7 Times Jesus Claimed to Be Godනියැදිය

When I was in school, I called my teachers ‘sir’ or ‘miss’. Those weren’t their names; I was just using a title. We use titles to talk about God too – I just did it – not because that is His name, it’s just a respectful convention.

A lot of readers miss one of Jesus’ clearest claims to be God because they don’t realise Jesus refers to Himself using God’s name – I Am.

When Moses was sent to tell Pharaoh ‘Let my people go’, he asked what name he should give if he was asked who sent him. God answers, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ Moses should say, ‘I AM has sent me.’

Fast forward to Jesus and some Jews having a hard conversation about sin. Jesus tells them they are slaves of sin who need Him to free them, and that they are deceived by Satan’s lies – they have a false confidence in their righteousness based on their descent from Abraham. Jesus wants them to recognise their true condition – enslaved by sin and deceived by satanic lies – so that they can be set free by putting their faith in Him.

Sin leads to death, but whoever obeys Jesus’ words will never taste death. This sounds a little like what God says about his own words: ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Jesus’ words give life, just as God’s do.

Jesus is asked why He is such a big deal. Abraham died, but Jesus gives life? How does that work?

Jesus answers, ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’ This is not an example of bad grammar. This is one of the clearest examples of Jesus claiming to be God. It might not be clear to people who are unfamiliar with the Old Testament, but to the people who were listening to him, it was so clear that they picked up stones to kill Him.

What is your hope for God’s favour based on? Satan offers false hopes: morality, good theology, and church attendance. Jesus offers our only hope: faith in Him. We don’t just need to turn away from the evil things we do, but also the evil lies we believe that keep us from seeking life from Jesus’ words. What lies do you need to reject so that you can fill your heart with the words of eternal life?