Biblical Evidence for the Deity of Christ

The last post in our study of Great Doctrines of the Bible by Martyn Lloyd-Jones examined the Incarnation. Today’s post provides biblical evidence for the deity of Christ (chapter 24, vol. 1 of Great Doctrines).

8 Biblical Demonstrations of the Deity of Christ

MLJ states that the biblical evidence for the deity of Christ is “voluminous,” so he narrows it down to 8 headings:

Divine Names are Ascribed to Him
There are around sixteen names that are ascribed to Jesus that implies his deity, for example:
– Son of God (used at least 40 times)
– Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:18)
– The First and the Last (Rev. 1:17)
– Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:11)
– The Holy One (Acts 3:14)
– Lord (used several hundred times)
– Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8)
– God (John 20:28)
– Emmanuel (Matt. 1:23)
– Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13)

Divine Attributes are Ascribed to Him
There are certain attributes of God that only apply to God (as opposed to other attributes that humans are to emulate). Such as:
– Omnipotence- Hebrews. 1:3
– Omniscience- John 2:24-25; Matthew 11:27
– Omnipresence- Matthew 18:20; 28:20; John 3:13
– Eternal- John 1:1
– Immutability (unchanging)- Heb. 13:8
– Pre-existence- Col. 1:17; Phil. 2:6

Divine Offices are Ascribed to Him
These offices are divine and they are ascribed to Christ:
– Creator- John 1:3; Col. 1:16
– Sustainer- Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17
– The ability to forgive sins- Mark 2:5
– Power to raise the dead- John 6:39-44
– Judgment- John 5:22-23; 2 Tim. 4:1

OT References to Jehovah are Ascribed to Christ in NT
Compare:
– Psalm 102:24-27 with Heb. 1:10-12
– Isaiah 40:3-4 with Matt. 3:3; Luke 1:76
– Isaiah 6:1,3,10 with John 12:37-38
– Isaiah 8:13-14 with 1 Peter 2:7-8

The Way the Names of God the Father and Jesus the Son are Coupled Together
Matthew 28:19 teaches us to make disciples, “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 1:17 refers to “God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” In 2 Cor. 13:14, the benediction declares: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. And James refers to himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” in James 1:1.

Divine Worship is Ascribed to Jesus
While angels would turn away worship that only belongs to God (Rev. 22:8-9), Jesus accepted it (see Matthew 28:9 and Luke 24:52). Paul encouraged it in 1 Cor. 1:2. We even see Paul and Stephen praying to Jesus in 2 Cor. 12:8-9 and Acts 7:59. Phil. 2:10 tells us that one day, every knee will bow to Christ.

Jesus Claims His Own Deity
– At his baptism- Matthew 3
– In instructing his disciples to cast out demons in his name- Mark 16:17
– By equating his words as God’s- Matt. 5:21,27,33
– His eternal nature- John 8:58

The Virgin Birth
A unique miracle in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah.

Why Does It Matter?

Was Jesus simply a good teacher who had some good things to say, or is he God? If he’s simply a good teacher, we can take him or leave him; we can pick out the parts of his teaching we like and throw out the rest. If, however, he is God, then we must listen. He says he is the only way of salvation. If he is truly God and we will stand before him in judgment, then what he said matters. Or, as one author said, “If Christ is divine, he has a right to our entire lives, including our inner life and our thoughts.”

Other posts in the “Great Doctrines of the Bible” series:

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