(11) Jesus: Not Just Your Friend

So, what does it mean to know Jesus, up close and personal? It means that all doubt is dispelled and like Thomas, we cry out with absolute conviction, “My Lord and my God.” To know Jesus up close and personal is to know Him as God. Your God. He is not just a good man. He is not just a great prophet. For a good man or a great prophet would not have made the claims Jesus made or allow others to believe as they did.

He is not just our friend. Oh, never lose your firm grip on the wonderful truth that Jesus calls you friend. But, never, in this wonderful, heart-warming intimacy forget that He is God.

As God, He deserves your absolute submission, surrender, and obedience. Does He have it? Is He really your Lord and your God?

As God, He deserves your undivided, loyal and faithful love, devotion, and passion. Does He have it? Is He really your Lord and your God?

As God, He deserves your life to be a given over to the worship and display of His glory. Does He have it? Is He really your Lord and your God?

As God, He deserves your unwavering, confident trust in Him who is all-mighty, all-knowing, sovereign God of all creation, all authorities, all people, all circumstances, all your problems. Does He have it? Is He really your Lord and your God?

How well do you know Jesus? Do you humble yourself before Him as almighty God? Do you worship Him as God? Jesus, up close and personal is God up close and personal. Doubt no more!

(10) Did Jesus Claim to be God?

I have heard people say that Jesus never claimed to be God. Did He? If so, what better argument is there for the deity of Jesus than the fact that Christ Himself claimed to be God? For if He did in fact claim to be God, and C. S. Lewis pointed out, either He would be a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.

One day, when Jesus was going about His business, doing what He did all the time, healing people, He got into some trouble. He healed a man on the Sabbath. This infuriated the religious leaders. They began harassing Jesus about it. Jesus responded, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too am working” (Jn. 5:17). At this, John tells us that the Jews “tried all the harder to kill Him not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” That’s right, they recognized Jesus’ statement as a bold claim of equality with God.

This was not the only time the people intended to kill Jesus because of who He claimed to be.

You aren't greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?" Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people say, 'He is our God.'  Yet you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his teaching. Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad." Then the Judeans replied, "You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!" Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area. (John 8:53-59 NET)

Jesus here claims to have existed before Abraham. What’s more, He also claims the title “I Am” which was reserved exclusively for God (Ex. 3:14). Jesus was claiming to be Yahweh-Jehovah. Again, they knew exactly what Jesus was claiming. So, they tried to stone Him to death.

Again, in John 10, Jesus boldly declares, “The Father and I are one (v. 30)." We watch cautiously for the response of the Jewish leaders. What will they do? “The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death (v 31).” Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me (v.32)?" "We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are claiming to be God." Once more, the Jewish leaders, the ones well versed in the scriptures, recognize that Jesus is claiming to be God!

Let’s look at one more time Jesus claimed to be God. Fortunately this time there are no Jewish leaders around to try to stone Him. This time it is in the upper room, just before Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus says,

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say,'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” (John 14:9-10 NIV)

Do you see it? There it is again. If you see Jesus, you see God! “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.” The Father is “living in me.”

Wow! Is there really any way to reasonably doubt that Jesus did in fact claim to be God? I don’t think so. Everyone around Jesus when He made these statements knew exactly what He was claiming. We should too. Did Jesus claim to be God? That’s what His friends and enemies understood Him to claim . . . repeatedly.

Before we rest our case, we should bring in one last body of evidence. Several times in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry his miracles are referred to as “signs.” The point was that the miracles Jesus did authenticated who He was. So, let’s look at a few of these signs and what they prove about Jesus.

Jesus demonstrated power and authority to manipulate matter and control nature in several miracles. Jesus demonstrated power and authority over physical diseases of all kinds. Jesus demonstrated power and authority over death, rasing people from the dead on three different occasions. Jesus demonstrated power and authority over demons several times. What does all this power and authority over creation prove? It proves Jesus is God! But don’t miss the fact that, for the most part, these miracles were done on behalf of people in need. Jesus is God miraculously working in the lives of people
 
Next:  (11)  Jesus: Not Just Your Friend

(9) God’s Exact Image

(Note: This post is part of a series on proof of the deity of Jesus in the New Testament)


Reproductive cloning uses cell nuclear transfer to create animals that are genetically identical. In science fiction, you step into a chamber and an exact duplicate of you is produced. Neither is reality. Reproductive cloning does not actually produce a genetic equal, and the chamber is, well, science fiction. There are no two persons who share the exact same nature. Except when it comes to the triune God. In which case, it is three persons sharing the exact same nature.

The second wonderful phrase in Hebrews 1:3 states that Jesus is “the exact imprint of [God’s] nature.” This statement describes the nature of Jesus through the use of metaphor, using one thing to explain another. Here, He uses the process of making coins to explain that Jesus is God.

The statement contains two key words. The first is the Greek word charakter. Originally, this was an engraving tool or die used to cut something or to make a coin. Latter, it came to refer to an exact representation, duplicate or reproduction.

The second key word is hupostasis. This word refers to something that stands under or behind something or the true substance of something. Here, it is referring to God and speaks of God’s substance, or nature.

Martin Vincent explains:

Here the essential being of God is conceived as setting its distinctive stamp upon Christ, coming into definite and characteristic expression in His Person, so that the Son bears the exact impression of the divine nature and character.

Consider the explanation of William Hendricksen.

A die that stamps an image on a coin bears certain characteristics. When the die produces a coin, the coin is an exact duplicate of the die. Whatever was characteristic of the die is now characteristic of the coin. The nature of the coin is exactly the same as the nature of the die. Nevertheless, even though an imprint is the same as the stamp that makes the impression, both exist separately.

The illustration of this verse helps us think in terms we can understand. A coin is an exact replication or reproduction of the die it came from. Jesus is an exact representation of God. All that God is in His nature, Jesus is.

He is not just the shining forth of God, He is the very person of God. He is the exact representation of God's essence. And what is God's essence? He is God. He is the precise copy, the exact image, the exact reproduction. Language is basically pressed to its limits to try to express this. He is not just a sketch of God. He is not just a shadow like Old Testament pictures and images. He is the full revelation, the picture complete. (John MacArthur)

God is spirit. The Father has no material or physical substance. He is invisible. But here, the writer of Hebrews explains that the substance of God, His true nature is expressed in Jesus in a physical image. Jesus is an exact replication of God. All that God is in His nature, Jesus is. Jesus is God.

Next: (10) Did Jesus Claim to be God?

(8) The Glorious Son

(Note: This post is part of a series on proof of the deity of Jesus in the New Testament)

Have you ever looked at the sun? In reality, no, you haven’t. You have looked at the rays emanating from the sun, but you have never looked at the sun itself. You can’t. You would be blinded.

Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is “ the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power (ESV).”

Scientists have studied the sun with all manner of instruments and are able to give us an analysis of its chemistry, size, temperature, physics, etc., but nothing can reveal the sun to us with quite the same effect as the beams of light that come to us from the sun. They warm us, lighten our days, and are even capable of helping maintain a sense of happiness and well-being in us. In the same fashion, prophets and preachers through the ages have been able to tell us much about God in theological terms, but no one can reveal God to us with quite the effect of that One who is the "Brightness" or radiance or "beams of light" of God's glory. (Joe Terrell)

William Hendriksen states, “The Son causes the radiance of the Father to shine forth. The Son's radiance, therefore, is an extension of God's glory.”

Noted Greek scholar Kittel helps us understand the idea of Jesus being the radiance of the glory of God.

The sun as a heavenly body radiates its light in all its brightness and power to the earth. In the same way , we may see Christ as the radiant light coming from the Father as sunlight emanates from the sun.

Ray Stedman gives us further understanding,

Radiance is light that streams forth from a source of light. As no one can separate the sun's light from the sun itself, so also no one can separate the nature of Christ form that of his Father. Whether the radiance is seen as reflected brightness or inherent brightness, the thought is clear: in Jesus we see the essence of God.

We can say then that Jesus "flashes forth" the glory of God in all His divine nature. The one true God in all His glory is the source and Jesus radiates that glory. Jesus is the brilliant shining forth of the glorious nature of God.

In order to understand the full incredible significance of this statement, we need to consider it in light of its context. The book of Hebrews was written to a Jewish audience steeped in Old Testament allegiance. The writer is trying to show that the new revelation, leader (Jesus), sacrifice, covenant, and everything else is better now. When the writer of Hebrew speaks of the radiance of God’s glory to this audience, it very likely an allusion to the “Shekinah” presence of God demonstrated to the people of Israel as a pillar of fire.  The familiarity of this reference was even greater since the Jewish Rabbis used the word Shekinah frequently to refer to the presence and glory of God dwelling in the midst of his people.

So the writer of Hebrews is likely referring to the two concepts of the pillar of fire and the Shekinah glory of God to communicate the truth that Jesus is the living presence of this glory. Jesus is the living presence of God. Jesus demonstrates the greatness and glory of God in all its magnificent brilliance. And Oh, how great is that glory!

Stop, look, and have you vision filled with Jesus, up close & personal, the brilliant radiance of the glory of God.

Next:  (9)  God’s Exact Image

(7) John Continues His Testimony

(Note: This post is part of a series on proof of the deity of Jesus in the New Testament & second on the first chapter of the Gospel of John.)

John has been very clear, but he is determined to make sure he is not mistaken so he states, “This one was in the beginning with God.” And here, John reaffirms the personality and the preexistence of Jesus.

That’s the glory of the eternally existing Word. In verse fourteen of John one, John declares,

The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The eternally existing Word who is God, “became flesh.” And in His taking on flesh, he displayed the glory of the one and only Son.

In some translations, “one and only” is translated, “only begotten” and so some would say this indicates that Jesus was created. The Tyndale Bible Dictionary helps us understand what the Greek actually means here.
"Only Begotten" is a phrase deeply entrenched in Christian language as descriptive of Jesus. The word traditionally translated "only begotten" does not carry the idea of birth at all. Literally, it means "only one of its kind," "unique." This can be readily seen in the way it is used in the New Testament and in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament).

In Hebrews 11:17, this same word is used to describe Isaac as Abraham's "favored" or "unique" son. Isaac was not Abraham's "only begotten," since he had other children, but Isaac was his favored and unique son fulfilling God's promise.

So, in verse 14, John declares the uniqueness and one-of-a-kind, elite status of Jesus. In verse 18, John again affirms the deity of Jesus.

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

Men like Moses and Isaiah had seen limited manifestations of God, but no one has ever seen the full essence and nature of God. But, Jesus, “the one and only, unique God” has made God known. The Greek word translated, “made Him known” carries the idea of explaining or revealing. John beautifully describes Jesus as being continually at the Father’s “Bosom.” William Hendriksen explains that “this added clause indicates a relation of abiding closeness between the Father-God and the Son-God.”

If there was any doubt of the deity of Jesus and His position as the second member of the triune Godhead, it has been shattered by the bold and precise declarations of the Apostle John. The magnitude of the witnesses, the evidence, the proof for the deity of Jesus has become downright staggering. Either Jesus is God or all of these great men were actually complete fools or unabashed liars! An accusation very few would be so brash as to claim.

Next:  (8)  The Glorious Son

(6) John Takes the Witness Stand

(Note: This post is part of a series on proof of the deity of Jesus in the New Testament.)

The Apostle John was Jesus’ closest friend. He knew Jesus better than anyone. When it comes to witnesses who knew Jesus up close and personal, John has to be one of the top go-to guys. 

What did John have to say about his friend Jesus? Under the direction of the Spirit of God, John gives us what is some of the most striking description of the deity of Jesus.

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him whois true - even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

What is John’s view of Jesus? Jesus is “true God.” The word translated “true” is the Greek word that has the idea of “real” or “genuine.” John says Jesus is real, genuine God.

But this statement by John seems almost trivial when you hear him fully explain his understanding of Jesus. In John’s gospel, he begins, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1-2)

John refers to Jesus here as “The Word.” When we look at the Greek behind this text, we find that “Word” is the Greek word logos.  What we also discover is that logos is really far more than a simple word.  It is actually more of a concept, well-known and common in Greek and Hebrew thought.

While the concept of logos was well known in Greek thought, it is clear that John is thinking in Hebrew terms, going back to creation and the Word of God that creates.

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. (Psalm 33:6 ESV)

When John says “In the beginning” he looks back to the time of creation. John is declaring that in the beginning, when all was created, Jesus already existed. This statement speaks of the eternal, self-existence of Jesus. Jesus existed before anything was created, therefore He is not created and is eternally self-existent.

John continues, saying that “the Word was with God.” John Phillips explains the importance of the Greek here.

The imperfect tense is used. It refers to a mode of existence that transcends time. Time is a device to help finite beings relate to their mode of existence. The verb John uses takes us into the sphere of the timeless. In other words, the one John calls the Word belongs to a realm where time does not matter. The Word did not have a beginning. The Word will never have an ending. The Word belongs to eternity.

In the Moody Handbook of Theology, Paul Enns explains:

The word "was" is the Greek word hen is in the imperfect tense that stresses continual existence in past time. The phrase could thus be translated "In the beginning the Word was continually existing." John's beginning probably goes [refers] back to the origin of the universe; John indicates that however far back one goes, the Word was continuously existing.

The Word was eternally existing, face to face in the very presence of God as a distinct and separate personal being. And the Word was God. Jesus eternally existed face to face in the presence of God . . . as God.

The Greek text is clear. It leaves no room for any other translation: the Word was, before anything was created, God. It is NOT the Word was a God. This is a clear declaration of the deity of Christ. The Word was a distinct personality but also God. This statement also affirms the existence of two of the distinct persons of the triune Godhead.
 
Next:  (7)  John Continues His Testimony

(5) Paul Declares The Supremacy of Christ - Pt. 2

(Note: This post is part of a series on proof of the deity of Jesus in the New Testament.)

Paul is very clear about the fact that Jesus created all things. And he is also very specific about what the “all things” includes. “ All things in heaven or on earth, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers.”

That’s quite a list! If you can see it or you can’t see it, Jesus created it. He created all authorities, all kingdoms and nations of every kind in Heaven or on earth. But notice, that Paul is not just stating that Jesus has created every thing that exists, material and immaterial, in all the universe, he is also saying that Jesus is sovereign over all. Jesus is sovereign God.

Then, Paul continues, “All things were created through him and for him. Jesus created all things, including all authority for himself. Only God deserves to have all things exist for Himself. If Jesus is not God, he is the greatest idolater to ever exist.

Paul’s next statement is, “He himself is before all things” Is Paul a bit senile? How many times is he going to say the same thing? As many times as it takes to get the message across: Jesus is the uncreated creator of all creation and existed before anything else existed.

And, not only is Jesus the uncreated creator, He is also the unsustained sustainer of all creation! “All things are held together in Him.” He keeps everything in order in all of creation. Can anyone but God hold such power, knowledge, wisdom, and authority over all creation?

Jesus is “the firstborn from among the dead, so that He Himself may become first in all things.” Here is another, all encompassing declaration of the supremacy of Jesus above all things. Again, the question must be asked, “Can this be speaking of anyone other that God?” Who but God can legitimately have first place in all things?

Paul is clearly a star witness for proving the deity of Jesus and he still has not made his most dramatic declaration. “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son.” Greek language scholar Marvin Vincent explains, “The “fulness” denotes the sum-total of the divine powers and attributes. In Christ dwelt all the fulness of God as deity. Thus the phrase “in Him should all the fulness dwell” gathers into a grand climax the previous statements – image of God, first-born of all creation, Creator, the eternally preexistent, the Head of the Church, the victor over death, first in all things. Jesus is all of this because He is the fullness of God.

Just in case we still haven’t gotten it, Paul restates this glorious truth again latter in his letter to the Colossians, “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body (Colossians 2:9 NLT).

We’ve heard a lot of testimony. Perhaps it’s a bit overwhelming. So, let’s summarize what we’ve seen so far.

1. Jesus is, "My Lord and my God” (John 20:28)
2. Jesus is “God and Savior.” (2 Peter 1:1)
3. Jesus rules over an eternal kingdom. (2 Peter 1:11).
4. Jesus is “our great God and Savior.” (Titus 2:13).
5. Jesus is “God over all.” (Rom. 9:5).
6. Jesus was“in very nature God,” and equal with God. (Phil. 2:6)
7. Jesus “is the image of the invisible God,” the visible manifestation of the invisible God. (Col. 1:15)
8. Jesus created all things.
9. Jesus is sovereign over all kingdoms and authorities in all the universe. (Col. 1:16)
10. Jesus is the uncreated creator. (Col. 1:16)
11. Jesus is the unsustained sustainer of all creation. (Col. 1:17)
12. In Jesus is all the fullness of God, the sum-total of God’s divine powers and attributes. (Col. 1:19)

Is Jesus God? Beyond a reasonable doubt? Way beyond. The evidence here is really quite extensive and clear. And the best is yet to come!

N ext: (6) John Takes the Witness Stand