Jesus Christ is Jehovah God, as declared by the Bible.  Jesus is of the same nature, attributes, and substance as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  They are each, however, three distinct persons in the Holy Trinity.

The teaching of the deity (the state of being God) of the Lord Jesus Christ is a fundamental doctrine held within orthodox Christianity.

The scriptures declare that all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  They also declare that Jesus did no sin.  However, Jesus is declared by the scriptures to be a man.  Now if Jesus was a man ONLY, he would have to be included in the category as sinner too, since all men have sinned.  The Bible does not contradict itself, but it must be interpreted from beginning (Genesis) to end (Revelation).

Jesus was not JUST a man, he was the God‑Man.  Jesus Christ is 100% God, and 100% man.  If man is to have a savior, he needs to have one without sin.  God came in the flesh and fulfilled the Law.  (Note: Jesus said he came to fulfill the Law, not destroy it.  The Law was given to be obeyed.  But no one could do it.  Only Jesus, the God‑Man could, AND DID.  The Law is fulfilled, now there is a better promise – A New Testament ‑ based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ.)

SCRIPTURES SHOWING THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST

PRE‑EXISTENCE OF CHRIST-

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD WAS GOD.

John 1:14 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.

Who is the Word that was God?  Who was this Word that was made flesh (was a man)?  Jesus.  Jesus is God.

THE “I AM”‑

Exodus 3:14 And GOD SAID unto Moses, I AM that I AM: and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

John 8:58 JESUS said unto them, verily, verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was (born), I AM.

Abraham was the first Jew; the lineage of Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter one begins with Abraham.  Yet Jesus said he existed before Abraham.  How can this be?  It is because Jesus is God, and has always existed (though as a man, his beginning was at birth through Mary).

THE CREATOR‑

Colossians 1:7 And he (Jesus Christ) is before ALL things, and by him ALL things consist.

John 1:3 ALL things were made by him (Jesus Christ); and without him was not ANYTHING made that was made.

The creator of ALL things could not himself have been created, unless he created himself, which is a senseless statement.  God created all things; Jesus created all things ‑ Jesus is God.

IMMANUEL: GOD WITH US‑

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord shall give you a sign, behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:21‑23 And she (Mary) shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ‘Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name IMMANUEL,’ which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US.

Only Jesus can save his people from their sins. Only God can forgive sins against God.  Sinful man couldn’t forgive sin against God.  Yet the man Jesus could and would, because he was without sin (1 Peter 2:22).  Jesus was more than just a man, he was 100% man and 100% God.

EVERLASTING‑

Micah 5:2 But thou BETHLEHEM Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands (of cities) of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from EVERLASTING.

Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in BETHLEHEM of Judea… 

Jesus’ existence (‘goings forth’) had no beginning.  It was from of old, from everlasting.  Anything created had a beginning.  God has no beginning.  Jesus had no beginning.  Jesus is God.

THE MIGHTY GOD‑

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the MIGHTY GOD, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Revelation 3:14 …These things saith the Amen (Jesus), the faithful and true witness, the beginning (origin) of the creation of God.

Clearly this scripture prophesies of Jesus, and calls him THE MIGHTY GOD.  Jesus is God.  The scripture also calls him the everlasting Father.  Does this mean Jesus is the Father of the Godhead (Trinity)?  No!  Jesus was the origin of creation, or where God’s creation proceeded from (recall Colossians 1:17 and John 1:3).  Natural fathers are called fathers of their own children, since the fathers are where the children had their beginning.  So too Jesus is the creator of all things, and IN THAT SENSE is the everlasting Father.

GOD IN THE FLESH‑

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh (John 1:1, 141, justified in the Spirit (Acts 10:38), seen of angels (Hebrews 1:5), preached unto the Gentiles (Acts 8:35), believed on in the world (John 3:16), received up into glory (Acts 1:9). 

Jesus met all the criteria of the person in this verse, the PERSON referred to as God manifest in the flesh.

WORSHIP GOD ONLY‑

Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt WORSHIP no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a Jealous God. (See also Exodus 20:3.)

Hebrews 1:6 And again, when he (God the Father) bringeth in the first begotten (Jesus) into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God WORSHIP HIM. (See also Luke 4:8.)

Men could not be worshiped (Acts 20 : 25‑26 ), angels could not be worshiped (Revelation 22: 8‑9).  Only God was to be worshiped.  Yet Jesus was to be worshiped.  Jesus is God.

LORD AND GOD‑

John 20:28‑29 And Thomas answered and said unto him (Jesus), MY LORD AND MY GOD.  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed, blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

As a Rabbi (an ordained teacher of the Jewish law) Jesus was required to rebuke error, yet he let homas call him MY LORD AND MY GOD.  What Thomas said was TRUE.  Jesus is God.

SON DECLARED GOD‑

Psalms 45:6 Thy throne O GOD is forever and ever.  The scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.

Hebrews 1:8 But unto THE SON he (God the Father) saith: Thy throne O GOD is forever and ever.  A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.

Clearly the Son is called God, and called God by God the Father.  A throne forever seems also to imply eternity past as well as future.

RETURN OF JESUS‑

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus is coming back.  See Acts 1:11, Revelation 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 4:16‑18.  Jesus is the great God.  Jesus is our Savior.

THE FIRST AND THE LAST‑

Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and His redeemer the Lord of Hosts, I am THE FIRST AND I AM THE LAST, and beside me there is NO GOD.

Revelation 22:12‑13 And behold I come quickly (recall Titus 2:13 above) and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, THE FIRST AND THE LAST.

God is the FIRST AND THE LAST.  Jesus is THE FIRST AND THE LAST.  Jesus is God.  (Note: Jesus is speaking for himself in the book of Revelation as is proved in Revelation 1:18 where Jesus says “I am he that liveth, and was dead.”)

GOD IS TRUE-

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and WE ARE IN HIM THAT IS TRUE, even in his Son Jesus Christ. 

This is the TRUE GOD, and eternal life.  Jesus is whom we (Christians) are in.  Our salvation is in Jesus Christ.  We are complete in Jesus (Colossians 2:10).  Jesus is truth.  Jesus is the TRUE GOD.

The teaching of the Deity of Jesus Christ is not just a nice doctrine with no modern‑day application.  Rather, we have great comfort and hope if in fact Jesus Christ is God.  Why?

‑ Because we know God knows first‑hand what it is like to suffer:

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.

‑ Because we know God knows first‑hand what it is like to be tempted:

Hebrews 4:14‑17 Seeing that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, JESUS THE SON OF GOD, let us hold fast our profession.  For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

‑ Because the sacrifice of Jesus Christ avails us a way to God:

1 Peter 3:8 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that he might BRING US TO GOD, being put to death, but quickened (made alive) by the spirit.

‑ Because we have the hope of Heaven:

1 Corinthians 15:17‑19 And if Christ be NOT raised, your faith is in VAIN: ye are yet in your sins.  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.  If IN THIS LIFE only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Had Jesus not been God, he would have been just like any other man who lived a good life, but died in his sins because he could not meet God’s standard of PERFECTION.  He would be in the grave today if he were merely a man only.  Yet the scripture says:

Romans 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was a declaration by God that Jesus was in fact THE Son of God.  Because Jesus was God, we have great hope in him (see 1 Corinthians 15 and Hebrews 10).

Because Jesus lives the Christian has HOPE and HELP in this life from a God who understands man’s troubles and needs.  We can know God here on earth, and have EVERLASTING LIFE in Heaven to look forward to.

Jesus is God.  Jesus died for you.