Perhaps the strongest statement one could make about Jesus is that He is, in fact, God in human flesh.

Who is Jesus? A mere mortal? Or the immortal God Himself, in human form? Perhaps you have heard some people say something like this: “Yes, Jesus was a man who lived two thousand years ago; he was a great moral teacher and prophet who gave us wise counsel. However, I have trouble accepting the claim that he is God.” In light of such common skepticism, let’s review Jesus’ own words and see what he says about his relationship to God.

As you will see in the following passages, he claims to be the Messiah—the long-awaited deliverer of God’s people, anticipated in the Hebrew Bible. He also claims to be the Son of God and to be one with the Father. As C. S. Lewis says, someone who makes these kinds of statements cannot be merely a good moral teacher. In fact, Jesus leaves us with only three choices. He is either a lunatic (a condition which has not been put forth even by his most ardent critics), a liar (something few people would claim based on his good moral teaching), or, if he is telling the truth, the Lord Himself.

“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)

This is total heresy to the Jewish leaders, who respond, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God” (v. 33). Clearly to the Jewish leaders, Jesus is calling himself God. This is very important: Either Jesus is speaking the truth or Jesus is a madman! These Jewish leaders would have considered this claim outrageous.

“The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me.” (John 10:25)

Jesus is referring to the miracles that he has performed, which indicate his divine powers.

“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)

Jesus is claiming to be the wellspring of spiritual and biological life. To believe in him is not merely to acknowledge that he rose from the dead, but it also involves receiving his gift of resurrected life. Faith in him is more than believing a proposition; it is a transfer of trust from ourselves to him.

“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

Again, Jesus is stating that he and the Father are one. The apostle John describes this oneness in the opening chapter of his Gospel as follows: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1–2). (The term “Word” refers to Jesus in this passage)

“No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” (John 3:13)

The term “Son of Man” is the most common way in which Jesus describes himself. In the Old Testament, Daniel 7:13-14 also uses it to describe the Messiah.

Reflection: Do you think Jesus was a good moral teacher? If so, how could He make the kind of claims cited above unless they were true? If we accept Jesus as a good teacher, we also have to accept His claim that He is God.