Jesus knew who he was - do you?
As the incarnate Word of God (John 1:14), Jesus Himself repeatedly affirmed His divinity. He often referred to Himself as the “Son of Man” (cf. Matt. 8:20; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:22; John 9:35–37), a messianic title derived from Daniel 7:13–14 (NKJV), where the “one like the Son of Man” appears as an equal with “the Ancient of Days” (Matt. 25:31; 26:64).
HE SAID WHO HE WAS
He similarly described Himself as the “Son of God,” a title clearly indicating His divine nature and eternal union with God the Father. As He explained in Matthew 11:27, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
HE SPOKE WITH AUTHORITY
In John 5:25–26, speaking of His divine authority, He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
HE WAS THE OLD TESTAMENT I AM
For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so, He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself.” After receiving word that Lazarus was seriously ill, Jesus told His disciples, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it” (John 11:4). His trial, when His enemies asked Him, “Are You the Son of God, then?” Jesus replied, “Yes, I am” (Luke 22:70; Mark 14:61–62).
HE WAS FROM ABOVE
Jesus similarly asserted that He was from above, having eternally preexisted in heaven before being born in Bethlehem. On the day after feeding the thousands in Galilee, He asked the crowds, “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?” (John 6:62). A short time later, He told His enemies, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world” (John 8:23).
HE WAS FROM ABOVE
Jesus similarly asserted that He was from above, having eternally preexisted in heaven before being born in Bethlehem. On the day after feeding the thousands in Galilee, He asked the crowds, “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?” (John 6:62). A short time later, He told His enemies, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world” (John 8:23).
HE HAD GLORY
In the upper room, He explained that same truth to His disciples, “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father” (John 16:28). His high priestly prayer echoed that heavenly refrain: “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5).
HE DID WHAT ONLY GOD COULD DO
As God in human flesh, Jesus gladly assumed the prerogatives of deity—claiming to do what only God can do. He maintained His absolute sovereignty over the eternal destiny of every human soul (John 8:24; Luke 12:8–9; John 5:22, 27–29). He declared Himself to be Lord of the Sabbath (Matt 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5), and claimed the power to answer prayer (John 14:13–14; cf. Acts 7:59; 9:10–17), the right to receive worship (Matt. 21:16; cf. John 5:23), and the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5–11).
HE DID WHAT ONLY GOD COULD DO
As God in human flesh, Jesus gladly assumed the prerogatives of deity—claiming to do what only God can do. He maintained His absolute sovereignty over the eternal destiny of every human soul (John 8:24; Luke 12:8–9; John 5:22, 27–29). He declared Himself to be Lord of the Sabbath (Matt 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5), and claimed the power to answer prayer (John 14:13–14; cf. Acts 7:59; 9:10–17), the right to receive worship (Matt. 21:16; cf. John 5:23), and the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5–11).
HE WAS BEFORE ABRAHAM
He referred to God’s angels as His angels (Matt. 13:41; 24:30–31), God’s elect as His elect (Matt. 24:30–31), and God’s kingdom as His kingdom (Matt. 13:41; 16:28; Luke 1:33; 2 Tim. 4:1). Jesus even took the covenant name for God (Yahweh or “I Am”) and applied it to Himself. One such example is found in John 8:58, where He told an audience of hostile Jewish leaders, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am” (John 13:19; 18:5–8).
HE CLAIMED DEITY
Jesus’ enemies knew exactly what Jesus was claiming, which is why they attempted to stone Him for blasphemy (John 8:59; 10:33). As the apostle John recorded, “The Jews sought all the more to kill Him because He not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18 NKJV).
HE CLAIMED DEITY
Jesus’ enemies knew exactly what Jesus was claiming, which is why they attempted to stone Him for blasphemy (John 8:59; 10:33). As the apostle John recorded, “The Jews sought all the more to kill Him because He not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18 NKJV).
HE WAS THE SON OF GOD
It was, in fact, His claim to be the Son of God that provided the religious leaders with the legal grounds for His execution. As they explained to Pilate, “We have a law, and by that law, He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God” (John 19:7; Matt. 27:43).
HE WAS GOD IN HUMAN FLESH
In spite of His enemies’ threats, Jesus never backed down from that claim or its implications. Because He was God in human flesh, He could boldly declare, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30); “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me” (12:45); and “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (14:9–10).
Author: John MacArthur
Author: John MacArthur
