Jesus told the religious leaders of His day that they looked to the Scriptures to obtain eternal life but He said that the Scriptures told about Him. This was very controversial to say the least and only added fuel to the fire of their disdain for Him. But let us look over the Scriptures (the Old Testament) to see if what Jesus said was true. Disclaimer alert: This is not exhaustive but an article to whet the appetite for further honest personal study.
The first book of the Bible, Genesis, tells us, “Let us make man in our image.” This is an insight to the nation Israel and to followers of Jesus today that God is mind-blowing to the human mind and senses. The word for God in the first chapter of Genesis is Elohim and it seems a strange grammatical configuration. The word “El” for God is singular and the second part of the word as we read it “ohim” is plural. Most likely the reason for this is to tell in words of God’s majesty over all things, but also it gives us insight to the unsearchable riches of who God is and His grace. This majestic God is not alone but is singular – there is the idea of a Godhead or as Tertullian first put it a Triune God or Trinity. This does raise eyebrows and the ire of many around the world as it did the religious elite of Jesus’ day.
A brief word about the use of the word Trinity and a short definition is appropriate at this point. Philip Schaff, a church historian of yesteryear, explains Trinity as one indivisible “essence” of God in three persons. This truth is supported by both Catholic and Protestant theologians.
We begin to see glimpses of this in the Creation story and after the fall of Adam and Eve. In Genesis 1:2 we read: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” And immediately after this statement Creation happened.
In Genesis 3:15 we read: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” The word for “offspring” here is in the singular or pointing to a single person in the future and that person is Jesus Christ. This is fulfilled in the New Testament in the gospel of John 1:14 when Jesus became flesh. And in the New Testament accounts of Jesus’ life in the gospels we see Jesus first defeat Satan in the wilderness after fasting for 40 days and nights and then ultimately when He rose from the dead after being in the tomb over three days.
However one of the strongest verses for the deity of Jesus or Jesus being God is found is the prophet Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” The last word in the verse is very telling for the word means “God with us.” So God will become one with flesh and blood just as we have. This was something earth shaking to the reader of that day and the Jewish nation was constantly looking for the Messiah or Anointed One to come and there was much anticipation which tribe and family He would come through.
Another powerful verse in the prophet Isaiah that seems to point to a Trinity and that Jesus was indeed God is Isaiah 48:16. “Draw near to Me, here this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there.” And now the Lord God has sent Me, and His Spirit.” God has sent His Son and His Spirit who are of one essence with Himself to come into our world not only to deliver the Jewish nation, but also those who believe in the Messiah.
And probably the most powerful indicator that Jesus is God can be found in Isaiah 9:6. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The child to be born will be “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father!” What more could this be to say that Jesus Christ is indeed God in the flesh. To fully comprehend this is a mystery but it is from the wonderful eternal plan of God.
So as the New Testament opens with the gospel of Matthew we are struck immediately by the fulfillment of these wonderful prophecies that were told to the human race 700 years before they happened. Only God could have done this and then take on the form of a man in the person of Jesus Christ.
One last point and that is Jesus called Himself the great I Am. In John 8:58 as He was conversing (to put it nicely) with the Pharisees, Jesus said that before Abraham was “I Am.” This puts us back in the Old Testament and the time of Moses and the giving of the Ten Commandments. Moses asked God if people would ask him who sent him what was he to tell them. God told Moses to tell them “I Am who I Am.” Jesus equated Himself to the Great I Am of the time of Moses.
To conclude, the writer of the book of Hebrews very clearly lets his readers know who Jesus is. “Long ago, at many times and many ways, God spoke to our father by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:1-3). In short Jesus is indeed God in the flesh.
Thanks to our Guest Contributor:
Pastor Ray Peters
Harvest Alliance Church
