Further proof that Jesus is God
Jesus is called God:
- [8]Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. [9]For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. – Colossians 2:8-9
Jesus claims to be God:
- Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. – John 8:58
Note: The Jehovah's Witnesses translate “I Am” as “I have been”, in their New World Translation. To emphasize the reality of what Christ said, and the fact that the King James Version (and most modern Translations) have this verse translated correctly, we need only read further, as the next verse says: Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.Stoning was the penalty for blasphemy. Why would the Pharisees attempt to stone Jesus for claiming to have merely been in existence before Abraham? Such a claim would have been considered lunatic, but certainly not blasphemous, or in any way worthy of death. Jesus was ascribing to himself the same name of God that his Father used in Exodus 3: [13] And Moses said unto God, “Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, ‘The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you'; and they shall say to me, ‘What [is] his name?' what shall I say unto them?” [14] And God said unto Moses, “I AM THAT I AM:” and he said, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, ‘I AM hath sent me unto you.'”
- In John 10:30, Jesus says: “I and [my] Father are one.”, to which the response is: [31] Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. [32] Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? [33] The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. [34] Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? [35] If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; [36] Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? [37] If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. [38] But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father [is] in me, and I in him. [39] Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, [40] And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
Notice again, Jesus does not refute their claim that he claims to be God. In fact, he reinforces his claim!
I have heard it said that often when we miss the point of what Jesus is saying, the Pharisees come to our rescue. When you read of the Pharisees' responses to Jesus anywhere in scripture, pay special attention to their response. It will amplify and clarify Jesus' claims.