Did Jesus Ever Claim To Be God?

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This devotional deals with; did Jesus ever claim to be God?  The answer is yes and Jesus said so in many places in the Bible.  But for this devotional, I want to use an often overlooked passage on this subject.  Personally, I have never heard a message taught on this subject.

Satan Tempts Jesus

Matthew 4: 1-10: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” 

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,  and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. 

For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you,’and,

‘In their hands, they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness, the devil came at him in so many ways.
 
 
When we read this passage, most simply teach that Jesus is only quoting Scripture to fight the temptations of the devil.  This is true as a Biblical principle, and Jesus is teaching us here in these passages how to combat the devil’s temptations.  But I believe, that in teaching this principle of quoting Scripture to fight temptation, we overlook another very important principle, that is what Jesus is actually saying!  I believe most miss these simple truths.
 
When Satan tempts Jesus to jump off the pinnacle, what is Jesus’s response?

You shall not tempt… who? “the LORD YOUR GOD!

Who is being tempted?  Jesus!  Then who does Jesus say not to tempt “The Lord your God! – this in response to his own temptation!  God the Father was not being tempted here!  The Holy Spirit was not being tempted here!  Who was being tempted?  Jesus, the Lord your God!
 
Again, we see Satan tempting Jesus to worship him and then offering Jesus the Kingdoms of the world.
Jesus again said:  ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
 
You might say in this last verse Jesus was referring to God the Father, but in other parts of Scripture it records that Jesus also received worship.
 
Matthew 2:2; saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
 
Matthew 8:2: And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
 
Matthew 14:33: Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
 
If you notice in Matthew 14:33 and again in Matthew 4:3:  These two verses connected what Satan called Jesus and what the disciples called him:  The Son of God, then in Verse 33 it says they worshiped Him.
 
So not only with these verses did Jesus call himself; “Lord your God”, but we can further meditate on these Scriptures when Jesus said:  ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”  We can then deduce this – if we should only worship the Lord your God, and if He was truly referring to, and only to God the Father, then we must ask a question!  Why was He (Jesus)  through-out Scripture receiving worship if He said you should only worship the Lord God?  The answer is simple, Jesus is God in the flesh.   
In Matthew 1, the Bible gives us another name for Jesus:
Matthew 1:23; “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
 
So, when those religious groups knock on your door on Saturday morning and try to present a false gospel, that Jesus was not really God but another of God’s creation, you can be sure in your spirit that Jesus, the Immanuel was truly God with us!

Written by Dennis Stauffer

Edited by Gary Green (Omega House)

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2 Replies to “Did Jesus Ever Claim To Be God?”

  1. Xavier Desrosiers

    Indeed, Jesus IS who He says He is.
    I talked to Brian Beers today….
    Peace to you and yours,
    Xavier

    Reply ↓

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