Wednesday: Christ’s Divine Nature: Part 2
Jesus declared and demonstrated that He had the same power as the Father to overcome death. As the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will (John 5:21, NKJV). Only God can state: I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25, NKJV).
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
Another clear indication of His divinity is found in His assertion to preexistence. He came down from heaven (John 3:13, NKJV) because the Father sent Him (John 5:23). Then, again, He reaffirmed His preexistence: And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was (John 17:5, NKJV).
Why is John 8:58 one of Jesus’ more direct and profound statements about His deity? See also Exod. 3:13-14.
In contrast with Abraham, who came into being (which is the literal meaning of the Greek root gínomai, translated here as was, Jesus announced Himself to be the self-existent One. He was not only there before Abraham’s birth but existed eternally. I am implies continuous existence. Furthermore, I AM is the title of Yahweh Himself (Exod. 3:14). The leaders understood, unmistakably, that Jesus claimed to be the I AM revealed in the burning bush. For them, He was guilty of blasphemy and therefore they took up stones to throw at Him (John 8:59, NKJV).
The Gospels show that Jesus, without showing disapproval, accepted worship from others. He knew very well that, according to the Scriptures, only God deserves man’s adoration, for He said to Satan: It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve. (Matt. 4:10, NKJV). Therefore, by accepting worship from others, He was revealing His divinity. The disciples on the sea (Matt. 14:33), the blind man healed (John 9:38), the women at Jesus’ tomb (Matt. 28:9) and the disciples in Galilee (Matt. 28:17) all worshiped Him openly, recognizing His deity. Thomas’s words to Jesus, My Lord and my God! (John 20:28, NKJV) would not have been spoken by a Jew back then unless he clearly understood that he was talking to God.
Read John 20:29. What are things that you have not seen, yet believe in? What are the implications of your answer for the whole question of faith?
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Jesus son of god. Does he has the beginning
Trying to answer your question briefly although much more could be said: Jesus did not have a beginning in eternity. If you compare John 1:1-3 with John 1:14, you will notice that Jesus had a beginning in incarnation (egeneto -- he bedame man). Never ever will you read that Jesus became God. In John 1:1-3 you will notice that the word aen (was) is repeated four times. This expresses timelessnes. The text is actually saying that there was no time when Christ was not in existence. If Christ had a beginning, the word egeneto (became) would have been repeated four times in John 1:1-3. The same fact is obvious if you compare both words in John 8:58. Abraham became...He had a beginning. Christ was. He had no beginning as He identifies Himself with the One who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and existed in all eternity: way before Abraham was born (Exodus 3:14). Abraham came into being. Christ never ever came into being. Or else the angels in heaven would be ransgressing the ten commandments (Exodus 20:5) as they are worshipping Christ (Hebrews 1:6).
Winfried Stolpmann
Winfrieda, it is intereresting to me that we don't see the name, Jesus, in the Bible until the incarnation of Christ. Until then we see names and titles including Christ, Angel of The Lord, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, etc.
It is interesting to see how the titles of Christ interrelate and even interchange with the Father.
In this I think we see more of the oneness of God working together with all three individuals as one, something like we, made in His image, function as three in one.
When we see Jesus claiming the title, I Am and the Father is the I Am how many I Ams are there, 1,2,or maybe 3? If this sounds disrespectful, think about it in light of the "one" God of the Old Testament.
Is Jesus claiming to be the I Am or one of the I Ams?
When Adam first saw his Creator, what did he see if he was made in the image of his creator and in "their" likeness? Did he see someone just like himself? What does this say about the great I Am?
Precious and Don, In John 18, when Jesus is arrested He asks who they are looking for. They say Jesus. He says "I am He." According to the SDA Commentaries the word "He" is supplied and He actually said "I am." In the Greek He said "egō eimi" meaning the eternal one. According to the SDA Bible commentaries it has the same meaning as when God said "I AM that I AM" In Exodus 3:14. So what Jesus was telling them in John 18 is "I AM that I Am" Just like when He met with Moses at the burning bush - the eternal one.
there are many evidences that Jesus proves to be the Son of God, He is not claiming His Divinity. If we reject Christ and not believe in Him we will have a difficult relationship with the Father because Christ is a great representation of Father's love. Rejecting Christ means rejecting the Father.
John 20:28-29 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
God said in the begining that '' LET '' make man as our likeness , in babel '' LET" confuse their tongue. Jesus is call AM I.
am happy when people try to dispute his divine deity
Answering the last question: We believe in germs even though we don't see them. We see the effects on other people
noel, I don't intend to reject Christ as God by my statement. On the contrary, I think it necessary to raise the idea that Christ and the Father are the same in mind and character and that Christ is the full expression of the whole Godhead in visible "hard copy"--please pardon the analogy, but it seems to fit here.
Some have said that the person in the burning bush was indeed Christ in a visible form and an audible voice. I think we need to put the three persons of God together in our minds for a more one-God concept rather than trying to go through the impossible gymnastics of separating them.
Let's receive the Holy Spirit however He is offered and join up with God as His visible children. Then we can walk the walk of the righteousness of Christ by the primary motivation of the Holy Spirit as Adam did before his fall. Only now we have hind-sight to give us something Adam did not have before sin. We must give our consent for the work of the Holy to be performed in every issue of our life if we will be like Him.
And remember we are made in His image so we are three as well--mind, body, and spirit.
Don,
There are at least two I Ams. But they are One, according to Jesus. In Genesis, God said "Let us make man in our image." God was not talking to himself. We see right at the beginning a conversation between God and his Son.
Nick, I understand what you are saying, but it is not only two I Am's. The Holy Ghost was also present at creation. Genesis 1:2 "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters". Also, at Jesus baptism, there was a voice from heaven, God the Father, and the dove-like Spirit of God descending on Him, the Holy Ghost. We must always remember that it is three persons of the Godhead.