Is Jesus Christ God?

                 The varied answer to this question has caused the birth of various religious denominations in the world.

            Frankly, even I myself had been confused because established religious denominations and well-known religious personalities insist that Jesus Christ is only the Son of God, not God himself. Not knowing the totality of the Holy Scriptures then, it seemed to me that this is true, as many verses in the Bible support this doctrinal statement. To illustrate, we can read in Acts 2:38, that: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” x x x This has become the basis for some religious denominations to baptize in the name of Jesus only, or what is known as ONESESS. However, in another book of the Bible, it also says: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matt. 28:19 KJV), which is principally the basis of the doctrine of TRINITY. This is what it means to know the totality of the Scriptures, or seeing the bigger picture, so to speak.

Thus, the totality of the Scriptures (Old and New Testaments), indubitably proves that Jesus Christ is God himself in human form, because God (the Father) is a Spirit and, therefore, cannot be visible to the human eye. However, He chose to reveal himself to man in the person of Jesus Christ so man could see, touch and personally talk to Him when He was on earth ministering.

By God the Father’s infinite wisdom and by a unique and supernatural way (not the natural process), He caused a virgin (Mary) to bear a child (His Son), to be born in a manger (symbolizing humility) as a human being in the normal way; who grew from a baby into manhood, but who showed supernatural wisdom and power to perform miracles like resurrecting the dead; causing the blind to see; the lame to walk; commanding the wind to stop; feeding 5000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, etc. (so numerous to enumerate), which cannot be done by any human being, to set Him apart from the famous religious personalities that we know.

Because he was truly human, he became hungry, he ate, he became thirsty; he became tired; angered or provoked as well; he shedded blood when he was nailed to the cross of calvary; he suffered pain and agony as any human being would, as he was hanging on the cross, until he gave up the ghost. He was human so he died. If He remains a Spirit, He would not die or at least mankind would not see Him die. His crucifixion to take the place of sinner-believers is in itself another mysterious and miraculous event in Jesus’ life. The purpose, of course, is to atone or substitute for the sinner-believers (1 Cor. 15:3) because the Scriptures say that, “For all are sinners and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23) and the “wages or penalty for sinners is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through faith (or believing in the heart) in Jesus Christ” that He is what he claimed to be, not otherwise, or because we are good or have done good (Rom. 6:23). For if the standard for salvation were for being good, no one will be saved because it is written in the Scriptures: “They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no not one” (Psalm 14:3 KJV).

Then, as Jesus personally said repeatedly to his disciples, he indeed rose on the third day with a glorified body (which will live eternally forever and ever without end) and the Bible says, “he is in the right hand of God” (Psalm 110:1; Eph. 1:20); “Now, he sits on the throne of highest honor in heaven, at God’s righthand” (Acts 2:33 NLT) interceding for all those who believe and accept him as their Lord and Saviour and who confess and repent of their sins (Rom. 8:34 KJV). Thus, the Bible says: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5 KJV).

This special miraculous resurrection on the third day after his death never happened to any man, or any acclaimed religious leader or founder of any religious denomination, and there is nothing said in the canonized Bible that one will duplicate this manner of resurrection. Yes, there will be resurrection of the dead, but it will be on the end time, not on the third day after death (John 5:29; 1 Thess. 4:15-17). These are indubitable and irrefragable proofs that Jesus Christ is a unique being who was 100% both human and divine. In fact, the Bible which ought to be believed in its entirety by a true believer and follower of God/Christ, emphatically and clearly says through the writing of John, the beloved Apostle of Jesus Christ:

“In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make (John 1:1-3 NLT). x x x So the Word became human and lived here in earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness [Greek, grace and truth; also read John 1:17]. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father” (vs. 14). No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God x x x” (vs. 18 NLT)

There are several existing versions of the Christian Bible today. However, the King James version was translated out of the original tongues; and with the former translations diligently compared and revised upon his majesty’s (King James of England) command, and appointed to be read in churches. For this reason, it is generally accepted by acknowledged theologians that the King James version (KJV) is a translation or version nearest to the original manuscripts (Hebrew for the Old Testament) and Greek (for the New Testament). Here is the King James version on the same aforequoted NLT version/translation:

“¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

“³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

“¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.”

The above word for word quotation from the New Life Translation Bible (NLT) [the modern English understood by the English speaking world] and in the King James version appear in the canonized Bible. Canonized means it passed UNANIMOUSLY the standard of the test conducted by the canonizing FATHERS representing the Christian Community on what writings or books are to be included as Holy Scriptures (or Bible). If we believe the Bible is true 100% in all its aspects and contents, then Jesus Christ is truly God and also truly human (100% God and divine and 100% human). Thus, nobody in this world or heaven or anywhere beyond is like Him.

Obviously and without any iota of doubt, the WORD, his only SON, “So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us” (NLT) and “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (KJV) refer to none other but the Lord Jesus Christ.

Again, the Apostle John wrote:

“¹Dear friends, do not believe every spirit (or teaching, or doctrine), but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the anti-christ, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world” (1 John 4:1-3 NIV)

Jesus Christ is the image of God (2 Cor. 4:4); the image of the invisible God; the first born of every creature (Col. 1:15). First born here means before anyone person existed, He already was, NOT a first child. Thus, when the Jews said to Jesus: “Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” Jesus answered: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am (John 8:57-58 KJV). Meaning, Jesus claimed that he existed before Abraham was born. Tracing backward long before Jesus was born as human being, when God commissioned Moses to LIBERATE the Israelites from their bondage by the Egyptian government, Moses asked God:

¹³ And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

¹⁴ And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.

¹⁵ And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

(Exo. 3:13-15 Emphasis supplied)

God is Omnipresent. God existed in the unknown past, he is presently existing and he continues to exist in the future forever and ever.

Definitely, therefore, Jesus Christ is God (in person or human form). Let us all worship and serve Him in ways we can and are capable, for he is truly God and Supreme above all.

(FGBMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin, January 19, 2013)