The Deity of Christ

Nathan Busenitz writes:

I believe that Jesus is God for at least the following eleven reasons:

1. The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be God (Isaiah 9:6; Matt. 1:23)

2. Jesus claimed a heavenly preexistence (John 6:62; 8:23; 16:28; 17:5O)

3. Jesus assumed divine authority:

* Over the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5)

* Over the forgiveness of sins (Mark 2:5–11)

* Over people’s eternal destinies (John 8:24; cf. Luke 12:8–9; John 5:22, 27–29)

4. Jesus exercised divine authority

* Over demons (Mark 1:2–27; 3:11; 5:1–20)

* Over disease and death (Mark 1:29–31; 40–45; 5:25–43; 8:22-26; etc.)

* Over the natural world (Luke 5:1–11; 8:22–25; 9:10–17; etc.)

5. Jesus claimed ownership over that which belongs only to God:

* The kingdom of God (Matt. 13:41; 16:28; cf. Luke 1:33)

* The elect of God (Matt. 24:30–31)

* The angels of God (Matt. 13:41; 24:30–31)

6. Jesus claimed the right to receive worship and the ability to answer prayer (John 14:13–14; cf. Acts 7:59; 9:10–17; Rev. 1:17)

7. Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, a title with divine implications from the Old Testament (cf. Dan. 7:13–14)

8. Jesus also called Himself the Son of God, a title His opponents understood as a claim to deity (Matt. 27:43; John 5:18; 10:46; 19:7)

9. Jesus called Himself “I Am,” thereby applying the Old Testament name Yahweh to Himself (John 8:58; cf. cf. 6:51; 10:9, 11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1).

10. Jesus claimed absolute unity with the Father, such that He could tell His disciples, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father” (John 14:9–10; cf. 10:30; 12:45).

11. The rest of the New Testament affirms that Jesus is God (John 1:1; Acts 20:28; Romans 9:5; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:15–16; 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:3, 8; 2 Peter 1:1O; 1 John 5:20)

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