The
record of the testimony of Jesus indicates that He claimed to be
God's Son, that He stated that He had been sent by God the Father
to this world and that He had a unique relationship with the Father
which Jesus described as being "One with the Father".
JESUS
CLAIMED TO BE GOD'S SON
A careful
examination of the record of the testimony of Jesus Christ concerning
who He claimed to be demonstrates that Jesus clearly told others
He was the Son of God.
Please read each portion of scripture carefully to discover the
truth of which we speak.
(Luke
22:66-71) And when it was day, the Council of elders of the people
assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away
to their council chamber, saying, {67} "If You are the Christ,
tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will
not believe; {68} and if I ask a question, you will not answer.
{69} "But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE
RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD." {70} And they all said,
"Are You the Son of God, then?" And He said to them, "Yes,
I am." {71} And they said, "What further need do we
have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."
(John
5:16-18) And for this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because
He was doing these things on the Sabbath. {17} But He answered them,
"My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working."
{18} For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more
to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also
was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
JESUS
CLAIMED HE WAS SENT BY GOD
Jesus
in no uncertain terms made known the fact that He had been sent
by the God into this world on a divine mission. Furthermore the
record indicates that Jesus claimed to have experienced a unique
relationship with God that predated His earthly life and which would
continue after His physical death. Jesus claimed a unique unbroken
relationship with God that no other man of sound mind had ever made
before or has ever made since.
(John
7:28-29) Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying,
"You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not
come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.
{29} "I know Him; because I am from Him, and He sent Me."
(John
13:1-5) Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that
His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the
Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them
to the end. {2} And during supper, the devil having already put
into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,
{3} Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into
His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back
to God, {4} rose^ from supper, and laid^ aside His garments;
and taking a towel, He girded Himself about. {5} Then He poured^
water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and
to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
(John
17:1-8) These things Jesus spoke; and lifting up His eyes to heaven,
He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that
the Son may glorify Thee, {2} even as Thou gavest Him authority
over all mankind, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give
eternal life. {3} "And this is eternal life, that they may
know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.
{4} "I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished
the work which Thou hast given Me to do. {5} "And now, glorify
Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had
with Thee before the world was. {6} "I manifested Thy name
to the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were,
and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word. {7} "Now
they have come to know that everything Thou hast given Me is from
Thee; {8} for the words which Thou gavest Me I have given to them;
and they received them, and truly understood that I came forth
from Thee, and they believed that Thou didst send Me.
JESUS
CLAIMED TO BE ONE WITH THE FATHER
The
unique relationship that Jesus had with God the Father prompted
Him to tell others that He was one with the Father. Greek scholars
indicate the word for "one" used here indicated that Jesus
meant He was one in essence and unity with God the Father. The Jews
seemed to understand this claim as they accused him of blasphemy
and picked up stones to kill Him. Furthermore, Jesus told His disciple
Philip that those who had seen Him, Jesus, had seen the Father.
(John
10:27-33) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they
follow Me; {28} and I give eternal life to them, and they shall
never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. {29}
"My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all;
and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. {30}
"I and the Father are one." {31} The Jews took up
stones again to stone Him. {32} Jesus answered them, "I showed
you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning
Me?" {33} The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do
not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man,
make Yourself out to be God."
(John
14:8-11) Philip said^ to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and
it is enough for us." {9} Jesus said^ to him, "Have I
been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip?
He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us
the Father'? {10} "Do you not believe that I am in the
Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do
not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does
His works. {11} "Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the
Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves.