Getting to know God should be easy.

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D
id Jesus Christ claim to be God? 

Yes he did, often and in different ways.  One of the ways He did was by claiming to be "The Christ". We are familiar with the name "Jesus Christ". The word "Christ" however, is actually a title. The word "Christ" used in the new testament, is the equivalent of the word "Messiah" in the old testament, which means "the annointed one". Apart from any other use of these words in scripture, the title of "The Christ" or "The Messiah" refers to the one person, the supreme deliverer, who the prophets foretold would come and bring salvation to the world and exercise eternal rule over it. The prophets, and Jesus Himself, teach that Christ is God. Jesus claimed to be this Christ.

The Prophets teach that The Christ is God

  • Isaiah 9:6 says of the Christ that, "...His name will be called...Mighty God.."
  • Jeremiah 23:6 says of the Christ, "...Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." The Hebrew " YHWH" is used for "LORD" here. This is the proper-name of God.

Jesus teaches that The Christ is God

"While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: ‘The LORD said to my Lord,“Sit at My right hand,Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’?*[from Ps 110:1] “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore." -Matthew 22:41-46 (NKJV) 

In this passage Jesus provokes the religious leader's thoughts about the Christ and shows them that David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, refers to the Christ as "Lord". He points them to Psalm 110:1, a familiar passage about the Christ. Jesus' point is simple yet brilliant. How can David refer to someone as his Lord whom he'll never meet and won't be born for many generations? The answer is that the Christ is more than mere man. He trancends the fleshly boundary of time, is eternally greater than David, and is the deliverer for all generations.

"Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am He.'", John 4:26 (NKJV)

Jesus refers to Himself as Christ and Messiah

  • In John 4:25-26 we are told that Jesus stopped and spoke with a woman. In verse 25, while they spoke, she said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things."
     
    EasyTip: Jesus often referred to Himself as "The Son of Man", which was also a title of the Christ introduced in Daniel 7:13 (NKJV).
     
    Then in verse 26, "Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” 
  • In John 17:1-5, Jesus begins to pray to God the Father. "Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to *all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth, *having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."  Jesus refers to Himself as Jesus Christ. We also see Him claim authority over all flesh, the ability to give eternal life, and that He had glory with the Father before the world was.

Who do you say that He is?

In Matthew 16:15-17, Jesus spoke with His disciples. "He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.'"  God the Father revealed this truth to Peter.

 

Just as Jesus asked His disciples who they said that He is, He could also ask you. How would you answer Him?

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