Was Jesus the Son of God, God the Son or both? Evidences

 
 
 
 

Was Jesus the Son of God, God the Son or both?
 
 

“But who do you say that I am?”

This question was addressed by Jesus to His disciples. But it remains current and continues to be relevant to this day.

Why is Jesus’s identity so very important?

If this statement is true, then He is the Lord and Saviour of mankind, and people must either accept Him or reject Him, thus assuming a decision that has fundamental consequences for life, especially eternal life.

How could just a (man) convince the masses that He is God, and establish a Church that would continue to worship Him over 2000 years?

How did Jesus and His teachings manage to stand the test of time, and to change the course of mankind to such an extent as to divide history into two: “Before Christ (BC) and after Christ (AD).

But what is certain is that Jesus invested a lot of time and trouble for (you) from His birth to the present day. He was and is a character turned on all sides, analysed and reanalysed, loved, rejected, appreciated, ignored, believed, unrecognised, blasphemed or revered, but in all cases (known) to all at all times.
Questions about who Jesus is does not remain suspended by the thread of human history, like rhetorical questions. Its willingly or unwillingly intertwined into the history of humanity, in the human fibre itself, and on mankind hangs at least the life of the soul, but especially eternal life, the ultimate goal of each of those who seriously pose existential problems of life and death.

This article aims to let the questions speak for themselves. They should offer the possibility of an answer, but above all to provide a basis for thinking about possible feedback, for a better understanding of each person’s position on a topic so debated today as in ancient times. We do this knowing that an exhaustive approach cannot be offered in just a mere article, but only an angle that is kept in terms of modesty, open to honest deliberation of ideas, in the hope that all this effort was worthwhile, because it brought to each person at least more understanding, more conviction, and more faith.

The words “Son of God”, “God, the Son” “sons of God”

The term (Son of God) is used in the Old Testament to refer to people who hold a special relationship with God. But in the New Testament (Son of God) is an expression used with a clear reference only to Jesus and, especially, to His role as the Messiah, Savior of the Jewish people, but also of all the nations, of every man, no matter what language or race.

Some such as Non-Trinitarian Christians, distinguish between the term (Son of God) and the term (God the Son) the second person of the Trinity. They accept the idea that Jesus is the “Son of God,” but they do not accept the idea that Jesus is God the Son.

It must be said that the doctrine of the Holy Trinity in Christianity is about Jesus as God the Son, the same nature and being (co-substantially) as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, but clearly distinct as a person. The phrase (children of God) also clarifies an explanation in the following verse:

John 1:12-13
“But as many, as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

But with regard to the expression (sons of God), a few verses from the Bible present even God’s point of view on this topic:

Hebrews 1:5-8,13-14
“For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”? But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” And of the angels, He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.” But to the Son, He says: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Your kingdom. But to which of the angels has He ever said: Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”

What does Jesus statement that He is the Son of God mean, and what are the implications of this?
Jesus is the Son of God in the sense that He is God (incarnate) on earth.

Galatians 4:4-6
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

The verses of John’s Gospel teaches a lot in a few words:

John 1:14
“And the Word became 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.”

Jesus is the Son of God in that He was manifested to man through the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit:

Luke 1:35
“And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

How did the elders view Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God?
When Jesus said (I Am that I Am), the leaders of the Jewish people knew exactly what He meant when He asserted His identity under the expression (I AM). To be the Son of God meant to have the same nature and substance as God Himself, in fact, to be God. This statement was the main charge and the main cause of Jesus’ condemnation. The Jews answered Him:

John 19:7
“The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die because He made Himself the Son of God.”

According to rabbinic tradition, anyone who heard that God’s name was being blasphemed, they were forced to tear his clothes and put on sackcloth as a sign of indignation, pain, and despair.

Matthew 26:63
“And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!”

Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God and He and the Father are (One)

Jesus says directly and indirectly on many occasions that (He) is the Son of God and that God is (His) Father. Moreover, Christ uses the most intimate word in the family relationship, the word (ABBA), suggesting the closest intimacy. We know that the Jewish people do not refer to God as (my Father). No one in the history of Israel had used the word (Father) before Jesus in addressing God. They used the word (ABHINU) – a formula for mercy and forgiveness. Moreover, they even refused to pronounce God’s name, (YHWH). This name was seen by some as sacred. But Jesus clearly taught, “My Father.” Moreover, He never said “Our Father,” as He taught humanity like in the Lord’s Prayer, but He always said only “My Father.”

And to make matters worse, He said:
John 10:30
“I and My Father are one.”

John 10:36
“Do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?”

Jesus makes many shocking statements for the Jews of that time, but also for most of us. He teaches that he existed before he was (born), that is, before he became incarnate in the material world.

Did Jesus exist before He was born?

Jesus said to them,
John 8:58
“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

And in the book of Colossians we find an interesting verse:
Colossians 1:15
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

He also says:
John 6:38
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

John 8:23
“And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.”

John 16:28
“I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

Simple logic suggests that if Jesus is the Son of the true God, then before He became incarnate in our material world, He must have been where God the Father dwells, that is in the spiritual world. We know that dimensions coexist in parallel with our material world. We also know that “God is Spirit;”

John 4:24
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

So at least according to this verse, God belongs to the spirit realm above in the heavens. So, if God resides in heaven in the spirit world, and Jesus came (down) from the Father, then with minimal logic we can understand that Jesus belonged to the spirit realm before He came into the material world.

Is there any evidence to support the fact that Jesus existed before he came into our world?

If He belonged to the spiritual realm before He came into our material world, then the spiritual beings must have (seen) Him, and (known) Him. It is not easy to ask holy angels, archangels, or even seraphim. But we still have a chance to find out without even asking. Some spiritual beings inhabit both the spiritual and the material world. These are the fallen angels, or as they are now called (demons).

Demons possess a spiritual identity that cannot easily be denied. Our whole world is encompassed in the clutches of evil and deception.
Is it not a good idea to consider what they have to say about Jesus?

If Jesus and the demons belonged to the same spiritual dimension, then they must have known Him and consequently recognised Him in the flesh in the material world.

The testimony of spirit world

Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament we can find some very relevant situations, which open a platform for discussion whose reality is difficult to deny, as long as we admit that there is at least two worlds, one material and one spiritual.

In the New Testament, demons actually meet Jesus on earth. It would be expected of them not to know Him, and consequently to treat Him as they generally do with people, according to their wicked and false nature.

The testimony of demons

We mention only two significant verses, many of which can be discovered in the pages of the Bible:

Luke 4:33-41
“Now in the synagogue, there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power, He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region. Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made a request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them. When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.”

Mark 5:2,6-7
“And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an (unclean spirit), When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Highest God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”

So these spiritual beings fallen or not, know Him and recognise His identity, as such worship Him. Worship means the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration. Reverence means deep respect for someone or something, and adoration means deep love or respect. In the case of demons, they had great fear and respect for Jesus. Fearing the Lord for us means to be in reverent awe of His holiness, to give Him complete reverence and to honour Him as the God of great glory, majesty, purity and power. Demons are not stupid they know the Bible better than we do. Obviously, they don’t show true love to Jesus but they did recognise His badge of authority.

1. A hateful spirit or unclean spirit is evil because of its disobedience it does not listen. So why would an evil spirit submit to a simple man on earth?

2. How can it be explained that a humble man came without a book like we have now the Bible, yet He stored up all that wisdom in His head already?

3. Why and where did Jesus obtain this authority from, if He is just a lowly man?

4. Would it not be self-evident that authority should be held (only) by someone who is of the same nature ie a spiritual nature?

5. We know that demons lie. From this perspective, shouldn’t they be the first to hide or deny the true identity of Jesus Christ?

Demons interests are opposed to the whole work of Christ on earth therefore, He is their direct enemy. Jesus was there when they were cast out of heaven. As the Son of God, He approved of them being banished from paradise.

In addition, Jesus taught:
1 John 3:8
“For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

So he came to ruin their ungodly business.

6. So why did the evil spirits worship him?
The whole world lies in the power of the evil one. The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers. Satan severely punishes any violation of his command, especially when it comes to devotion. We know from the Bible that the god of this age does not joke when it comes to worship. He wants everyone, young and old, to worship Him, and him alone.

But in the presence of Jesus, none of the fallen angels had the courage to lie or deny Him, nor even their leader Satan. What he tried to do in the wilderness with Jesus using temptation was to cast doubt of who He is, as he once did with the first humans, Adam and Eve. This old habit of the trickster is still used today with humanity.

The testimony of Satan, “the God of this Age”

The (lord of the power of the air) was the first one to raise the question of the identity of Jesus, even before Jesus Himself affirmed it. He brought into question His characteristic style: “If you are the Son of God,” as he once said to the early humans, “Did God really say that?”

Satan had no doubts about Jesus’ identity. This can be seen from the bait he tempted Him with. Logically why would Satan desire that Jesus bow down and worship him? Why was the worship of Jesus so important for Satan? Many people saw Jesus as just a carpenter.
What possibly could this Man offer to Satan?

This question is rhetorical, but everyone can have their own reasons and answers.

The testimony of God and the Holy Spirit

Above all beings in the spirit world is God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. The most important testimony is given by God at the time of Jesus’ baptism when he says:

Matthew 3:16-17
“When He had been baptised, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

It should be (noted) that this verse is the fulfilment of prophecy in Psalm 2:7

Psalms 2:7
“I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”

This testimony is once again confirmed on Mount Tabor, where there are many things that are hard to explain and understand:

Matthew 17:2-3
“And He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.”

Matthew 17:5
“While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Testimonies before the incarnation of Jesus
The prophecies of God about the Messiah.

There are over 600 messianic prophecies and over 300 of them were fulfilled. The probability that a single prophecy would be fulfilled exactly by Christ after tens, of thousands of years opens the way for many interesting discussions. God revealed many things to His prophets hundreds of years before they took place. Of the 8,000 general prophecies, over 600 are messianic prophecies. These prophecies in addition to proving that there is a sovereign God behind the scenes of human history are hard-to-deny that the Scripture, the Old, and the New Testament are written under God’s authority, by the inspiration of His Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of truth. In the New Testament we find written:

Romans 1:2-4
“Which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

The Messianic prophecies, by their fulfilment at the appointed time of God, validated the divinity of Jesus. More than 300 prophecies were already fulfilled out of the existing 600, with express reference to the Messiah and His work, accredit Jesus as the Messiah and strongly confirm His sovereign identity. The Old Testament prophecies can be found in obvious clarity that can be easily recognized in detail by anyone. Prophecies are a sensitive subject as there are many articles on this subject.

A prophecy concerning His pre-existence:

Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

There is a prophecy by Isaiah, that was written 700 years before its fulfilment. Many people, including the former atheist and New York Times Bestseller, Lee Strobel would argue that divine inspiration makes the most sense of the evidence:

Isaiah 53
“Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of the dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers are silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labour of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge, My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many And made intercession for the transgressors.”

Also in this regard, Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, writes in the Epistle to the Hebrews:

Hebrews 1:1-3
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Testimony of the Animal Sacrificial Law and Jesus as the Lamb of God

The whole law of animal sacrifices and burnt offerings, with all its symbolism, pointed directly to Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb and the High Priest, respectively:

Hebrews 10:1,4-7
“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me To do Your will, O God.’”

Testimony of the Priestly Law. Jesus the High Priest

Hebrews 10:19-22
“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 4:14-15
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Hebrews 5:10
“Called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”

Hebrews 7:24-26
“But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens.”

The testimony of the feasts granted by God to His chosen people, the Jewish nation.

The person and works of Jesus Christ have a direct correspondence with the Levitical holidays, so as to be respected by the Jewish people over time. They mark the decisive moments in the life of the Jews, that overlap insignificance and time, over the ministry that Jesus did for God’s chosen people, Israel, but also for the folk redeemed by His sacrifice, seen as His Bride. This proves not only the accuracy of the things with which God’s plan was manifest but also the time when they were to be fulfilled by the Messiah. It’s amazing how accurately everything unfolded, as we would say, “by the book. These holidays or (holy-days) are given by God to His chosen people, Israel, and are presented in the book of Leviticus, chapter 23:

The Feast of the Passover (April) – Corresponds to the Feast of the Death of Jesus (1 Corinthians 5:7.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread (April) – Corresponds to the Feast of Holiness (1 Corinthians 5: 7-8.

The Feast of Firstfruits (April) – Corresponds to the Feast of the Resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:23.

The Feast of Pentecost (June) – corresponds to the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5; 2:4.

The Feast of Trumpets (September) – Corresponds to the Feast of the Assembly of Israel (Matthew 24:30-31.

The Feast of Atonement (September) – Corresponds to the Feast of Purification through Christ (Romans 11:26.

The Feast of Tabernacles (September) – coincides with the Feast of Rest and Union with Christ (Zechariah 14: 16-18.
*Source “Evidence that demands a verdict” by Josh Mc-Dowell.

Testimonies during and after the life of Jesus

Jesus accomplished many things that belong to the supernatural, or (the powers of the age to come) (Hebrews 6:5).

The gospels of the New Testament are filled with the works of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, healing, resurrections, casting out demons and commanding the sea to be silent. All have proven that Jesus has power over nature, disease, demons, life and death.

This article only mentions a few miracles that Jesus accomplished in His ministry like turning water into unfermented wine, calming the storm at sea by simply saying two words; supernatural fishing; the multiplication of food, were five loaves of bread and two fish became thousands, walking on water and many more. Lets mention one more verse Jesus said about His work:

John 10:36-38
“Do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God? “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; “but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”

The testimony of the disciples, of those who knew Him best.

The Bible presents many aspects and attitudes of the disciples toward Jesus. We will mention here only the testimony of a disciple. The root word for disciple is discipline:

Matthew 16:16-17
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

Testimony of the Qur’an

In the Qur’an, we find that Jesus is usually referred to as Isa ibn Maryam – Jesus son of Mary. (Mary v.20) When she was told that she would give birth to a son, Mary replied, “How is this possible, for I am a virgin, and no mortal has touched me?”
The reference goes further, saying, “It is easy for me (the Lord).” Then He “breathed His Spirit upon her.” 4/6 *Source “Evidence that demands a verdict” by Josh Mc-Dowell

Testimonies from the people

We will remember only the reaction of the centurion, who was impressed by the events that accompanied the death of Jesus and recognised His divinity:

Matthew 27:51-54
“Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

The testimony of the resurrection

But the angel answered and said to the women:

Matthew 28:5
“But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

Luke 24:36-41
“Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”But they were terrified and frightened and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marvelled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”

Colossians 1:18
“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”

The apostle John in exile on the island of Patmos said:
Revelation 1:17-18
“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

Testimony of the ascension to heaven by Jesus

Mark 16:19
“So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.”

Acts 1:9-11
“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Did Jesus fulfil all the prerogatives of a truly holy God?

In order to validate His statements and work, Jesus had to fulfil all the attributes specific to kingdom divinity.

In fact, what does it mean to be God?

For someone to have a Godlike identity and be recognised as God, he must have a few essential attributes. Jesus possessed all of them.

1. Eternity.

That person has to be without beginning and without end.

Jesus in the Old Testament prophecies said that He is “the Father of eternity.”

Isaiah 9:6
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us, a Son is given, And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

In the New Testament it is written:

Colossians 1:17
“And He is before all things, and in Him, all things consist.”

John 1:1-2
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning (with) God.”

The Epistle of John records the prayer of Jesus, at the end of His mission on earth, asking for the glory He had in the spiritual realm before coming to the earth:

John 17:5
“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

2. Worship.

That person will receive worship.
Worship is short for worth-ship. That means giving someone their proper worth. Worship means the highest level of honour, homage, reverence, respect, gratitude, praise, and glory to someone who is in a clearly superior position, and to whom you show your obedience and consideration. God is worthy of our worship because he created all things. Because all things have their (being) in Him.

The angels were messengers and received no worship. The apostles also refrained from receiving worship. They all refused to believe that it was reserved only for the one true God. There are, however, two people who have accepted true worship. The first person is Jesus, and the second is the devil. The devil always wanted to be God, seeking and desiring worship as the most important thing to him. He also asked Jesus to bow down and worship him:

Matthew 4:8-10
“Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.”

But Jesus received and accepted glorification. He approved it based on His divine attributes. The devil endorsed Him as a usurper. The Bible describes several episodes in the scripture where Jesus received worship from various people. He also received worship from demons:

Matthew 28:17
“When they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted.”

Romans 14:11
For it is written: As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”

Revelation 4:10-11
“twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, ¶To receive glory and honour and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

Revelation 5:13
“And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: Blessing and honour and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

The worship of Christians or better still disciples is the essence of Jesus’ acknowledgement of their salvation:

3. Omnipotence.

That person has to be omnipotent.

The Bible presents Jesus as the One who has all power in heaven and on earth. He rules over demons, over the world of angels, over nature, He controls all circumstances. It is enough to say in one word, all are subject to Him.

He was present in the act of creation of all that exists. Through Him, all things have been made, and all things are created through Him. He performs divine works, which only God can do.

Colossians 1:16
“For by Him, all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

John 1:3
“All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made.”

Matthew 28:18
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

4. Omniscience. Having the ability to know everything.

a.Jesus is presented as knowing even the thoughts of men.

Luke 6:8
“But He knew their thoughts,”

John 16:30
“Now we are sure that You know all things and have no need that anyone should question You. By this, we believe that You came forth from God.”

b.Jesus sees at great distances in an inexplicably rational way:
John 1:48-49
Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

5. Omnipresence.

That person has to be unchanging. He is able to be in several places or everywhere at the same time.

The omnipresence of Jesus is confirmed in the Gospel of John.

John 3:13
“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”

In other words, while Jesus was talking to Nicodemus here on earth, at the same time, “He is” in heaven. He does not say that “He was” or “He will be” in heaven. Even in His incarnate state on earth, He expresses His divinity present everywhere coexisting in two parallel worlds.

6.Immutable.

That person is unchanging. Any change can take place for better or for worse.

Jesus cannot be better than he is and no less good. He is perfect. The book of James speaks about God:

James 1:17
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

The book of Hebrews speaks about Jesus:
Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

7. That person has to have life in Himself, to be able to bring back to life, respectively to master the problem of death and the resurrection from the dead.

John 5:21
“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so, the Son gives life to whom He will.”

John 5:25
“Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”

John 14:6
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father”

John 10:17-18
“Therefore My Father loves Me because I lay down My life that I may take it again.“No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

John 10:27-28
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

8. That person has the right to be the absolute judge everywhere and to everyone.

Jesus Christ will be the court at the Last Judgment. Jesus will judge all who lived on earth from the creation of the world to its end. No one will escape His judgment. Even the dead will be judged for their actions when they were alive.

John 5:22-23
“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, “that all should honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him.”

John 5:27
“and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.”

Acts 10:42
“And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.”

9. That person has the right to forgive sinners for violating the divine kingdom Law.

Jesus, as the one true God, forgives the sins of men.

Acts 10:43
“To Him, all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

Mark 2:5-7,10-11
“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have all these and more essential attributes and form the Godhead. Three persons coexist with all the divine attributes in the one person of God.

Another important thing:
10. The water baptism of new converts is done in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying,
Matthew 28:18-19
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

……………

In conclusion, we mention a verse representative of our subject:

Philippians 2:6-11
“Who, being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

For a person to believe the evidence is out there amongst all the lies and deception around us. For the person who does not want to believe there is no proof for them and no argument. Isn’t it interesting today people state religion is dying out, yet in reality, it’s stronger than ever?
Common logic would dictate if there are 7.7 billion people in the world, and nearly 5 billion of that are made up of Christian’s and Muslims, while others are Hindu, Sikh and different faiths, god worship whether it be the One true God or not is alive and well.
It may be important in this context, the recommendation of the book “Evidence that demands a verdict” by Josh McDowell. It, along with many other books, or other sources of documentation, has a detailed presentation and a logical systematization of rich material, and also presents a multitude of evidence, including historical arguments in support of the Christian faith.

2 Corinthians 13:14
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”