While Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet, they adamantly oppose the idea that He is God. A Muslim apologist rightly claimed that Jesus never said, “I am God.” However, many things that Jesus did say are equivalent to actually saying, “I am God.” Here are a few examples:
John 5:18-29: For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus gave them this answer… " For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
I’ll make a few observations about this passage:
1. The educated Jews recognized that Jesus was “making Himself equal with God,” and therefore wanted to kill Him.
2. Jesus gives life “just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life.” He is equating Himself with God.
3. Jesus will judge. However, the entire Bible claims that God is the judge. CONCLUSION: Jesus must be God.
4. All will “honor the Son just as they honor the Father.” However, the Bible tells us that God will not share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8). Jesus is therefore claiming that He is worthy of the same glory as God. He is either a blasphemer or He is God!
5. Hearing and believing in Jesus brings “eternal life.”
6. At the hearing of His voice, graves will open.
John 8:57-59 "You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
1. Jesus claims pre-existence. Only God can claim this.
2. He calls Himself “I am,” the name that God used to describe Himself to Moses!
3. The Jews tried to stone Him because, in their estimation, He had blasphemed, making Himself equal with God.
John 10:24-33 Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
1. The Jews knew what He was saying. They just needed something that they could quote in order to condemn Him. Jesus wouldn’t tell them EXPLICITLY who He is, but did so IMPLICITLY, claiming that His miracles spoke on His behalf.
2. Jesus also claims that He gives His sheep “eternal life.” A mere man can not save.
3. He then claims that “I and the Father are one," again making Himself equal to God.
4. The leadership understood that He “claim[ed] to be God" and wanted to kill Him. This would have been the perfect opportunity for Jesus to say, “You’ve misunderstood me. I’m just claiming to be the prophet of God.” However, He allowed their judgment to stand, affirming indirectly that He is God.
This merely represents a small bit of the Biblical evidence that Jesus is God. It just examines what Jesus said about Himself.
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