There has been a couple times now that I received a comment from someone claiming I do not understand the scriptures and that Jesus is not God and never claimed to be. I admit that I do not understand all the scriptures and by no means am I an expert, but one thing I do know and have no doubt is that Jesus is Lord. He came to this earth, God in the flesh, to save us from our sins. Jesus’ I AM statements along with His works show us that He is God. To not believe that Jesus is God, you would have to remove much of the New Testament (and The Old Testament, that points to the Messiah). I hope and pray that people would believe, that they would be saved and accept God’s grace through His blood, through His death and resurrection.
The final I AM statement may be perhaps the most important. This was such a bold statement, the Jews who heard it were ready to stone Him for blasphemy.
Exodus 3:14
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “
John 8:56-58
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
God the Father spoke to Abraham with the exact same words as Jesus. “I AM.” This is a claim that He and the Father are One, as God. Thus, in the beginning when God created, the phrase used was Elohim, which is a plural word. Jesus was in the beginning. Before Abraham was…
Genesis 1:26a
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…
Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 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. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 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. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
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 claimed to be God. Jesus is God. The Father and the Son are one.
John 10:24-30
Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 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. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”
This was not the only time the Jews wanted to kill Jesus because of His claims to be God.
John 5:18
Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
In John’s vision in Revelation, Jesus appeared and made another “I AM” statement that The Father also used. He is the first and the last. He is eternal:
Revelation 4:8b
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Revelation 22:8-16
Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
Isaiah 44:6
“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.
Isn’t it interesting at the moment in the garden, when Jesus spoke, saying I AM He, everyone fell to the ground. It reminds me of the scene in Lord of the Rings when the one ring was severed from Sauron’s hand and his whole army fell to the ground. I picture a scene similar to that occurred when Jesus said, “I am He.”
John 18:4-6
Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
This may be a glimpse of what is to come when Jesus returns.
Philippians 2:5-11
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 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.
People try to say Jesus is not God. but there is overwhelming evidence throughout the Bible that He is. There are many false teachers out there who will try to stray people from the truth. But I know that Jesus is Lord and He will one day come again to take His people home to heaven and judge the nations.
Colossians 2:8-9
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
My Daily Scriptures 