It has been said that ‘some religions make little of Jesus; others make much of Him; but Christianity makes everything of Jesus.’
We considered previously how the Lord Jesus is special because He fulfils prophecy. Another reason to regard Him as special is that:
Jesus claimed Deity
Almost everyone accepts that Jesus was a good man. Many world religions regard Him as a prophet or a great teacher. The problem with this view is that Jesus claimed to be much more than a good man, a great teacher, or a prophet. Jesus claimed to be God.
Some people ask, “Where in the Bible does Jesus directly say, ‘I am God’?” and, because that statement can’t be found, they conclude, “Jesus didn’t even believe He was God!” However, this is not clear thinking.
Suppose you had a conversation with a professional footballer whom you didn’t recognise. During the chat he said, “I play for Liverpool,” or, “I scored in the final of the Champions League,” or, “I play football for a living”. The fact that he didn’t use the words “I am a professional footballer” doesn’t mean that he isn’t one. He has said the same thing, just in a different way.
Jesus said that He was God in many ways. He accepted for Himself the honours that He said were due to God alone. He allowed people to worship Him even though He stated that God alone should be worshipped. He declared that “all should honour the Son just as they honour the Father” (John 5:23). He was claiming equality with God the Father.
He declared that He had the right to forgive sins, and gave evidence for it (Mark 2:1-12). However, the only person who can forgive a sin is the person against whom the sin was committed. Jesus therefore claimed to be the ultimate offended party in every sin. He claimed to be God.
These claims to deity were not made in isolation or without corroboration. Without evidence to support His claims no-one would have followed Him. Jesus demonstrated supernatural knowledge and miraculous power. His disciples, though they believed strongly that there was only one God, came to believe that Jesus was that God in human flesh. They were so convinced that they attributed the names reserved for God to Him and, ultimately, laid down their lives confessing Him as Lord and God.
Jesus is a good man, but He is much more than this; He is God. This makes all the more remarkable His death upon the cross. It is because Jesus is God that we can be certain His suffering upon the cross was sufficient payment for our sins.
Some say, “How could the death of one man two thousand years ago pay for the sin of the world?” The answer is “Because that Man was God”. As an infinite person He paid an infinite price when He “gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6)
Here is the wonder of the cross: “our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ … gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:13-14).
The adherents of many world religions are expected to sacrifice for their ‘god’ or ‘gods’ but in Christianity the good news is that God has sacrificed for us. His infinite sacrifice has provided salvation for every person.
Your salvation has been fully paid for by the blood of Christ. This is why eternal life can be offered to you now as a free gift. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “But as many as received Him [the Lord Jesus], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
image source: Carlos N. Cuatzo Meza
