Christology: the Person and the Work of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Part II - The Divinity of

Son
Kelson Mota T. Oliveira

What do you think of Christ? Whose son is he?

Killed or Christ, the Son of the living God

We saw in the previous study that the coming of Jesus Christ was not at all casual, nor
even unexpected. He came in the fullness of time, and his mission was already
completely developed before the foundation of the world. Many aspects of its first
the coming had already been prophesied by many people, since the fall of Adam.
The Bible clearly states that Jesus, the divine Word, became flesh and dwelt among us.
men (John 1:14). When we study the person and work of Jesus, we cannot avoid the
important fact of God having incarnated and taken on the human condition, in resemblance to
all men. Equally important is the question: Is Jesus really God or just a
extraordinary man? All true Christians believe that Jesus is God, with all of the
divine prerogatives of the Father. But is there biblical support for such a statement? Let's see.

1. The Exclusive Characteristics of God in Jesus

The Scriptures do not explicitly state that Jesus is God, but make it very clear.
that the Son possesses all the characteristics and attributes of God, and cannot be regarded as
someone less than God. The evidence is abundant throughout the NT. Let's start with the idea
that Christ concerning himself.

1.1. The Self-awareness of Jesus

Jesus had a clear awareness of himself. The claims that Jesus made about
his own person would have no meaning if He did not have a clear notion of himself.
divinity. Everything indicates that He knew He was God, for He said:

That the angels were yours, and you could send them (Mt 13:41). In Lc 12:8,9 and 15:10, the angels are
called angels of God.
• That the kingdom of Heaven (Mt 13:24,31,33,44,45,47), which is the kingdom of God (Lc 17:20), is
also his kingdom (Mt 13:41).
• Has the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2: 1-12), a task that belongs exclusively to
God. In fact, for this reason the Pharisees accused him saying, "This is blasphemy! Who can
forgive sins, unless one who is God?" Forgiving sins is a divine prerogative.
He will judge all men, separating the good from the bad (Mt 25:31-46, Lc 13:23-30).
AT, the Almighty God, is the only one called Judge of all the earth (Gen 18:25) and the only
with the prerogative to judge the nations (Judges 11:27; Psalm 75:7; Psalm 82:8; Ecclesiastes 11:9 and 12:4). Only God
one can exercise such authority and power.
• Be the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27,28). The value of the Sabbath was defined by God (Exodus 20:8-
11), and only someone equal to God could annul or modify this norm.
• Has personal authority at the same level as the authority of the law (Mt 5:21,22,27,28). In these
passages, Jesus makes it clear that he has the authority to establish new teachings, in the same
level of authority that was granted to the teaching of Moses and the prophets of the Scriptures.
• To have the power to give life and resurrect the dead (John 5:21). Only God would have the power to
to vivify the dead. Jesus not only claimed but also resurrected several people (Luke
7:11-15; Mt 9:18,19,23-26; Jo 11:17-44). But of his miracles, without a doubt, the resurrection.
of himself, it was his greatest sign (Mt 12:39).
I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). He claimed to have enough power to bring back to life.
whoever believed in Him, even if they died. An exclusive attribute of the Lord God,
that He was claiming in this passage.

1.2. Your statements regarding the Father

Jesus claimed several times to have an intimate relationship and even quite a
uncommon with the Father, which would sound like madness if He were not God.

He claims to be one with the Father (John 10:33).

He claims that whoever sees Him, sees the Father (John 14: 7-9).
It asserts that he existed before Abraham (John 8:58). His statement is in the present 'I'
"I Am", similar to the name with which the Eternal God revealed Himself to Moses on Sinai (Ex
3:14,15). This became so clear to the Jews (his claim of divinity), that
they wanted to arrest Jesus for blasphemy.
He claims that whoever honors Him is honoring the Father (John 5:23).
It claims to have the same nature of life that exists only in God, the Father (John 5:26).

1.3. The reactions and statements of the people who lived with Him

Several people from the NT, who had contact with Jesus, expressed themselves, some against,
others in favor, of the clear position and prerogative that Jesus required and assumed for his life.

The reaction of the common people (John 7:11,12,31,40,41,46): many believed Him to be the
Promised Messiah, others who deceived the people. No one remained indifferent.
before your person.
The reaction and declaration of the high priest to Jesus' candid response (Mt 26: 62-65): the
clear statement of Jesus that he would sit at the right hand of the Almighty (the place of honor,
that should only be given to God), led the high priest to tear his garments (act
carried out in the presence of a great calamity) and the Sanhedrin sanctioning the penalty of
death by blasphemy, since He made Himself equal to God. Moreover, this passage is
one of the clearest statements of the divinity of Jesus.
◦ From some scribes and Pharisees (John 19:7,8): that He made Himself the Son of God.
Thomas's declaration (John 20:28): "My Lord and my God!!". Jesus accepts it.
Thomas's declaration and adoration. If He were not God, He would certainly take advantage of such.
opportunity to correct a misunderstanding about yourself.
 2. Various Testimonies from the Scriptures about the divinity of Jesus

In the gospel of John

John identifies Jesus as the pre-incarnate Word, the Word in action. In John 1, we read
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
it makes it clear that Jesus is one with God, and at the same time distinguishes him from God (vs. 2).
He claims that all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing that was made was made.
(vs. 3). The Bible also states that in the beginning all things were created by God (Gen
1:1), and thus John establishes an identification between Jesus and the Creator God. He affirms
also that this divine Word became flesh (vs. 14), and that only He fully reveals the
God (vs. 18). It is a great testimony regarding the divinity of the Son.

2.2. In the writings of Paul

Paul clearly shows his belief in the divinity of Jesus. In Col 1:15-20, Paul
He affirms that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, in whom all things consist, and that in Him
resides all the fullness (see also Col 2:9). Paul refers to the judgment of God (Rom
2:3) and to the judgment of Christ (2 Timothy 4:1; 2 Corinthians 5:10), interchangeably.
In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul teaches that Jesus, being God, limited Himself, emptying Himself.
even from his divine privileges and being recognized in human form. When Paul
says that Jesus has the form (morphé in the original) of God, the idea is that Christ has the same
essence of God. In other words, verse 5 means that, although Jesus had the same
the essence of God did not use this to its own advantage. And soon after, it makes clear that
There will come a day when everyone will pay honors and praises to Him, in one language only.
allowed for someone who believes that Jesus is truly God.

2.3. In the other epistles

In Hebrews: among the non-Pauline epistles, Hebrews is the one that contrasts the most.
divinity of Jesus in relation to the angels and men. In Heb 1:3, it states that Jesus is the
the splendor of glory and the exact expression of God. Not only that, but also affirms
that Jesus was the means by which all things were made (vs. 2), which are sustained
by the word of his power (vs. 3). A clear statement is found in vs. 8, in which Jesus is
God said: "But concerning the Son: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and:
The scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom. The epistle continues arguing that
Jesus is much superior to the angels (Heb 1:4 - 2:9), to Moses (3:1-6), and to the high priests.
But the author makes it clear that his superiority does not reside solely in terms of
hierarchical position, but rather of intrinsic nature, because all others are creatures, but
The Son is God. Let's look at a few more arguments from the Bible:

In John 1:1-3, Jesus is the Word of eternal life, already pre-existing at the beginning of all things.
things, along with the Father. In chapter 5:20, Jesus is called the Son of God and
explicitly identified as the true God and eternal life:

We also know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding to
we recognize the true; and we are in the true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the
true God and eternal life.

In II Peter: in 1:1, Peter also calls Jesus God and Savior:

 Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained faith with us
equally precious in the justice of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

In Revelation: in 1:8, the Lord God Almighty is presented as the Alpha and the
Omega, which represents the beginning and the end of all things. But in 1:17-18, Jesus ...
presents with the same titles granted to God Almighty:

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. But he laid his right hand on me,
saying: Do not fear; I am the first and the last, and the one who lives; I was dead, but behold
that I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and hell.

Also in 19:16, Jesus receives the title of King of kings and Lord of lords, a clear
allusion to your divine sovereignty and majesty.

2.4. The common use of the term Lord throughout the New Testament.

There have been several names by which the Scriptures prove Jesus to be God Himself.
incarnate: God (Hb 1:8); Son of God (Mt 16:16); King of kings and Lord of lords
(Rev 19:16); Word (John 1:1), etc. But it is by the title Lord that Jesus is best known. still
how that term might be general and does not prove by itself the divinity of Jesus, in various passages
it actually indicates the divine position that Jesus enjoyed.
When the Jews translated the Old Testament into Greek, the sacred names of God Yahweh
(YHWH) and Adonai were translated as Kyrios (which means Lord, owner), being regarded
as a reverent term. The term was also respectfully used by the Romans to
refer to Caesar, as the Lord. Only for these reasons, this term when applied to
Jesus should already give sufficient connotation of the divinity of Jesus. But besides that, several
passages that refer to Jesus as Lord are actually quotations from the O.T., where the
the original name of God was translated as Lord (Acts 2:20,21 in contrast with 36 and Romans)
10: 9, 13 and check Jl 2: 31,32; I Pe 3:15, compare with Is 8:13). The title given here to Jesus is
in the same sense that the A.T. attributed to the Almighty God. There are other texts where the title
Lord is used both for the Father (Mt 1:20; 9:38; Acts 17:24) and for the Son (Luke 2:11; John)
20:28; I Co 2:8; Fp 2:11.
For the Jew, calling Jesus Lord would place Him in the same position as
equality with the God of the Scriptures. The writers of the NT had this in mind when they
often refer to Jesus as Lord.

For any questions or clarifications, please contact me:

Kelson@corsa.iqsc.sc.usp.br

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Only use the two Bibles translated rigorously by formal equivalence from the Textus Receptus (which is the exact rendering of the words.
perfectly inspired and preserved by God), worthy heirs of the KJV-1611, Almeida-1681, etc.: the ACF-2011 (Faithful Corrected Almeida) and
the LTT (Literal of the Traditional Text), which you can read and obtain at BibliaLTT.org, with or without notes).
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