Is Jesus God?
Yes. Have a great day. Keep reading for my explanation…
I was enjoying listening to a YouTuber’s live broadcast the other day. He was sharing a wonderful perspective of how we, as people, struggle with really living the life Christ would want us to live. Specifically sharing how he will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and what those moments are like. It was a very nice introspective breakdown of his reaction when he’s moved by the Holy Spirit.
I Read It In The Comments
While he was sharing, there was the infamous live chat running away with comments. One of the commentators, more so a troll posing as a practicing Muslim, was arguing how Jesus wasn’t God. I did not engage as it would be a waste of time to play with a troll. However, it did stir a response in me and I remembered when I gave an answer to a kid who asked me “How can Jesus be the son-of-God, and the God, at the same time?”.
Answering The Question
This is a great question, a question that I wasn’t prepared to answer. I had just accepted that Jesus was the son-of-God and God at the same time. Tho if we are going to have relationship with God we do need some clarity on how we relate to Him. We do see God as a Father in the old testament, a friend in the gospels, and as a brother. These are all very relatable relationship types. In John 14, Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit is a comforter to us. In Romans 8 we read the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in us.
So, back to the question. I begin to answer, not having an answer, and suddenly the answer came out of me. I begin to explain the following.
“Let us make man in our own image…”
In Genesis 1:26 God says “Let us make man in our own image…”. God said “us” because He is the Holy Trinity, and we were made in His image as triune beings. We have a soul, a spirit and a body. God has a soul, a spirit, and a body. The Bible teaches the Holy Trinity is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. God the Father is the soul, Jesus is the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the spirit.
We Are Triune Beings
Yep (I suspect some might be raising an eyebrow and continuing skeptically), I said we are “triune beings”. My basis is from Genesis, granted there is a lot of other interpretations on what that verse could mean. Think about the people you know, think about when you first met them and what you know about them now. At first you were able to recognize their face, or their figure. Then you began to learn more about how your friend thinks, you began to relate with each other on a deeper level. If you were talking on the phone with your friend you could make out a joke or sarcasm based on the inflection in their voice. You could imagine your friend’s facial expressions and arm movements even tho they were not there in person. You could even guess how your friend would react to an event or unique situation that only you witnessed. You went from knowing who they were when you recognized their bodily form, to knowing their soul (their behaviour, decision making, and emotional reactions), to even knowing their spirit (the part of them that’s “there” when they aren’t physically present).
Jesus Shows Us How To Be A Triune Being
Jesus is the way. He shows us how to be present with God in every moment. Jesus, was a man who’s soul was God the Father, and who’s spirit was the Holy Spirit. In John 14 He said “whatever you see me do you see the father do”. In Romans 8 it’s written “the same Spirit the raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you”.
Father, Son, and… Holy Ghost?
I hope this helps some people have an easier time accepting Jesus is the son-of-God and God at the same time. It’s similar to saying I am the body of Adam and the soul of Adam at the same time. There’s one more thing to all this revelation, as believers in Christ Jesus, we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit living with our spirit. There is a part of us that’s already joined with God. It’s through that connection we should seek to know God better, we need to know the Holy Spirit. If we continue our lives without pursuing a relationship with the Holy Spirit, it would be like getting married and ignoring our spouse day after day.
References that Jesus says/shows He is God
Jesus says “I am” – John 8:58 (Jews called God yahweh = “I am”)
“I and the Father are one” – John 10:30
Deeds declare he is God: “your sins are forgiven” – Mark 2