OPENING SONG
OPENING PRAYER
THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
NEW TESTAMENT Passages
Matthew 1:23 -“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
John 1:1-3, 14 -“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made…. And the Word was made 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.”
- “The late New Testament Greek scholar Colwell formulated a rule which clearly states that a definite predicate nominative (in this case theos meaning ‘God’) never takes an article when it precedes the verb (‘was’) as we find in John 1:1.
- It is therefore easy to see that no article is needed for theos (God), and to translate it ‘a god’ is both incorrect grammar and poor Greek, since theos is a predicate nominative of ‘was’ in the third sentence-clause of the verse and must refer back to the subject, ‘Word’ (logos).
- Christ, then, if He is the Word “made flesh” (Jn.1:14), can be no one else except God, unless the Greek text, and consequently God’s Word, be denied.” [2]
John 1:18 -“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
John 20:27-28 -“Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”
Romans 9:6 -“Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen” (NKJV).
Philippians 2:5-8 -“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
- “‘Who was in the form of God’ are his [the Apostle Paul’s] words: and they are words than which no others could be chosen which would more explicitly or with more directness assert the deity of…Jesus Christ….
- Let us remember that the phraseology which Paul here employs was the popular usage of his day, though first given general vogue by the Aristotelian philosophy: and that it was accordingly the most natural language for strongly asserting the deity of Christ which could suggest itself to him….
- ‘Form,’ in a word, is equivalent to our phrase ‘specific character.’… With God…the ‘form’ is that body of qualities which distinguish Him from all other spiritual beings, which constitute Him God, and without which He would not be God.
- What Paul asserts, then, when he says that Christ Jesus existed in the ‘form of God,’ is that He had all those characterizing qualities which make God God, the presence of which constitutes God, and in the absence of which God does not exist.
- He who is ‘in the form of God’ is God.”
Colossians 1:15-16 -“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible….”
- When the Apostle Paul says that Christ is the firstborn over all creation, he does not mean that Christ is the first created being. For he goes on to explain that Jesus Christ created everything in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
- Jesus Christ could not create Himself.
- The idea among various cults that Christ is the first created being is an impossible absurdity.
Colossians 2:8-10 -“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”
1 Timothy 1:16-17 -“Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Timothy 2:3-4 -“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 3:16 -“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
1 Timothy 6:14-16 -“…the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”
Titus 1:3 -“But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.”
Titus 2:10 -“…showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”
Titus 2:13 -“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (NKJV).
Hebrews 1:1-3 -“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by 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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
Hebrews 1:8 -“But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”
Jude 25 -“To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.”
The Spirit-inspired writers of the New Testament applied Old Testament passages which specifically linked the God of the OT with Jesus Christ in the NT, thereby showing that Jesus must be the God of the OT. Below is a table showing OT passages that link the God of the OT with Jesus in the NT.
| Old Testament | New Testament |
| “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3). | “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:3). |
| “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children…” (Malachi 4:5-6). | “He [John the Baptist] will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord [Jesus Christ]’” (Luke 1:17, NKJV). |
| “… I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (Isaiah 45:22-23). | “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:10-11; cf. Philippians. 2:10). |
| “The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” (Psalm 68:17-18) | “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Ephesians 4:7-8). |
| “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Psalm 45:6-7) | “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Hebrews 1:8-9). |
| “Hear my prayer, O LORD [Jehovah]…. The heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.” (Psalm 102:1, 25-27) | “To the Son he saith,… Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail” (Hebrews 1:8-12). |
| “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) | “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake the.e” (Hebrews 13:5) |
JESUS CHRIST Clearly TAUGHT HIS OWN DIVINITY
Revelation 21:6-7 -“And he [Jesus Christ] said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”
John 8:57-59 -“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.’ Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple…” (NKJV).
John 5:17-26 -“But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’ 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. Then Jesus answered and said to them,… ‘For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will…. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself'” (NKJV).
John 10:28-39 -“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
Jesus answered them … If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand.”
Mark 2:5-11 -“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? … [Jesus] said unto them, But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house”
(cf. Lk. 5:20-24).
- The scribes’ theology was correct: “Who can forgive sins but God only?”
- Jesus didn’t disagree with their conclusion; rather, through the miraculous healing He proved that He in fact was God and had the authority to forgive sins.
JESUS CHRIST is WORSHIPED AS GOD … and He allows it
There is probably no sin more condemned in the Bible than that of idolatry.
The Bible teaches that we are to worship God alone. Why? Because God’s law says, only God is worthy to be worshiped.
Deuteronomy 5:7-9 “Thou shalt have none other gods before me…. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them”.
Luke 4:8 “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve”.
- When tempted by Satan, Christ said only God was worthy of worship.
Revelation 22:8-9 “And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God”.
- When the Apostle John fell in worship before one of God’s mighty angels, the angel rebuked him and told him to worship God.
Acts 10:25-26 “And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man”.
- When Cornelius the centurion fell in worship before the Apostle Peter, Peter clearly rejected the offer of worship:
The contrast with the Lord Jesus Christ is startling: from His birth to His ascension, Christ is openly and continuously worshiped by His disciples.
- (Matthew 2:1-2)
- (Luke 24:51-52),
Did Jesus reject this worship, as Peter and the angel did?
- No, Jesus openly accepted and even commended such activity.
- What could this mean except that “That same person who is known to history as Jesus of Nazareth existed, before He became man, from all eternity as infinite, eternal and unchangeable God, the second person of the holy Trinity”?
Passages in Which Jesus is Worshiped
Matthew 2:1-2 -“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:10-11 -“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him.”
Matthew 8:2 -“And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”
Matthew 9:18 -“While [Jesus] spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.”
Matthew 14:33 -“Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.”
Matthew 15:25 -“Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.”
Matthew 28:9 -“And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.”
Mark 5:6 -“But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him.”
Luke 24:51-52 -“And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”
John 9:35-38 -“…he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.”
Hebrews 1:6 -“And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”
Revelation 5:8-14 -“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof…. 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, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.”
- In Revelation 5:8, the living creatures and elders worship the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and offer Him prayers.
- In Revelation 5:13 Christ is offered the same worship that is given to the Father.
Revelation 15:3-4 -“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”
- In Revelation 15:3-4 the worship of the Lord God Almighty and the worship of the King of the saints, the Lamb (Jesus Christ), are indistinguishable.
- All nations will come and worship before Jesus Christ (Ps. 22:27-28).
No created being, no matter how great, is allowed to accept worship. The fact that the apostles and an angel of God totally rejected worship, while Christ openly accepted it, indicates that the New Testament use of “to worship” is not mere homage to a king but the worship of God Himself.
CLOSING SONG
CLOSING PRAYER