. Water was changed to wine, and bread was multiplied. Even malevolent spirits recognized both His identity and His authority. 

Immortality credentials If Jesus were indeed God, we would expect Him to be invincible. Though it was the Father’s plan for Christ to taste death for everyone (see Hebrews 2:9), we would rightly expect that the grave could not hold Him down. Paul, in Romans 1:4, writes that Jesus was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead. 

Impact credentials If Jesus were indeed God, we would expect that history would be radically reshaped by His coming. In the centuries that have followed, this crucified man, rather than slipping into obscurity, has impacted the lives of millions. 

We have come full circle – back to Matthew 16:13-17 “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  - and Jesus asks not only His disciples, but every single person in the world today: “But what about YOU? … Who do YOU say I am?” The answer is our salvation. Be blessed.