DID JESUS EVER CLAIM TO BE GOD???

DID JESUS EVER CLAIM TO BE GOD?

By Elijah Asuo Wiredu

It is one of the questions that separate Christians and Muslims. Muslims believe a number of things about Jesus. For example, they believe that Jesus is a prophet but he is a prophet just like Mohammed or any other prophet who existed. They however don’t believe that Jesus is God. They argue with the question “Did Jesus ever claim to be God?”

Of course, Jesus identified himself as God. In John 10:30, Jesus said “I and my father are one”. Muslims argue that being one with God does not necessarily mean that he is God. For example, when we say a man and his wife are one, it doesn’t mean they refer to one person. But with that they attempted to stone Jesus because they understood what he meant

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”  .

John 10:33

In another instance, the disciples told Jesus to show them the father

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 14:8-9

The answer Jesus gave to that question clearly means that he was referring to himself as God. Not as a god but as God himself. Meaning, while he was with them, there was no one for him to show to them. He even added that anyone who has seen me has seen the father. This means that in John 10:10 when he said “I and my father are one”, he actually meant that he is God. So Jesus is god and he actually claimed to be God.

Secondly, in one of Jesus’ encounters he used God’s name to refer to himself.

Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”  So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

John 8:56-59

Jesus told the people that Abraham saw him and rejoiced? With the reverence that the Jews had for Abraham, they asked “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” The response Jesus gave was that “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” That “I am” expression was a very significant one. It is the name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). And the Jews knew it. They understood that Jesus Called himself “I am” to tell them that he is God. That is why they picked up stones to throw at him. They considered it a blasphemy for Jesus to refer to himself as God/I am. And it became one of the allegations levelled against Jesus during his trial that He claims to be God.

So we are not wrong to refer to Jesus as God. He is God and he must be seen as such.