Is Jesus God?
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Many people believe Jesus was a great teacher or prophet. Others claim He was only a man. But the Bible presents a much stronger picture. From the Old Testament to the New, Scripture repeatedly identifies Jesus with the one true God; YHWH (the personal name of God in the Old Testament). Let's Dig In The Bible!
Subject 1: Is Jesus YHWH?
YHWH is the covenant name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). God told Moses to tell the people, “I AM THAT I AM has sent me to you.” This name expresses God’s eternal, self-existent nature.
In the New Testament, Jesus applies this same language to Himself. In John 8:58 He says, “Before Abraham was, I am.” The Jewish leaders immediately understood the claim and tried to stone Him for blasphemy (John 8:59). They knew He was identifying Himself with the YHWH of the Old Testament.
Other passages make the same connection. When Thomas sees the risen Jesus, he declares, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus accepts the confession without correction. Paul calls Jesus “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13). The Bible does not treat Jesus as a lesser being who points to YHWH.
It identifies Him as YHWH come in the flesh.
Watch this video from God Built on YouTube.
Subject 2: Jesus the Angel of the Lord
In the Old Testament, a mysterious figure called “the Angel of the Lord” appears many times. This Angel is not a created angel. He speaks as God, receives worship, and is identified with God Himself, yet is also distinct from God the Father.
Examples include:
- The Angel who appears to Hagar and is called “the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:7–13).
- The Angel who speaks to Moses from the burning bush and says, “I am the God of your father” (Exodus 3:2–6).
- The Angel who appears to Manoah and his wife and accepts a sacrifice offered to the Lord (Judges 13:15–22).
- The figure who wrestles with Jacob and is identified as God (Genesis 32:24–30).
Early Christians recognized these appearances as Christophanies; pre-incarnate appearances of the Son of God. The Angel of the Lord stops appearing after Jesus is born, because the One who appeared as the Angel had now come in human flesh. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).
Subject 3: Make the Path Clear for God
The Old Testament prophets don't paint the Messiah as a human figure only, but as divine.
Isaiah 40:3 says, “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord [YHWH]; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’”
All four Gospels apply this prophecy to John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). John himself said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’” (John 1:23).
The one whose path John prepared was not a mere human messenger. It was YHWH Himself coming to His people. The Gospels treat the arrival of Jesus as the arrival of God.
Watch this video from our brother at Testify about the divinity of Messiah.
Subject 4: Jesus’ Other Attributed Names
The Old Testament gives the coming Messiah titles that belong only to God. The New Testament shows that Jesus fulfills them.
Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6)
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The Hebrew phrase “Mighty God” (*El Gibbor*) is used of YHWH elsewhere (Isaiah 10:21). Isaiah applies it to the child who would be born. Jesus is that child.
The First and the Last
In Isaiah, YHWH declares, “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god” (Isaiah 44:6; see also 41:4; 48:12).
In the book of Revelation, the risen Jesus says the exact same thing: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last” (Revelation 1:17). He repeats it in Revelation 2:8 and 22:13, where He also calls Himself the Alpha and the Omega. Only God claims this title in the Old Testament. Jesus claims it for Himself in the New.
Other divine titles and actions include receiving worship (Matthew 14:33; 28:9, 17), forgiving sins (Mark 2:5–7), and claiming equality with the Father (John 5:18; 10:30).
Subject 5: Putting the Pieces Together
The Bible does not present Jesus as a created being or a highly exalted human. It identifies Him with YHWH of the Old Testament, shows Him appearing as the Angel of the Lord, applies prophecies about YHWH’s coming to His arrival, and gives Him names and titles that belong only to God.
At the same time, the Bible carefully distinguishes the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is not the Father, yet He fully shares the divine nature. This is the teaching of the Trinity: one God in three persons.
Think About It
- Why did the Jewish leaders react so strongly when Jesus said “I am”?
- What does it mean that John the Baptist prepared the way for YHWH, and the Gospels say he prepared the way for Jesus?
- How do the titles “Mighty God” and “First and the Last” strengthen the case that Jesus is God?
The consistent testimony of Scripture is that Jesus is God. He is the eternal Son who became human, lived among us, died for our sins, and rose again. The question is not whether the Bible teaches that Jesus is God. It does. The question is whether we will believe what it says.
To see why these Biblical claims are so important watch some of our brother GodLogic's videos and see how these scriptures are used as the Sword of the Spirit they truly are in a real apologetics conversation. GodLogic speaks with Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses and other non Trinitarians. Warning these are live conversations with unbelievers and enemies of the gospel in a real world setting.