Did Jesus Say He Is God?
Jesus didn't just hint at His divinity — He declared it, and it changed everything.
Maybe you’ve felt it — that deep question pressing against your soul: Is God real? Can I know Him? You might even believe in a “higher power,” but you wonder what that really means. Or perhaps you’ve looked at Jesus and admired Him as a teacher, a prophet, a revolutionary — but never considered that He might be far more.
Others have told you Jesus never claimed to be God. That He was just a man. That His followers made Him divine long after He died. But if that were true, how do we explain the firestorm of devotion, persecution, and transformation that followed His every word?
Here’s the truth that this article will center on: Jesus did claim to be God — not in hidden riddles, but in words and actions so clear and controversial that people picked up stones to kill Him.
And that one truth changes everything. Because if Jesus is God, then every word He spoke is life. Every promise He gave is eternal. And His death and resurrection aren’t just history — they’re hope.
✨ One Central Truth: Jesus Clearly Claimed to Be God
Let’s be direct. Jesus didn’t walk around shouting, “I am God!” in modern English. But in the culture, language, and religious context of His time, He repeatedly and unmistakably claimed divinity — and His listeners knew it.
Let’s walk through the moments where Jesus made it undeniably clear:
📖 “Before Abraham Was, I Am” — John 8:58
“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'” (John 8:58)
This isn’t bad grammar — it’s a divine claim. Jesus wasn’t just saying He existed before Abraham. He was invoking the very name of God from Exodus 3:14, where God told Moses:
“I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:14)
To the Jewish audience, this was blasphemy if untrue. And they knew it. What happened next?
“So they picked up stones to throw at Him.” (John 8:59)
Why would they do that unless Jesus was claiming the divine name — the name reserved for Yahweh alone?
📖 “I and the Father Are One” — John 10:30
“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)
This isn’t unity of purpose — it’s unity of essence. How do we know? Because again, the crowd reacted:
“The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him… ‘because You, being a man, make Yourself God.’” (John 10:31–33)
They heard His claim — not as poetic, but personal. Blasphemous if false. Divine if true.
📖 “Your Sins Are Forgiven” — Mark 2:5–7
When a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus, He didn’t just heal him. He said:
“Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5)
The religious leaders were shocked:
“Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7)
Exactly. Jesus was doing something only God could do. And to prove His authority, He healed the man’s body too.
Jesus didn’t just preach — He demonstrated divine power.
📖 “The Father Sent Me” — Repeated Throughout John
Jesus constantly spoke of God as His Father in a unique way no other prophet dared.
“Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
“As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself.” (John 5:26)
“All that the Father has is Mine.” (John 16:15)
These are not the words of a mere man. They are the self-revealing declarations of someone who claimed equality with God — and intimacy with Him that no created being could possess.
📖 Thomas Called Him “My Lord and My God” — John 20:28
After the resurrection, Thomas saw Jesus and cried:
“My Lord and my God!”
And Jesus didn’t correct him. He affirmed it:
“Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
Jesus accepted worship — something no righteous angel or prophet ever did in the Bible. Why? Because He is worthy.
✨ Actions That Only God Can Do
Jesus didn’t only claim divinity — He proved it through power and authority that no man or prophet ever wielded:
- He forgave sins (Mark 2:5)
- He raised the dead (John 11:43)
- He calmed the storm (Mark 4:39)
- He received worship (Matthew 14:33; John 9:38)
- He declared Himself the Judge of all humanity (John 5:22)
- He rose from the dead (John 10:18; Luke 24)
Every miracle, every word, every resurrection appearance — they all point to one staggering truth:
Jesus didn’t come to show us the way to God — He is God come to us.
🪞 What Does This Mean for You?
If Jesus is truly God, then you can’t treat Him as just a good moral teacher.
C.S. Lewis famously put it this way:
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic… or else he would be the Devil of Hell… Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.”
Jesus leaves no room for neutral admiration. You must either reject Him or bow before Him.
If Jesus is God, then:
- His death on the cross means your sins can be forgiven.
- His resurrection means death is defeated.
- His words are the standard of truth.
- His call is the path to eternal life.
This is not theology for seminary halls. It’s truth for your soul.
🌍 Jesus, God With Us — In Our Suffering, Shame, and Search
Maybe you’ve felt abandoned by God. Maybe religion wounded you. Maybe you’ve tried everything to fix yourself — and you’re still lost.
Then hear this: God came looking for you.
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14)
Not just as a helper. Not just as a messenger. As God Himself — wrapped in flesh, walking in our pain, carrying our sin.
He knows your shame. He hears your hidden cries. He sees what no one else sees — and He loves you still.
✝️ The Cross: Where God Died for Sinners
If Jesus is God, then the cross is not just a tragedy. It’s a divine rescue.
“For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things… making peace by the blood of His cross.” (Colossians 1:19–20)
God didn’t stay distant. He stepped into our story. He bore our wrath. He opened a door back to life.
No other religion dares to say this: God Himself died for His enemies.
And that includes you and me.
🕊️ The Resurrection: God Triumphant Over Death
Three days later, Jesus rose. Not as a ghost. Not as a myth. As the conqueror of death, witnessed by over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:3–8).
Only God can break death’s curse.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25)
That’s not metaphor. That’s a promise.
🙌 Will You Believe?
Jesus didn’t just say He is God — He proved it.
Now the question is: What will you do with Him?
You can ignore Him, try to redefine Him, or dismiss Him as a myth. But deep down, your soul knows the truth: You were made for more than this world. You were made to know God.
And God came for you — in Jesus.
✝️ Come to Jesus
You were created by God. Loved by Him. But sin has separated you — not just morally, but spiritually. Left to ourselves, we wander, ache, and die without hope.
But Jesus, God in human flesh, came to save us:
- He lived the life you couldn’t live — perfectly holy.
- He died the death you deserved — bearing your sin.
- He rose so you could live again — forever.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Today, you can turn from sin and believe in Him. You don’t have to fix yourself first. You don’t have to climb your way to God.
God already came down to you.
A Simple Prayer
If your heart is ready, talk to Him now:
Jesus, I believe You are God. You came to save me. You died for my sin and rose again. I turn from my old life and trust in You. Be my Savior, my Lord, and my God. I give You my heart forever. Amen.
🌱 What Now?
- Talk to God daily. He’s listening.
- Read the Bible. Start with the Gospel of John.
- Find a Bible-believing church. Don’t walk this path alone.
- Tell someone. Let the light shine.
Final Word: He Didn’t Leave It Vague
Jesus didn’t leave us wondering who He was.
He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
He said, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)
And He proved it — with an empty tomb and a love that still calls today.
Yes, Jesus said He is God. And He’s inviting you to know Him — now and forever.