JESUS IS GOD
There is not a single verse in the Bible where Jesus said “I am God.” However, this does not mean that Jesus did not claim to be God. Consider Jesus’ statement in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” We only need to observe the reaction of the Jews to know that Jesus claimed to be God. They demanded that he be stoned because: “It is not for a good work that we stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God” (John 10:33). The Jews understood exactly what Jesus meant by his statement, that he claimed to be God. Notice that Jesus did not correct the Jews’ statement about that statement. When he declared: “I and the Father are one.” That is, He claimed to be of one essence and substance with the Father. Another example is in John 8:58, “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’” Again, the Jewish response was to stone Jesus (John 8:59) for blasphemy under the Mosaic law (Leviticus 24:15).
The apostle John refers to the concept of Jesus’ deity as follows: “The Word was God” and “The Word became flesh.” (John 1:1,14). This clearly indicates that Jesus is God in the flesh. Acts 20:28 tells us “…to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood.” Who purchased the church with his own blood? Jesus Christ. Acts 20:28 declares that God purchased the Church with his own blood. Therefore, Jesus is God.
Thomas, a disciple, declared of Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus did not correct him. Titus 2:13 encourages us to look forward to the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (see also 2 Peter 1:1). Hebrews 1:8 The Father declares of Jesus, “But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.’” The Father calls Jesus “O God,” which implies that Jesus is truly God.
In the book of Revelation, an angel instructed the apostle John to worship only God (Revelation 19:10). Several times in the Bible, Jesus accepted worship (Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9,17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38). He never rebuked those who worshiped Him. If Jesus were not God, He would have told people not to worship Him, as the angel did in Revelation. There are many verses and passages in the Bible that argue for the deity of Jesus. The most important reason Jesus must be God is that, if He were not God, His death was not enough to pay the penalty for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). If Jesus is not God, then He is only a created being, and He cannot pay the world’s eternal debt of sin to the living God. Only God can pay that debt of sin. Only God can take away the sins of the world. (2 Corinthians 5:21). His death and resurrection – proof of His victory over sin and death.