The Heart of the Matter

The Deity of Christ says that Jesus is truly God. This is the foundational belief of the Christian faith, yet one of the main controversies. This was the most important concept that I struggled with before believing and accepting Jesus Christ as my savior. I needed to be able to formulate rational proofs that Jesus is God before I could believe. Is this your struggle too?

I had two fundamental questions. I have since heard these same questions from other seekers; How do we know that Jesus is God? What are the proofs for this?

How do we know that Jesus is God?

Jesus tells us so himself in his own words recorded in the Scriptures. John 5:18b says "He was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God." Jesus claimed his own Sonship in John 10:36: "…what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?" and Matt 26:53: "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" Jesus further claimed authority as the Son of God by forgiving sins, modification of the Sabbath, foretelling of his judgment of the world, and calling himself "I AM," the name God used of himself in Exodus 3. Finally, when Jesus was asked by the high priest at his trial if he was the Christ, the Son of God, he admitted "Yes, it is as you say."

Other people in Scripture also tell us that Jesus is the Son of God. John the Baptist is one example. In John 1:32-34 we read, "I [John the Baptist] saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." Also, Mark begins his gospel "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God" so Mark obviously thought Jesus to be God's son.

Also, while the Old Testament contains the prophecy of the one who is to come, the New Testament proclaims the fulfillment of this prophesy in Christ Jesus.

You might say, "all of these claims could be rationalized away." True, it is easy for someone to make claims about themselves that are not true—we see this in people around us every day. It is also within the realm of possibility that people can be convinced of the false claims people make. History contains many examples of this. The prophecy? On the surface it might appear to be a coincidence. So maybe none of this is enough to convince you. So, read on.

Statistical Probability and Historical Corroboration

A closer look reveals that prophecy foretold many things about what would happen to the one who would come. The circumstances of his birth, lineage, anointing, activities (preaching, ministering, miracles, cleansing of the temple), rejection, death and resurrection, and the filling by the Holy Spirit were all foretold. And Jesus himself predicted these things of himself. The possibility of all of the prophecy of the one to come being fulfilled in Jesus by chance is "beyond statistical probability."

In addition to this, Jesus' body being missing from the grave is an historical fact. Jesus' resurrection is an historical fact attested to by many. And, the Biblical accounts of these facts were written within the lifetime of many witnesses who could have disputed them. As a result, claims about Jesus' missing body would most certainly have been disputed by those who carried out and witnessed the crucifixion, had they been false.

Consequently, the witness of Jesus' ascension and the filling of the disciples with the Holy Spirit are easy to conceive in light of the facts. I am convinced that Jesus is who he claimed to be.

Copyright © 2010 by Teresa L. Haymaker