* There is only one week left in this series! Next week is the last. Subscribe here if you’d like to be sure to see it. Special thanks to my husband, Joel, who helps me with this series. On some, if not most posts he does all the preliminary writing and researching before I jump in!
Was Jesus God?
If you look among many religions, there is actually a debate about whether or not Jesus was God.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe he was. Muslims only believe he was a prophet, and not even as good a prophet as Muhammad. Catholics do not believe he was, although they have no problem saying he was the son of God.
So, does the bible say that he was?
Philippians 2:6 tells us that Jesus thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
The reason Jesus was crucified was because the Jewish Chief Priests said he was blaspheming because they knew he was telling them that he was God. And they didn’t like it!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” John 1:14
I John 5:7 is the key verse regarding the trinity:
“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father [God], the Word [Jesus], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
Did you know that all three are present in Genesis chapter 1?
“In the beginning God [the Father] created the heaven and the earth. And the spirit [the Holy Ghost] of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said [Jesus], Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1;1-3. We know vs. 3 is referring to Jesus because Colossians 1:12-18 tells us so. Go look it up for yourself!
This also helps us understand why God said is Genesis 1:26 Let US make man in OUR image, because God is a 3 part being. See the post on patterns to study this further.
Maybe you wonder why God just doesn’t come out and say that Jesus is God. Why is it so mysterious? Well, God does say that this truth is a mystery. And God reveals this mystery through his Word! He reveals the identity of the Word – in His Word!
I Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,..”
Here are 2 other nuggets God put in his word to help us find out the truth.
Genesis 22:8 “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering;”
Abraham could have said God will provide a lamb, but no, he stuck that little word “himself” in the middle of it. Jesus is called the lamb of God (Revelation 5:6), and he provided himself to die on the cross for us willingly, as an offering.
Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
Where in the bible did God shed his blood? It can only be referring to Jesus!
By the way, Matthew 1:23 also says they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
The truth is that Jesus was God, but a more important truth is that Jesus had to be God. Because his sacrifice had to be the offering of a spotless lamb. And because Jesus rose again from the dead three days after he died on the cross, he IS God! Hallelujah!
If you’d like to know how you can be assured of a home in heaven when you pass from this Earth take the Good Test here.
*You can find all the previous posts in this series right here.
The Jehovah Witnesses don’t use the King James Version of the Bible.
So if they come to my house they have to show me their verses in my
Bible and I show them mine from my Bible. They don’t get it though
because they believe in many Gods. Just ask them. They believe God
is the major God and Jesus is just one of many lesser gods, they use
the little g for that purpose, not the capital G.
I know a lot of Catholics who believe Jesus is God, even the pastor of
our church who was a Catholic growing up was taught that. They just believe that Baptism saves you and the priests intercede for your sins etc.. Yet, I did know a time in the town where I grew up that a young Catholic priest was teaching Salvation the way the Bible teaches, and
many high school students that went to that Catholic church were saved the same way I had been as a Baptist from Bible teaching I’d had when I was in grade school.
There are many religious faiths out there that get parts of it right, but then get off the straight path to the truth into something altogether not what God taught in his Word.
I think everyone should read the Bible through, but that’s a problem too with so many versions out there. I think we need to go back to
the King James Version. It’s in the English language, but hasn’t been
changed up and is nearer the original texts of Hebrew and Greek then many others on the market.