Part one
------ Notes on the Deity of Jesus Christ ------
------ Garth D. Wiebe, 1985, uploaded 1997 -----
[All quotes from the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Tetragrammaton
rendered as YHWH in this study (where NASB normally substitutes "the LORD")
for emphasis in distinguishing between the divine name for God in the Old
Testament, and the Hebrew <adonai>, which literally means "lord".]
Ultimately, God is incomprehensible to human minds
"'Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits
of the Almighty?'" (Job 11:7)
"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My
ways,' declares YHWH. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your
thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
(Also see Job 42:2-6, Psalm 145:3, Isaiah 40:13, Romans 11:33)
But we must not put limits on what God can do
"...all things are possible with God." (Mark 10:27)
"'I know that you can do all things...'" (Job 42:2)
Jesus Christ was either God, or not "good" -- we must choose.
"And as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and
knelt before Him, and began asking Him, 'Good Teacher, what shall
I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do
you call me good? No one is good except God alone.'" (Mark 10:17-18)
Jesus Christ is God.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God" (John 1:1)
He was the original Creator of the heavens and the earth.
"All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came
into being that has come into being." (John 1:3)
"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and the
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers
or authorities -- all things have been created by Him and for Him.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
(Col 1:16-17)
Jesus lowered Himself, was exhalted.
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us..." (John 1:14)
"...who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself [i.e.
laid aside His privileges], taking the form of a bond-servant,
being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance
as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of
death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exhalted
Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in
heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father. (Phil 2:5-11)
Jesus' position on earth was of voluntary submission to the Father, setting
aside many of His privileges to act as God.
"'...the Father is greater than I.'" (John 14:28)
Jesus' nature and equality with God is not denied, even by Jesus
"For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill
Him, because He was not only breaking the Sabbath, but also he was
calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God" (John 5:18)
"'I and the Father are one.' The Jews took up stones again to stone
Him. Jesus answered them, 'I showed you many good works from the
Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?' The Jews answered
Him, 'For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and
because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.' [Rather
than correct them, Jesus then proceeds to reinforce his claim,
followed by the Jews again seeking to seize him] (John 10:30-39)
"'I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father
except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My
Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.' Phillip
said to Him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.'
Jesus said to him, 'Have I been so long with you, and yet you have
not come to know Me, Phillip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father;
how do you say, "Show us the Father"? (John 14:6-9)
"For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Col 2:9)
"Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said
to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are
they who did not see, and yet believed." (John 20:28-29)
He resumed his position of "all authority" after the resurrection
"'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth'"
(Matt 28:18)
Jesus' name implies Deity
"'Behold, the virgin will be with child, and shall bear a Son, and
they shall call His name Immanuel' [Isaiah 7:14], which translated
means, 'God with us'". (Matt 1:23)
Old Testament prophecies of coming Messiah imply Deity
"...His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."
(Micah 5:2)
"...And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
Jesus is YHWH, the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14 (<EGO EIMI> of NT and Greek Septuagint)
"Then Moses said to God, 'Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel,
and I shall say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you."
Now they may say to me, "What is His name?" What shall I say to them?'
And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, 'Thus you shall
say to the sons of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."' And God,
furthermore, said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel,
"YHWH, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you." This is my name forever,
and is My memorial-name to all generations.'" (Exodus 3:13-15)
"'I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless
you believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins.'" (John 8:24)
"'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.'
Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him..." (John 8:58-59)
"Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him,
went forth and said to them, 'Whom do you seek?' They answered Him,
'Jesus the Nazarene.' He said to them, "I AM." And Judas also who
was betraying Him, was standing with them. When therefore He said
to them, "I AM", they drew back and fell to the ground." (John 18:4-6)
References in Old Testament to YHWH find fulfillment in Jesus of New Testament.
OT "A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for YHWH in the wilderness; make
smooth in the desert a highway for our God." (Isaiah 40:3)
NT "The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb
of God who takes away the sin of the world.'" (John 1:29)
OT "'In that day YHWH will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem... they
will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him,
as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him,
like the bitter weeping over a first-born.'" (Zech 12:8-10)
NT "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him,
even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will
mourn over Him. (Rev 1:7)
OT "Then YHWH will go forth and fight against those nations, as when
He fights on a day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand
on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east..."
(Zech 14:3-4)
NT "And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were
looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they
were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two
men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, 'Men of
Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has
been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as
you have watched Him go into heaven.' Then they returned to Jerusalem
from the hill called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem..."
(Acts 1:9-12)
OT "'And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of YHWH will
be delivered.'" (Joel 2:32)
NT "...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in
your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved...
for whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
(Romans 10:9,13)
Also, see
Psalm 23:1, Isaiah 40:11 --> John 10:1-14, Heb 13:20, 1 Pet 2:25,5:4
Psalm 50:1-6 --> 2 Thess 1:7-10
Psalm 68:15-18 --> Eph 4:8
Psalm 102:1,12,25-27 --> Heb 1:10-12
Isaiah 8:12-15 --> 1 Pet 2:8
Isaiah 43:3 --> Acts 3:14
Isaiah 44:6 --> Rev 1:7,8,17,18,2:8,22:13
Isaiah 45:22,23 --> Rom 14:9-12, 2 Cor 5:10, Phil 2:10
Isaiah 62:11,12 --> Rev 22:12
Jer 11:12,17:10,20:12 --> Rev 2:23