Ok, I am asking for you now then. No trin believers could answer for twenty years of my forum life.
where is it that Jesus says He is God?
Jesus explicitly claims to be the I Am of Exodus 3:14:
Joh 8:23 And He was saying to them, "You are from below,
I am from above; you are of this world,
I am not of this world.
Joh 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for
unless you believe that I am He,
you will die in your sins." (NASB)
Note that "
He," in verse 24, is italicized because it isn't in the Greek. He then repeats that he is I Am again:
Joh 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
Joh 8:59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (ESV)
The Jews also understood his claim to be the unique Son of God as a claim to deity and equality with the Father:
Joh 5:17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
Joh 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but
he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (ESV)
Joh 10:30
I and the Father are one.”
Joh 10:31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.
Joh 10:32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”
Joh 10:33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because
you, being a man, make yourself God.” (ESV)
Joh 18:4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, "Whom do you seek?"
Joh 18:5 They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He *said to them, "
I am He." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
Joh 18:6 So when He said to them, "
I am He,"
they drew back and fell to the ground. (NASB)
Again, "He" is not in the Greek. The force of his claim caused those coming to arrest him to draw back and fall to the ground.
We must remember that Jesus was a Jew speaking to Jews and so spoke in specific ways that they would understand, including by appealing to the OT:
Mat 26:63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God,
tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Mat 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,
from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Mat 26:65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “
He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.
(ESV)
Dan 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold,
with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
Dan 7:14 And
to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (ESV)
Psa 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: “
Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” (ESV)
Jesus combined the two OT passages above in his response to the high priest, but why was it blasphemy? It couldn't be that Jesus was merely claiming to be the Messiah, although it was that as well, since that wasn't blasphemy.
Dan 7:9 “As I looked,
thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
Dan 7:10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. (ESV)
So, why is there more than one throne if God is one? Who is Judge but God alone? Can a mere human, a mortal creature, sit beside God? It is the Son of Man who is given "dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him." More than that, "his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed."
Jesus claims to sit on the other throne that is spoken of in Dan 7:9, where he would sit in judgement alongside the Ancient of Days, and where he receives "everlasting dominion." This was another claim to be equal with God.
Also, more implicitly:
Mat 8:26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Mat 8:27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Mat 8:28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. (ESV)
Mat 14:32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Mat 14:33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (ESV)
Psa 65:7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, (ESV)
Psa 89:8 O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?
Psa 89:9 You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. (ESV)
Psa 107:28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Psa 107:29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Psa 107:30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. (ESV)
Notice that it is God in the OT who stills the storms and the sea, but that Jesus does it during his ministry. In Mat 14 those in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
...
Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, (ESV)
Eze 34:11 “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.
Eze 34:12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
...
Eze 34:15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. (ESV)
The titles God gives himself:
Isa 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. (ESV)
Isa 48:12 “Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he;
I am the first, and I am the last. (ESV)
Rev 21:6 And he said to me, “It is done!
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
Rev 21:7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and
I will be his God and he will be my son. (ESV)
And these are Jesus's words:
Rev 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not,
I am the first and the last,
Rev 1:18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. (ESV)
Rev 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
Rev 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
...
Rev 22:16 “
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (ESV)
Jesus said and did things that were explicit and implicit claims to deity, to be God. The Jews understood this and worshiped him on several occasions, with Thomas even declaring that Jesus was his Lord and his God. It is why several NT writers claimed that Jesus was God or ascribed language to him that is also ascribed to God.
