Jesus Christ is God (deity)
(proofs for the deity of Jesus Christ)

shared with you by
Kraig J. Rice
www.breadonthewaters.com


TABLE OF CONTENTS
(clicking on these links will move you down the page)
Deity of Christ Proved in the Old Testament Deity of Christ Proved in the New Testament
Jesus Christ Has the Attributes of God Who Jesus Is Proves His Deity
Zion Forever Tract (for Jewish folks)  

The Deity of Christ is proved by
the Old Testament prophesies of the Jewish Messiah

The Jews understood that their Promised Messiah would have to fulfill certain scriptures (from their torah or old testament) to prove His identity. Let's take a look at a few of these scriptures:

"From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel"
(Genesis 3:15).

Did the Lord Jesus bruise the head of Satan? Yes. Jesus defeated the devil on the cross of Calvary by purchasing our salvation with His own blood. The kingdom of Satan was defeated at that time because Satan's power was shown to be less than God's power.

"Your divine throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal power is expressed in justice. You love what is right and hate what is wrong. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else"
(Psalms 45:6-7).

"The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit in honor at My right hand until I humble Your enemies, making them a footstool under Your feet"
(Psalms 110:1).

"All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel- "God is with us"
(Isaiah 7:14).

"For a child is born to us, a Son is given to us. And the government will rest on His shoulders. These will be His royal titles: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"
(Isaiah 9:6).

"Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, "Make a highway for the Lord through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God. Fill the valleys and level the hills. Straighten out the curves and smooth off the rough spots. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken!"
(Isaiah 40:3-5).

"Messenger of good news, shout to Zion from the mountaintops! Shout louder to Jerusalem- do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, "Your God is coming!" Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in all His glorious power. He will rule with awesome strength. See, He brings His reward with Him as He comes. He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young"
(Isaiah 40:9-11).

"I will give him the honors of One who is mighty and great, because He exposed Himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners"
(Isaiah 53:12).

"For the time is coming," says the LORD, "when I will place a Righteous Branch on King David's throne. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this is his name: The LORD Is Our Righteousness. In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety"
(Jeremiah 23:5-6).

"As my vision continued that night, I saw someone who looked like a man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into His presence"
(Daniel 7:13).

"But I, the Lord their God, will show love to the people of Judah. I will personally free them from their enemies without any help from weapons or armies"
(Hosea 1:7).

"Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on Me Whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as for an only Son. They will grieve bitterly for Him as for a firstborn Son who has died"
(Zechariah 12:10).

"Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, the Man who is my Partner, says the Lord Almighty. Strike down the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered..."
(Zechariah 13:7).

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me- the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting"
(Micah 5:2).

"Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming," says the LORD Almighty"
(Malachi 3:1).

The Deity of Christ is proved by
the New Testament scriptures

The Jews understood that their Messiah was to be God in the flesh to prove His identity. Jesus was fully God and fully Man at the same time. Let's take a look at a few of these scriptures that prove His deity:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
(John 1:1).


"Jesus answered, "The truth is, I existed before Abraham was even born"
(John 8:58).


"The Father and I are one."
(John 10:30)


"Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in Me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know where I am going and how to get there." "No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We haven't any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him and have seen him!" Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied." Jesus replied, "Philip, don't you even yet know who I AM, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see Him? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say are not My own, but My Father who lives in Me does his work through Me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Or at least believe because of what you have seen Me do. The truth is, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in My name, and I will do it! If you love Me, obey My commandments."
(John 14:1-15) (New Living Translation or NLT)


"And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was"
(John 17:5).


"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world"
(John 17:24).


"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father"
(Philippians 2:5-11).


"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; All things were created and exist through Him (by His service, intervention) and in and for Him. (Amplified Bible). He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together"
(Colossians 1:15-17). (NLT)


"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last"
(Revelation 22:13).

Jesus Christ Possesses Attributes Which Only God Has:

1. Jesus Christ Is Eternal (He does not have a beginning or ending to His life)

"He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together"
(Colossians 1:17).

"But to his Son he says, "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal power is expressed in righteousness. You love what is right and hate what is wrong. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else. And, "Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands"
(Hebrews 1:8-10).

"I am the Alpha and the Omega- the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One"
(Revelation 1:8).

"In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God"
(John 1:1). Also see Isaiah 9:6; and Micah 5:2.

2. Jesus Christ Is Omnipresent (He is everywhere at the same time)

"For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them"
(Matthew 18:20).

"Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age"
(Matthew 28:20).

"No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven- the Son of Man"
(John 3:13).

3. Jesus Christ Is Omniscient (He knows everything)

"Now we understand that you know everything and don't need anyone to tell you anything. From this we believe that you came from God"
(John 16:30).

"Once more he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep"
(John 21:17).

4. Jesus Christ Is Omnipotent (He is all powerful)

"Put on your sword, O Mighty Warrior! You are so glorious, so majestic!"
(Psalms 45:3).

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body"
(Philippians 3:20-21).

"I am the Alpha and the Omega- the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One"
(Revelation 1:8).

5. Jesus Christ Is Immutable (He never changes)

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever"
(Hebrews 13:8).

6. Jesus Christ Is Self-existent (no one created Him)

"In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make"
(John 1:1-3).

"He became a priest, not by meeting the old requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed"
(Hebrews 7:16).

"He will even raise from the dead anyone he wants to, just as the Father does. And the Father leaves all judgment to his Son, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. But if you refuse to honor the Son, then you are certainly not honoring the Father who sent him. "I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. And I assure you that the time is coming, in fact it is here, when the dead will hear my voice- the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted his Son to have life in himself"
(John 5:21-26).

7. Jesus Christ Is Holy

"You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer"
(Acts 3:14).

"And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, "You are just in sending this judgment, O Holy One, who is and who always was. For your holy people and your prophets have been killed, and their blood was poured out on the earth. So you have given their murderers blood to drink. It is their just reward."
(Revelation 16:5-6).

"He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God"
(1 Peter 1:19).

He Performs Works Which Only God Can Do:

8. Jesus Christ Forgives Sins

"I will prove that I, the Son of Man, have the authority on earth to forgive sins"
(Mark 2:10).

"I tell you, her sins- and they are many- have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love"
(Luke 7:47).

9. Jesus Christ Will Be The Judge of Each Individual

"And the Father leaves all judgment to his Son"
(John 5:22).

"And so I solemnly urge you before God and before Christ Jesus- who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom..."
(2 Timothy 4:1).

"For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead"
(Acts 17:31).

10. Jesus Christ Is The Creator

"And, "Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands"
(Hebrews 1:10).

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation"
(Colossians 1:15).

11. Jesus Christ Is The Sustainer

"He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together"
(Colossians 1:17).

"The Son reflects God's own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven"
(Hebrews 1:3).

12. Jesus Christ Worked Miracles

"Don't believe me unless I carry out my Father's work. But if I do his work, believe in what I have done, even if you don't believe me. Then you will realize that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father"
(John 10:37-38).

He Owns the Names and Titles of Deity:

13. Jesus Christ Is The Son of God

"They began screaming at him, "Why are you bothering us, Son of God? You have no right to torture us before God's appointed time!"
(Matthew 8:29)

"Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God"
(Matthew 16:16).
(also see Mark Chapter 1).

14. Jesus Christ Is Master and Lord

"And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God, while we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed"
(Titus 2:12-13).

"Jesus responded, "Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, call him Lord? For David said, `The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.' Since David called him Lord, how can he be his son at the same time?"
(Matthew 22:43-45).

Also see John 1:1 and 18; Hebrews 1:8

15. Jesus Christ Claimed to Be God and He Received Worship

"And the Father leaves all judgment to his Son, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. But if you refuse to honor the Son, then you are certainly not honoring the Father who sent him"
(John 5:22-23).

Also see John 10:30; Matthew 4:10;
Revelation 22:8-9; Philippians 2:10).

False Views of Jesus Christ:
1) The False Theory of Ebionism which indicated that Jesus was a natural son of Joseph and Mary.
2) The False Theory of Arianism which indicated that Jesus was not divine and eternal- similar to, but not the same as God. Some theologians believe this is a very very similar false doctrine to what the Jehovah's Witnesses Cult subscribes to today.


Jesus Christ is the Creator of the Universe

The Deity of Christ is proved by
Who He Is

The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:

His virgin birth:

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and He will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us)."
(Matthew 1:23)

"Don't be frightened, Mary," the angel told her, "for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give Him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!"
(Luke 1:30-33).

"The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God"
(Luke 1:35).

His sinless life:

"He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has now been set apart from sinners, and he has been given the highest place of honor in heaven"
(Hebrews 7:26).

"He never sinned, and he never deceived anyone"
(1 Peter 2:22).

His miracles:

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know"
(Acts 2:22).

"And no doubt you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with him"
(Acts 10:38).

His substitutionary work on the cross:

"I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me- that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said"
(1 Corinthians 15:3).

"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ"
(2 Corinthians 5:21).

His bodily resurrection from the dead:

"He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying"
(Matthew 28:6).

"Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it's really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don't have bodies, as you see that I do!"
(Luke 24:39).

"He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said"
(1 Corinthians 15:4).

His exaltation to the right hand of God:

"It was not long after he said this that he was taken up into the sky while they were watching, and he disappeared into a cloud"
(Acts 1:9).

"They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!"
(Acts 1:11).

"Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear"
(Acts 2:33).

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father"
(Philippians 2:9-11).

"The Son reflects God's own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven"
(Hebrews 1:3).

Zion Forever

Here is a tract that I wrote many years ago titled "Zion Forever!" I wrote it because too many folks over look the fact the Bible prophesies that the Jewish Messiah would come twice.

Fact One: The divine Messiah of Israel was prophesied to come twice. The following scriptures were recognized by rabbis of old as Messianic Scriptures.
Isaiah 53:8 indicates that the Messiah would come and be "cut off" or killed.
Isaiah 12:5 & 6 indicates that the world shall be governed by the Messiah and that His throne shall be established in Zion.

Now, logically we can figure in our minds that the Messiah cannot rule from Zion and at the same time be killed. Either the Bible is wrong or the Messiah was prophesied to come twice. Logically, the thought arises, "Then it would be impossible for anyone to kill the Messiah while He was here the first time because no one can kill a Divine Person." Let us see what the New Testament says as it reveals the words of Jesus Christ:
"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father"
(John 10:17 & 18).
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live"
(John 11:25).

Fact Two- Scriptures in the Bible regarding the first coming of the Messiah are detailed and accurate:

Where was the Messiah to be born? Micah 5:1 indicates He was to be born in Bethlehem.

Why would the Messiah come the first time? Isaiah 53:8 gives the answer that He would die for our sins, and
Jeremiah 31:31-34 indicates the Messiah would institute a new covenant- a covenant where salvation would NOT be based upon law and works but based upon faith such as the salvation Abraham received from God based upon his faith. This was before the law was given
(Romans 4:3).

How was the Messiah to be born? Isaiah 7:14 indicates He would be born of a virgin.

How was the Messiah to die? He would die by crucifixion, a form of death not known in 600 B.C.
(Psalm 22).

What was to be distinctive about the Messiah? Isaiah 9:6 & 7 indicates He was to be Jewish- a descendant of King David.
Genesis 49:10 and Numbers 24:17 & 18 indicate He was to be a King.
Deuteronomy 18:18 & 19 indicate He was to be a Prophet.
Isaiah chapter 53 indicates His mission and death.
Genesis 3:15 indicates He would be the enemy of Satan.
Genesis 49:10 indicates the Messiah was to come from the tribe of Judah.
Psalm 16:10 indicates the Messiah would be resurrected.

When would the Messiah come the first time? When should Israel begin looking for Him?
Daniel 9:25 & 26 indicates the Messiah would die somewhere around the year 32 A.D. This prophecy was based upon weeks of years. This was one of the biggest clues to the Jewish people from God as to when the Messiah was to come.

Who was the Person who fulfilled all the prophesies just quoted? Let us examine the records. There was Someone who was born in Bethlehem
(Matthew 2:1-6). He was of the bloodline of King David
(Luke 1:32-33). He was from the tribe of Judah
(Hebrews 7:14. He was born from the womb of a virgin
(Matthew 1:18-25). He died for our sins
(2 Corinthians 5:21). He died by crucifixion
(Luke 23:33). When facing death He never denied being a King
(John 18:33-37). He was called the Prophet
(John 7:40). He resurrected from the tomb
(1 Corinthians 15:4). He died somewhere around the year 32 A.D. On the day of His death He fulfilled 33 Jewish Messianic prophecies.

Numerous Jewish people accepted Jesus Christ as their Messiah in by-gone days. Numerous Jewish people are accepting Him today as their Messiah. If you are Jewish, He will prove Himself to be your Messiah if you believe, open your heart, ask Him to forgive you of your sins and invite Him to come and live in your heart. When you do this you will experience Him entering your heart and taking your sins away. He does this because He loves you and died for you.

A friendly greeting to you- Dear Jewish Friend,
I am a Gentile who loves the Jewish people. My motive is to love and help you by sharing the truth of Jesus Christ with you. Have you ever thought there was something in life you were missing out on? Have you ever thought that at the end of every passing day there was still something left unfulfilled in your life? There is. You may have lived life to the fullest and did everything there was to do. I know. I was the same way. Still, there is that emptiness inside your heart. The burden of sin is there also. Your mind carries guilt and sometimes you wonder if life is worth living.

One time I went to a "Kosher" New Testament Bible study. I was asked if I wanted to invite Jesus Christ to come to live in my heart. I had never heard that before. I wonder if you have? I had tried everything else in life searching for inner fulfillment with no lasting success. So I decided to try Christ. I opened my heart with my will and prayed out loud to Jesus. I confessed that I was sorry for sinning against Him. I asked Him to come into my heart. I believed and confessed that He was the Son of God and that He died in my place on the cross, that He shed His precious blood for me, and that He resurrected from the dead. WOW! Then it happened! Jesus Christ literally came into my heart! I felt and experienced the blackness of my sins sliding off my heart and Christ coming in. Glory be to God- He did this for me, a Gentile! It is indescribable what took place in my heart and mind within a moment of time. He is still living in my heart after all these years. He was "what" I was missing out on in life. I received fulfillment, joy, and peace in my heart. Guilt was instantly removed from my mind and through this experience I received a reason for living. The same thing can happen to you.

It does not matter whether you are a person of Jewish descent or non Jewish descent. You can receive Jesus Christ literally into your heart the same as I did and feel that wonderful peace there that diminishes all that agonizing fear you have. When Christ lives in your heart you will have inner fulfillment, joy, a conscience clear of guilt, and a reason for living. Will you repent of your sins, be sorry for sinning against God, believe that Jesus Christ is your Messiah and that He resurrected from the grave? Will you invite Him to come and live in your heart?

Some folks may say:
People saw Jesus so He cannot be God

Some folks may say that but is there an explanation for it? Yes. Let's take a look at the scripture in question:

The Bible says:
"No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him"
(John 1:18).

A Christian cult likes to point to this scripture as an apparent contradiction to try to prove that Jesus Christ is not God. They say that Jesus could not be God because people saw Him.

It's not a contradiction at all. God became fully man (as well as fully God) in His incarnation (when He was born). This allowed folks to look upon God (God the Son). But no one on earth is still allowed to look upon God the Father in Heaven- His brilliance, glory, holiness, and majesty are too powerful for any mortal man to behold without instant death. I believe that this is what the Apostle John was referring to.


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since May 13, 2011