More than a man...

When I started this blog, my desire was to be a witness to God's constant goodness and faithfulness.  I'm a big sinner. I'm thankful for the daily grace I get: undeserving grace.  It's hard remembering that I receive grace daily too.

So, who is God and what's the point of knowing his character?

"Well, you know, nowhere in the bible does it say that Jesus is actually God."

A lady recently said this to me after I asked her about Jesus.  I know she had different beliefs (and a different bible translation), but it was still discouraging to hear.

Something that radiates from and defines my understanding and joy of God is the person (and the deity) of Christ.  I think to know Jesus is to know God himself.  I understand that many people don't think Jesus was all that important or even believe in God.  The Trinity is always a hard concept to understand too, but I really wanted to share some spots in the bible that show the person of Christ.  (If you don't hold the belief that Jesus is God, I hope that you would read more about it and joyfully see more of God's infinitely, perfect character.)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  
John 1:1, 14 
Jesus is God in the flesh.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:56-59 

Jesus, being divine, could say that he existed before Abraham, for an eternity ('I am'). The Jews tried to stone him because he said he was God.  They considered this to be blasphemous.  

Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. John 8:51

Keeping the Word would mean believing and trusting that he and the Father were one. 

I and the Father are one.  Know that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. Again they sought to arrest him… 
John 10:30

The Jews started to pick up rocks to start stoning him again because he was a man who said he was God.

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.  
John 17:2-5

In Isaiah 42:8 and Isaiah 48:11, God declares that he would share his glory with no one.  It would only make sense and be acceptable if he were “sharing” the glory with himself (Jesus).

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” Acts 20:28

Whose blood was shed in redeeming us? Jesus Christ’s blood. God purchased the church with his own blood. He means that he and Christ are of the same “person”.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Hebrews 1:3-4

Christ lives and is at the right hand of God.  He was able to defeat death when he rose again.  I believe God alone defeats death and Christ could defeat death because he was God.   

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  1 Peter 2:24-25

I can rest in my redemption because it was a gift; nothing I do (or don’t do) will justify my redemption.  Romans 3:23-26 reminds me that I fall short of the glory of God. In Christ’s death and resurrection, in his divine forbearance, he passed over my former sins. 

 

I can rest in who Jesus said he was, because Jesus said he was God.  If God is for us, who can be against us?