As a resource to you all, we wanted to share this article by Charlie Campbell. We hope it’s helpful and encourages your faith. This article is taken from Charlie Campbell’s website which you can find at: www.alwaysbeready.com
The Bible teaches that there is one God who eternally exists in three coequal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It teaches that Jesus, God the Son, came down to the earth 2,000 years ago to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin. The Watchtower Society (also known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (known as Mormons) and other groups deny this. Twisting Scripture, or inventing their own scriptures, these groups teach that Jesus was/is merely a man, an angel, or one of many gods that exist. Below are twenty reasons why Christians believe Jesus was and is almighty God. Notice that each reason is taken directly from the inspired, infallible Word of God.
1. The Apostle Thomas called Jesus God.
John 20:27-29 “Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
2. The Apostle Peter called Jesus God.
2 Peter 1:1 “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”
3. The Apostle Paul called Jesus God.
Titus 2:12b-14 “…we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
4. The Apostle John called Jesus God.
John 1:1-3, 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” See verse 14 for confirmation that this reference to the “Word” is a reference to Jesus.
5. God the Father called Jesus God.
Hebrews 1:8 “But to the Son He [God the Father] says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. ’”
6. Isaiah the Prophet said the Messiah would be God.
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
God the Father, in the Old Testament, is also called “Mighty God” in Isaiah 10:21, the same title that can be ascribed to the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
7. The Jews who crucified Jesus understood Him to be saying that He was equal with God.
John 5:18 “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.”
John 10:33 “The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
8. Jesus called Himself “I AM”, the Old Testament name for God (Exodus 3:14).
John 8:58-59 “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, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
9. Jesus calls Himself “the Alpha and Omega,” the title of Almighty God.
Revelation 22:12-13 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
10. Like God (Gen. 1:1) Jesus created.
Colossians 1:16-17 “For by Him [See context. This is speaking of Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
John 1:3 “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
Yet God says in Isaiah 44:24, “I am the LORD, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself”
11. Like God, Jesus forgives sin.
Mark 2:5-7, 10-11 says, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” “…But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go your way to your house.”
12. Like God, Jesus gives eternal life.
John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
13. Like God, Jesus received, receives and will receive worship.
Matthew 14:32-33 “And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” (also see Matthew 28:9, 17, John 9:37-38)
Revelation 5:13 “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, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Hebrews 1:6 “But when He again brings the firstborn [JESUS] into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
Jesus never rebuked any of His followers for worshiping Him and yet worship of anything or anyone other than God is absolutely forbidden in the Bible …
Luke 4:8 “And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
14. Jesus said that only God was good; and Jesus was good.
Mark 10:17-18 “And as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
Jesus was as good as they come. He was “sinless,” “holy,” “righteous,” “innocent,” “undefiled,” and “separate from sinners.” (Hebrews 7:26) That’s pretty good!
15. Like God, Jesus can be present in more than one place at the same time.
Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (See also Matthew 28:20)
16. One of Jesus’ titles is “God with us.”
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.”
17. Jesus’ blood is called God’s blood.
Acts 20:28 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
18. Jesus has the same nature as God.
Hebrews 1:3a “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”
19. Jesus spoke as God.
Jesus did not speak as one of God’s prophets: “thus says the Lord,” but as God: “I say to you.”
Matthew 5:27-29 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
Matthew 7:28-29 “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
20. Like God (Psalm 136:3), Jesus is called the Lord of Lords and King of kings.
Revelation 17:14 “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (See also 1 Timothy 6:15).
It is clear from these passages and dozens of others that Jesus was and is God almighty. Don’t let a Jehovah’s Witness or any other person lead you astray. Be a noble minded Berean (Acts 17:11) and search the Scriptures to see for yourself that this is indeed the case.
