In the Christian faith, Jesus is not merely a prophet or a good moral teacher. He is God who became man.
The Apostle John explains this clearly in the following passage:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. ... He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children ... Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. ... For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The Only One, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made him known." — John 1:1-3, 10-12, 14, 17-18 (NET)
The Bible affirms His divinity through several distinct aspects:
(1) Pre-existence: Jesus Existed Before the World Was Created
John 1:1 clearly states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus Himself explicitly declared His pre-existence to the religious leaders and during His personal prayers:
"So the Jews said to him, 'You are not yet fifty years old! And 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 8:57-59 (NET)
"And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created." — John 17:5 (NET)
"'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the All-Powerful." — Revelation 1:8 (NET)
"When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. Then he placed his right hand on me and said, 'Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last, and the one who lives! I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of Hades.'" — Revelation 1:17-18 (NET)
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." — Revelation 22:13 (NET)
(2) Creator: All Things Were Brought Into Being By Him
The New Testament attributes the creation of the cosmos directly to Jesus, establishing that He is not part of the created order but the Author of it:
"for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers—all things were created by him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him." — Colossians 1:16-17 (NET)
(3) Authority Belonging Exclusively to God
Jesus demonstrated His divinity by executing and verbalizing things that are strictly the unique prerogatives of God.
a. Forgiving Sins
To the paralytic man in Mark 2:5, Jesus said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." The experts in the law muttered in their hearts that only God can forgive sins. Jesus proved His divine authority to forgive by instantly healing the man's physical body.
b. Judge of the Entire World
The role of the ultimate judge of human souls belongs solely to God, yet the Father has entrusted this to Jesus:
"Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son," — John 5:22 (NET)
c. Receiving Worship
In Matthew 28:18, Jesus declared, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." He accepted worship without hesitation. When Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28), Jesus did not rebuke him, thereby fully validating the divine title.
When the disciples in the boat witnessed Jesus walking on water and calming the storm, they fell down and worshiped Him:
"Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God!'" — Matthew 14:33 (NET)
Right before His ascension into heaven, the disciples worshiped Him as the Messiah and Son of God:
"When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted." — Matthew 28:17 (NET)
To see the contrast, consider when the Apostle John fell down to worship the angel who revealed the heavenly visions to him. The angel immediately refused:
"But he said to me, 'Do not do this! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets, and with those who obey the words of this book. Worship God!'" — Revelation 22:8-9 (NET)
Meanwhile, Jesus, who is the Lamb of God, completely accepts eternal worship alongside the Father from all creation:
"Then I heard every creature—in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them—saying: 'To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing, honor, glory, and power forever and ever!' And the four living creatures said, 'Amen,' and the elders threw themselves down and worshiped." — Revelation 5:13-14 (NET)
(4) Jesus Equated Himself with God
Jesus did not leave His identity ambiguous; His statements directly claimed equality with the Father, which the religious leaders of His day recognized as claims to deity:
"'The Father and I are one.' The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus said to them, 'I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which of these deeds are you stoning me?' The Jews answered, 'We are not stoning you for a good deed, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, make yourself out to be God.' Jesus answered, 'Is it not written in your law, "I said, you are gods"? If those to whom the word of God came were called "gods" (and the scripture cannot be broken), do you say of the one whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, "You are blaspheming," because I said, "I am the Son of God"?'" — John 10:30-36 (NET)
"But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.' Jesus said to him, 'You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.' Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, 'He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Now you have heard the blasphemy!'" — Matthew 26:63-65 (NET)
The Context: This bold assertion caused the High Priest to tear his clothes and accuse Jesus of blasphemy because Jesus was deliberately identifying Himself as the divine figure prophesied in Daniel 7.
The Son of Man: "Son of Man" was the title Jesus used most frequently for Himself. Far from simply meaning a human being, it directly referenced the exalted heavenly figure in Daniel 7:13-14 who receives an everlasting, universal kingdom:
"I was watching in the night visions, and with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man was coming. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty. All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving him. His authority is an eternal authority that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed." — Daniel 7:13-14 (NET)
(5) The Miracles of Jesus
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus performed countless miracles that verified His absolute sovereignty over nature, sickness, demonic realms, and even death itself.
a. Miracles Over Nature
- Turning water into wine: John 2:1-11
- Calming the fierce storm: Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25
- Walking on water: Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21
- Feeding the 5,000: Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15
- Feeding the 4,000: Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-10
- The miraculous catch of fish: Luke 5:1-11; John 21:1-14
- Withering the fig tree: Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-24
- Coin in the fish's mouth: Matthew 17:24-27
b. Miracles of Healing
- Cleansing a leper: Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16
- Healing the centurion's servant: Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10
- Healing Peter's mother-in-law: Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39
- Healing the paralytic at Capernaum: Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26
- The woman with the issue of blood: Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48
- Healing two blind men in Galilee: Matthew 9:27-31
- The invalid at the Pool of Bethesda: John 5:1-15
- The man with a withered hand: Matthew 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11
- Restoring blind Bartimaeus's sight: Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43
- Healing a man born blind: John 9:1-7
- Cleansing ten lepers simultaneously: Luke 17:11-19
- Restoring the severed ear of the High Priest's servant: Luke 22:50-51
c. Miracles of Exorcism
- Exorcising a demon in the synagogue: Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37
- Deliverance of the Gerasene demoniac (Legion): Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39
- Curing a boy possessed by an evil spirit: Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-43
- Healing a mute, demon-possessed man: Matthew 9:32-34
d. Miracles of Raising the Dead
- The widow's son at Nain: Luke 7:11-17
- Jairus's daughter: Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56
- Lazarus of Bethany: John 11:1-44
Why Did He Come as a Weak and Poor Man?
This poses a profound question: Why would the Creator of the universe choose to be born in a lowly animal manger rather than a royal palace? Why did He willingly allow Himself to be mocked, beaten, and crucified?
(1) To Become an Empathetic "High Priest"
He entered our condition to experience our suffering firsthand, becoming an empathetic advocate for us:
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in every way just as we are, yet without sin." — Hebrews 4:14-15 (NET)
(2) The Mission of Redemption (The Suffering Servant)
In perfect alignment with the prophecies of Isaiah 53, the Messiah had to come as the "Suffering Servant." Human salvation was not achieved through military conquest or material opulence, but through profound self-sacrifice. His death on the cross required a physical body capable of suffering and dying.
(3) Inverting the Standards of the World
The world idolizes power, wealth, and status. Jesus came to model that within the Kingdom of God, the greatest of all is the one who serves.
"But Jesus called them and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions exercise authority over them. It must not be this way among you! Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'" — Matthew 20:25-28 (NET)
"who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross!" — Philippians 2:6-8 (NET)
(4) Because Those Being Redeemed Are Humans
Jesus had to descend to earth as a human because He came to redeem human beings, not angels. To take upon Himself the penalty of human sin, He had to share fully in human flesh and blood:
"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death. For surely his concern is not for angels, but he is concerned for Abraham’s descendants. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted." — Hebrews 2:14-18 (NET)
(5) Fully God and Fully Man
The Scriptures demonstrate that Jesus is not "half God" or "half man." Rather, He possesses both natures completely and simultaneously:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father." — John 1:1, 14 (NET)
"For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form," — Colossians 2:9 (NET)
Therefore, anyone who claims that Jesus was merely a prophet, a great teacher, or an ordinary man is entirely mistaken. He is Lord.
Awan (Andreas Hermawan)