Jesus Christ: Was He who He claimed to be?
Off and on all my life I’ve met people who claimed Jesus of Nazareth wasn’t who He claimed to be. What they sometimes say is that He may have been a prophet, but He was not God personified. As I begin this article I’ll begin with His own claims and what the Bible says about this, even though typically these people don’t want to accept what the Bible says about this and a lot of other things. But let’s look at that first because some of these unbelievers even say Jesus of Nazareth didn’t even claim to be God. But what does the Bible record actually tell us about that?
John 8:58
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. [Emphasis added]
The “I am” here is the verb to be doubled. It was a way for Him to say that there never was a time when He didn’t exist. He always was! He was eternal. Abraham lived many centuries before Christ’s earthly ministry, but Christ claimed that He lived even before him.
John 10:30
30 I and my Father are one. [Emphasis added]
Can we say that about ourselves? Here He’s not talking about an earthly father. Having been born of a virgin, He didn’t have one. Here He’s speaking of His Heavenly Father. To say that they are one is to say that they are one in essence. He had a different personality than the Father, but was the same in essence, in divine attributes. The reality is that we have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They share in all the same attributes of deity. For instance, they are all omnipotent. Jesus was all powerful in His deity, having complete authority over literally everything.
Matthew 28:18
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. [Emphasis added]
Also, only God can provide the forgiveness of sins. This Jesus of Nazareth had that power.
Mark 2:5-7
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? [Emphasis added]
Even these evil “religious” Pharisees knew this. Jesus wasn’t just asking them to take His word for it. It was this that was the main purpose for all the miracles He performed. Talk is cheap. Anyone can make claims. But this man like no other offered people visible proof of His claims on numerous occasions.
John 10:38
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. [Emphasis added]
Anyone who witnessed any one of these knew very well that He had to be exactly who He claimed to be. But like today, there were some who had to be convinced to believe His claims.
John 14:9-11
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. [Emphasis added]
How else could He have said it to be plainer in His claims? He even tells us that He will have these attributes forever.
Revelation 22:13
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. [Emphasis added]
Yes, this Jesus of Nazareth was exactly who He claimed to be. He was undiminished deity and true humanity in one person. Most important to us is the fact that He was and is the only Savior. God loved each of us enough to provide a Savior for us.
Romans 5:8
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. [Emphasis added]
Did He do this for everyone so that anyone can be saved? He surely did! This One who was the God/man came into the world to provide this.
1 Timothy 2:5-6
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. [Emphasis added]
This doesn’t mean everyone gets to go to Heaven, but it does mean anyone can potentially go to Heaven. All that’s necessary for them to do is accept by faith the provision God made for them.
2 Corinthians 5:19-21
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we [we who have accepted His provision for us] are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. [Emphasis added]
To fulfill this command to be reconciled one must simply accept what Jesus Christ did for them. That is all! Salvation isn’t earned or deserved by anything we may do. It is appropriated by grace through faith in what He did for us in His death, burial, and resurrection.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. [Emphasis added]
Christ took all the work out of it for us.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel [EUAGGELION = the good news] which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [Emphasis added]
Why not be receptive to this good news right now? By this you can have the assurance of knowing that you’ll get to spend eternity in a wonderful place called Heaven.
