In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1)

The Apostle John does not waste any time in getting his main point across. He clearly equates the Word of God with God. There are no points to argue, no wrinkles to iron out, and no questions to settle in his mind. The Christ, the Messiah, was fully God. Why then do we have such a diffi- cult time believing this point today? Modern scholasticism, ultimately liberal, will do all that it can to show that Jesus was just a man. I would like to give you a few talking points about the divinity of Jesus Christ in this article. Admittedly, this discussion would go much smoother had Jesus said, "Yes. I am God." However, He did not leave Himself without implicit witnesses during His earthly ministry.

First, Jesus' miracles show something of His divinity. John the Baptist, imprisoned and doubting, sends for confirmation as to Jesus' identity in Luke 7. Jesus' reply to John might seem cryptic at first reading. Upon closer look, what Jesus is saying is exactly the fulfilled promise of Isaiah 35. What Jesus is alluding to is the beginning of the salvific promises of God. Some would argue that Jesus' disciples did the same type miracles, so they must be divine also. While they did similar miracles, they certainly could not claim that power as their own. It was only in the exercise of God's power that these things were possible. Not so with Jesus. He saw Himself not as a miracle worker, but as the one in whom God is bringing about the redemption of all creation, the Finger of God touching the world.

Jesus' teachings also show His divinity. Though often referred to as "Rabbi" by His disciples, Jesus did not teach as the religious leaders of the day. One of the things that graduate study has taught me is that without referencing people with more letters behind their name than you have, your conclusions mean very little. So it was in Jesus' day. It took 2-3 witnesses confirming the same idea to establish it as fact. Jesus, though, taught as one having inherent authority. He was not required to find evidence; He wrote the book in the first place. In fact the only time He referred to witnesses was in reminding them of the promise of Messiah found in Moses and the Prophets. His teachings were proof of His divinity.

Finally, Jesus did allude to His divinity in His teachings on earth. The best example of teaching on His identity comes from John 8. The Pharisees scoff at Jesus because He talks of Abraham as if He saw his life personally. Notice Jesus' reply: "Before Abraham was, I AM." Not I was? Why did this little slip of the tongue cause such an outrage among the Pharisees? Because Jesus the man took the name of God upon Himself. "I AM" was the name given to Moses in Exodus 3. Couple this with statements attesting to His oneness with the Father (John 10:30) and we have a pretty good indication of Jesus' view of His person.

There is much to stake upon Jesus' divinity. That will be discussed in the next couple of weeks. My intention in this article is not to convince you exhaustively that Jesus was God, but to equip you for a better discussion on the subject. All of us are faced with the dilemma that Pontius Pilate had. Who are you, Jesus? And what do I do with you? Ultimately, no amount of convincing will make an eternal difference. It is only faith in Christ that saves. May the testimony of the Scriptures and the drawing power of the Holy Spirit guide you into a deeper understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ!