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Was Jesus Really God?
Isa. 53:5-9
INTRODUCTION: There is a great need for teaching on this very
subject; "Was Jesus Really God?" Congregations have been
divided ... brethren have been alienated because of this
question.
Brotherly love has been abused. This is the ultimate question
which reaches into the very heart of our fundamental belief!
"Was Jesus really God in the flesh?" The answer we give you
today will decide the whole of everything else.
Question: Do You Believe What The Bible Says?
I. Not All Who Answer In The Negative Are Atheists Or
Agnostics
A. There are many who call themselves ... Christians ...
who acknowledge Jesus as one of the greatest .. if not
the greatest ... religious teacher of all time.
1. they deny that He was Deity in an ultimate and
unique sense.
B. There are also other .. Christians .. who regard the
Bible as true and Jesus as God's spokesman.
1. They have historically stumbled over the idea of a
Godhead of three separate persons.
2. They deny a common Deity in absolute unity with one
another.
II.The Jehovah Witness Are A Modern Example.
A. They believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine but
impersonal force and that the Son is very high but
created "angelic" being named "Michael".
1. With "Michael's" help .. God created everything
else.
2. Their official pamphlet the .. "Watchtower" ..
denies both the incarnation and resurrection.
3. They believe Jesus was a mere man without an
eternal spirit.
(If this be true .. he could not have been an angel
incarnate .. with this all identity with Michael is
broken.)
a. They could not have shared neither nature not
consciousness.
4. They believe because Jesus was a mere mortal (not
an angel in human form) when he died .. He perished
totally.
5. They believe now that Jesus is actually an even
more visible recreated Michael.
III.Turn To The Book Of John.
A. (Jhn 1:1) now look at (Jhn 1:14) .. John wrote very
plainly about a truth which must remain for this time a
great mystery. ... The truth being ... Jesus was God in
the flesh.
1. This can only be accepted by faith .. (Heb 11:1) ..
not by rationalizing exactly how it was achieved.
B. John makes it very clear that there was a continuous
identity of consciousness between ... The Pre-existent
... Incarnate ... and Resurrected Son of God.
1. (Jhn 8:58) ... He was speaking to the Jews who were
astonished that Jesus spoke of Abraham and wanted to
know if he has seen him!
2. (Jhn 17:5) ... The eyewitness of John is that Jesus
claimed to be Deity .. the Son of God .... He
believed the evidence was clear enough to convince
any honest heart. (Jhn 20:30,31)
C. John begins his Gospel by affirming the incarnation ..
The "Word" who was God (refers not to a person but to a
Deity). (Jhn 1:1) (Jhn 1:14)
1. The one who was God took upon Himself the nature of
a man .. the one who was Deity did not cease to be
divine because He became a man. ... His personal
identity remained unaltered. ... He was God!
2. Jesus's humanism has never been questioned by anyone
... only His Deity.
IV.Jesus Had Enemies.
A. His enemies always understood that His claims that God
was His father and that He was His Son were not ordinary
(Jhn 5:18) (Jhn 10:32,33)
B. Jesus was brought before Pilot ... (Jhn 19:6) ... the
Jews then answered him .. (Jhn 19:7) .. When Plate heard
their reply ... "he was more afraid." (Jhn 19:8)
V. Then there Was The Experience With Thomas.
A. The testimony of Thomas says it all .. " .. My Lord and
my God" (Jhn 20:28)
1. Standing in the presence of the just resurrected
Jesus .. being invited to touch the wounds in has
hands and side ...
2. Thomas became worshipful with adoration. (Love) ..
He believed all that had been said. (Faith) .. He
was no longer a "doubter" .. He was a witness of
truth. (Assurance)
VI.The Claims Of Jesus In John's Gospel Could Only Have Been
Made By Diety.
A. (Jhn 6:35) (Jhn 8:12) (Jhn 11:25) (Jhn 14:6)
1. To these add Jesus's claim to do what God Alone
Could Do ... FORGIVE SINS. (Luk 5:20,21) ... If
Jesus could forgive sin .. He had to be God in the
flesh .. Can any man forgive sin? ... NO!
VII.Now Let's Look At The Apostle Paul For A Moment.
A. (Phil 2:6-8) ... Does Paul mean when he says that in
becoming man, Jesus "emptied himself" of His Deity? ....
Absolutely not ... That is exactly what some believe.
1. If He did, He could not have been "The Word" made
flesh .. nor as Paul said .. " .. the fullness of
the Godhead bodily." (Col 2:9)
2. Who is the Godhead? ... God the Father ... God the
Son ... God the Holy Spirit ... these make up the
Deity ... three in one.
3. It was the glory due to Him as Deity which He yield-
ed .. not His very being. (Jhn 17:5)
B. Did Jesus limit His use of divine power in order to
submit to His Father's will? ... YES!
C. How then can we reconcile James' statement that ... "God
cannot be tempted with evil"?
1. (Jam 1:13) .. "Let no man say when he is tempted, I
am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth he any man."
2. Certainly not by denying that Jesus while in the
flesh was God.
D. How then can we reconcile the statement in (Heb 4:15) ..
"For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin"?
1. Not by denying that Jesus in the flesh was God.
VIII.There Is Much We Do Not Know About The Incarnation.
A. The true Bible Scholar will not let himself get into
water over his head on this subject.
B. Those who will want to be "fair" will be slow to write
off those who have carelessly done just that.
C. The course we must take is to just believe and teach
what the Scriptures say.
D. All Spiritual questions are answered in Scripture.
E. We need to study our Bibles ... therein lies the truth
of the matter.
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