John 8:56-58
[56]Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
[57]Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
[58]Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
John 20:26-29
[26]And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
[27]Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
[28]And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
[29]Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Jesus did not correct Thomas when he called Him/Jesus "Lord" and "God." In fact, He said, "Because you see me, you believe."
Seen who? He was speaking of Himself ....referring back to Thomas's proclamation ... "My Lord and my God!"
John 5:23-24
[23]That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
[24]Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
In the above verses, Jesus is saying that men should honor Him even as they honor the Father. If Jesus is not God (the Word who was God, that was made flesh - Jn 1:1, 14) then He is asking people to go against God's principle of not giving His glory to another, and the command to have no other god before Him. But here we see, Jesus was claiming equality with the God the Father.
Isaiah 42:8
[8]I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
John 5:23-29,32-47
[23]That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
[24]Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
[25]Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
[26]For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
[27]And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
[28]Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
[29]And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
[32]There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
[33]Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
[34]But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
[35]He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
[36]But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
[37]And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
[38]And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
[39]Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
[40]And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
[41]I receive not honour from men.
[42]But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
[43]I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
[44]How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
[45]Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
[46]For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
[47]But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
The above passages clearly state that those who will not receive His testimony, don't have life nor the love of God. Moses wrote of Him, and they still wouldn't believe on Him. The same thing is happening on this forum. The danger here is that those who reject Christ will receive the one who comes in his own name (the antichrist).
God the Father gives the distinction between Jesus and angels....
Hebrews 1:6-14
[6]And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
[7]And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
[8]But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
[9]Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
[10]And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
[11]They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
[12]And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
[13]But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
[14]Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
From the passages above, we see that the Father calls Jesus God, "and" (vs 10) that He (Jesus) is Lord who laid the foundation of the earth and that the heavens are the works of His (Jesus') hands. This is only one of many places where Jesus is called the Creator.
Again, how and why would God.... who says there is no other god besides Him, and that we should have no other god before Him... why would He instruct anyone to worship His Son? Plain and simple ...because Jesus is God, just as the scriptures say. He is the Word that was sent from God, and was God, and was made flesh and dwelt among men ... and His glory was the glory of God (because ....He is God).
Colossians 2:9
[9]For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
[3]But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
[4]In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
[5]For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
[6]For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Paul was saying that they preached "Christ Jesus the Lord." This is the Gospel. The word translated "Lord" is this.
Greek: κύριος
Transliteration: kurios
Pronunciation: koo'-ree-os
Definition: From κῦρος kuros (supremacy);
supreme in authority that is (as noun) controller; by implication Mr . (as a respectful title): - God Lord master Sir.
See that?? Supreme in authority, controller, "God Lord master Sir." You just have to be willfully blind to reject Christ's true identity.