The question of whether Jesus claimed to be God is important because it goes to the very heart of who Jesus is. If Jesus did claim to be God, then this would have enormous implications for how we should respond to Him. So what exactly did Jesus say about His own identity and His relationship with God the Father?
While Jesus did not go around explicitly stating “I am God,” He made several claims that clearly indicate He considered Himself divine and equal with God the Father. Let’s look at some of the key claims Jesus made:
1. Jesus claimed to exist before Abraham
In John 8:58, Jesus said to the Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” The statement “I am” was a clear reference to the name of God in Exodus 3:14. By claiming this name for Himself, Jesus was claiming eternality and deity. The Jews understood His meaning and picked up stones to stone Him for blasphemy (John 8:59).
2. Jesus claimed to be one with the Father
In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” The Jews again picked up stones to stone Him because they correctly understood this to be a claim to be God (John 10:31-33). Jesus was claiming not only equality with God but actual identity with God the Father.
3. Jesus claimed to possess the glory of God
During His high priestly prayer in John 17:5, Jesus spoke of the “glory I had with you before the world existed.” Jesus pre-existed with the Father and shared the Father’s glory, once again implying His deity and eternity.
4. Jesus claimed authority to forgive sins
When Jesus healed the paralytic in Mark 2:5-11, He also told the man that his sins were forgiven. The scribes correctly thought to themselves that only God can forgive sins, yet Jesus claimed that authority for Himself. As the Son of Man, Jesus claimed to have authority on earth to forgive sins, a prerogative that belongs to God alone.
5. Jesus allowed others to worship Him
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, the disciples worshipped Him as God. According to Jewish law, only the one true God may be worshipped, yet Jesus accepted this worship without correcting or rebuking them (see Matthew 14:33; 28:9,17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38). Jesus’ acceptance of worship points to His acknowledgment that He is divine.
6. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God
Jesus repeatedly called God His Father and claimed to be the Son of God (Matthew 11:25-27; John 10:36). The Jews understood this as a claim to deity. Being the Son of God implies having the same nature as the Father, and the Jews used “Son of God” synonymously with “God” (John 5:18; 10:33).
7. Jesus claimed to be the Messiah-God
In John 4:25-26, Jesus explicitly told the Samaritan woman that He was the Messiah. In John 8:58-59, when Jesus declared Himself as the “I am,” the Jews accused Him of claiming to be the Messiah. The Jewish Messiah was understood to be the one true God Himself in human form (Isaiah 9:6-7).
8. Jesus claimed to be the Son of Man
Jesus’ favorite title for Himself was the “Son of Man” (used over 80 times in the Gospels). This is a clear reference to Daniel 7:13-14, where the Son of Man is described as having divine attributes and authority. The Jews certainly knew the divine implications of Jesus calling Himself the Son of Man.
9. Jesus claimed to have authority over the Sabbath
In Matthew 12:1-14, Jesus claimed lordship over the Sabbath by stating He had authority to overrule the Old Testament Sabbath restrictions. Since the Sabbath was a sign between God and His people (Exodus 31:13), this implied Jesus saw Himself as God.
10. Jesus claimed to be the bridegroom
In the Old Testament, God is described as the bridegroom and husband of Israel (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3; Hosea). By calling Himself the bridegroom (Matthew 9:15), Jesus was claiming to be Yahweh Himself.
Beyond His specific claims, it is also significant that Jesus received worship (Matthew 14:33; 28:9), forgave sins (Mark 2:5-12), and claimed to be sinless (John 8:46), all of which only God can do. So while Jesus did not go around making blatant statements like “I am God,” He did repeatedly allude to His divinity and make claims that only make sense coming from God Himself. The Jews, who held a strong monotheistic view of God, clearly understood the implications of Jesus’ claims and sought to kill Him for blasphemy.
In addition to Jesus’ own words about Himself, the New Testament writers referred to Jesus in ways that indicate His deity. The Gospel of John calls Jesus “the Word” who was God (1:1), the only Son who makes the Father known (1:18), the “I am” just like Yahweh in the Old Testament (8:58-59), and Thomas the disciple calls Jesus “my Lord and my God” (20:28). The apostle Paul calls Jesus the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and writes that in Christ “dwells the whole fullness of deity bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Hebrews 1 equates the Son with God, saying the Son laid the foundations of the earth and that He is upholding the universe by His word and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
In summary, while Jesus did not go around directly stating “I am God,” the totality of His claims and actions indicated that He considered Himself divine and equal with God the Father. His listeners understood the theological implications of His words and sought to kill Him for blasphemy. The New Testament writers reinforce the implications of Jesus’ own assertions that He is God in the flesh.
Here are some additional specific Bible verses where Jesus claims divinity or equality with God the Father:
- John 8:58 – “Before Abraham was, I am.”
- John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.”
- John 14:9 – “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”
- John 5:21-23 – The Son gives life and deserves the same honor as the Father.
- John 5:26 – The Son possesses life in Himself just like the Father.
- Revelation 1:17-18 – The Son possesses self-existence and authority over death and Hades.
- John 17:5 – The Son shared glory with the Father before the world existed.
- Matthew 28:18 – The Son possesses universal authority and power.
While the exact statement “I am God” may not be found in Scripture, the totality of Jesus’ claims and actions along with the apostles’ teachings about His divine nature and work leave no doubt that He claimed to be God. The early church recognized Jesus as God in the flesh, and this has been the orthodox teaching of the Christian faith throughout history.
Jesus wasn’t merely a great moral teacher – He made some astonishing claims that force us to grapple with who He really is. His claim to be God was the very thing that got Him crucified. He knew who He was, and He wanted everyone around Him to realize the truth of His identity. Understanding the divine nature of Jesus Christ is absolutely vital for having a right relationship with God and receiving the salvation He offers.
Jesus didn’t beat around the bush about who He was. His claims may have been radical, but He reinforced them with miracles, prophecies, and his knowledge of the Scriptures. As C.S. Lewis famously said, based on His claims, either Jesus was a liar, a lunatic, or LORD. After examining what Jesus said about Himself, the only plausible conclusion is that He is who He claimed to be – the divine Son of God.
Some final thoughts on what we’ve covered here:
- Jesus frequently alluded to His divinity without using the exact statement “I am God.”
- His listeners clearly understood the theological implications of His claims.
- The title “Son of Man” used by Jesus pointed to His deity based on Daniel 7:13-14.
- Jesus exercising the prerogatives of God, like forgiving sins and receiving worship, shows He considered Himself divine.
- The apostles and New Testament writers reinforce Jesus’ divine identity in their teachings.
- While subtle at times, the biblical evidence for Jesus claiming divinity is very strong.
- Recognizing the deity of Christ is essential for having eternal life and a relationship with God.
The next time someone asks “Did Jesus say He is God?” you can confidently show them that while He didn’t state it explicitly, the answer is a resounding yes!