Jesus Said He Was God

Despite his public displays of supernatural power, Jesus enraged the Jewish leaders with his bold claims to be God.

To get the weight of what he said, read through a crash course in Jewish history.

After that, read and reflect on what Jesus said.

 

Jesus clearly said he was God. His claims are either true or false—you can’t kinda be God, kinda not!.. If they were false then either he knew they were false and was a liar, or he didn’t realise they were false and he was crazy. The only other option is that he was actually God.

  • Who do you think Jesus isa liar, crazy, or God? How come?
  • What difference might it make to you if Jesus really is God?
  • Abraham is the original Jewish ancestor, a guy who lived ~1800 years before Jesus. God promised Abraham that he would send the world a rescuer (a.k.a. “the Messiah”) from his descendants (Genesis 12:1-3).
  • God told the Jews that one of his names was “I am” (Exodus 3:14).
  • God describes himself as Father to the nation of Israel (Isaiah 63:16).

“You are not yet fifty years old,” [the Jewish leaders] said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”

“Jesus answered… "I and the Father are one." Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”