December 2003 - Faith FAQ

Did Jesus ever say he was God?

YES! Jesus did say he was God on several occasions in the Bible. Jesus called himself the Son of God (meaning he was God) and the Son of Man (meaning he was human).

One of the hardest things for us to understand is how Jesus could be both fully human (like us) and fully God. This is one of the most amazing things God has ever done for us and why we celebrate Christmas. God came to earth in a human body as Jesus to show us just how very much God loves us! Another word for this is Incarnation -- meaning God taking on a human body to be with us here on the earth. One of the names for Jesus, Emmanuel, also helps us understand this. Emmanuel means "God with us."

Jesus had all of God's authority. Jesus forgave sins, judged people's actions and raised the dead. Claiming to be God was the main thing that angered the religious leaders. They called this blasphemy which means claiming to be God.

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. Either Jesus was telling the truth or...

• Jesus was lying. Even people who don't believe Jesus was God believe he was a great moral teacher. Would a person with good morals lie?
  
  
• Jesus was crazy. Nothing in the Bible makes us believe that Jesus was crazy. He had friends and did normal human things.
  
  
• Jesus was just a legend. A legend is a story that changes over time. The gospels were written by people who actually knew Jesus or by those who interviewed those who did know him well.
  

Think about it... if Jesus wasn't a liar, or a crazy man, or a legend, then he must have been telling the truth! What do you believe about Jesus?

 

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