If you ever ask anyone who knows Jesus and not a Christian, they would say Jesus was a prophet or a godly man or a good teacher. But the Bible tell us that Jesus was actually more than all these.
Jesus Claim To Be God
Jesus is God in the flesh as it was written in John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” Some might totally ignore this verse as it seems not to be a claim to be God , but if you read further to the Jews’ reaction to His statement, it shows clearly that Jesus did claim to be God.
“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” – John 10:33
The Jews understood Jesus’ statement as a claim to be God. So if anyone asks you where Jesus claimed to be God, remember John 10:30-33 which clearly show Jesus claiming equality with God.
Jesus Claims Pre-Existence
“‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’” – John 8:58
In response to this, the Jews took up stones to stone Jesus. When Jesus claims pre-existence, Jesus is telling the Jews that Jesus was God Himself with the name – I AM ( Exodus 3:14 ). The Jews rejected Jesus’ claim as God incarnate, but they understood what Jesus was claiming to be God.
The Disciples Claim Jesus To Be God in The Flesh
“The Word was God” – John 1:1, together with “The Word became flesh” – John 1:14 gives us a very clear idea that Jesus was acknowledged by the disciples that Jesus was indeed God.
Thomas the disciple declared to Jesus as Lord addressing Jesus as “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). The apostle Peter calls Jesus “our God and Savior” (2 Peter1:1). The apostle Paul describes Jesus as “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
What Did Jesus Do For Us?
“ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23
There is not one person on earth that has not sinned and fall short the glory of God. God has every right to condemn and judge us as bad people because of sin.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By – his wounds you have been healed.” – 1 Peter 2:24
So that is why we need Jesus and need to acknowledge Him as God.
Why Jesus’s identity as God is so important?
The bible promised the Messiah was to be the “Holy One” (Ps 16:5). Since no one on earth is righteous before God, God Himself had to enter the world as a human to redeem humans.
If Jesus was not God, his death on the cross would mean nothing to us. As only God Himself could provide an eternally valuable sacrifice for our sin ( Romans 5:8).
If Jesus is not God, Jesus would be a liar and the apostles likewise too.
In order for Jesus to be our Savior, He must be God.
Jesus had to be both God and man in order to satisfy the wrath of God. As a man, Jesus had the capability of dying. As Jesus was also God, Jesus is the perfect mediator between heaven and earth (1 Tim 2:5).