Episode 3: Sseeking the the Real Jesus - My Lord, My God!

 I cannot help but be blown away by the words of "doubting" Thomas in his confession of faith found in John 20:28 - “My Lord and my God!”  Thomas didn't just express Jesus' position above him ("Lord" - κύριος - literally "supreme authority"), but he also called Jesus God (θεός - Deity/Supreme Divinity).

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian church a description of Jesus that doesn't mince words: "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily" -Colossians 2:9. Paul made qualms that he saw Jesus as, quite literally - God.

Further, in answering questions about Jesus - and the highly irregular claims that Jesus was God - Paul wrote to the Philippians: 

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Equality with God? But there is only one God, correct?

The writer of Hebrews recorded something extremely interesting: 

Hebrews 1:8  But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom." (A direct quote from Psalm 45:6) 

If we were to ignore the first phrase, this verse would not be controversial - yet the writer specifically wrote "But of the Son (that's Jesus), he says..." OF Jesus. The writer directly calls the Son... God.

To label anyone, other than God Almighty, as "God" would be blasphemy. So our conclusion must bend to what the inspired biblical writers penned.

Installment #4 will come tomorrow - "Who is to be worshiped but God alone?"

Part 2: Who is "I AM?"

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. John 5:18

I often hear said that "Jesus never claimed to be God". While in a very limited and literal sense, Jesus didn't use that exact phrase to describe Himself, between the above actions that the Jews were complaining of were understood in their time and context as laying claims to being "equal" with God - Yet there is non other. There is none like God. 

"I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he* you will die in your sins." John 8:24

(*of note - in the original language, there is no personal pronoun “he” there. Rendering literally “believe that I am”.) 

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58

Compare this direct statement by Jesus to Exodus 3:14

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’.”

Or in John 10:30-33, when Jesus said “I and the Father are one", The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.

Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”
The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

To lay any claim to being God or equal TO God would be a brazen sin - Yet Jesus is commended for the claim.

Jesus identified Himself with the name/title of "I Am", which is one of the most powerful names God revealed of Himself.