Is Jesus God?

Is Jesus God? Was He just the Son of God? How can He be both God and man at the same time? These are questions that often arise in conversations about Christianity.

At some point in your Christian journey, you will be asked different versions of these statements all probing the divinity of Jesus.  Thankfully, scripture provides answers —though we must approach it with the understanding that the things of God are not always fully grasped by human reasoning.

The Limits of Human Understanding

The first thing to note is this: the human mind cannot fully comprehend the things of God. We cannot explain God through mere logic or reason. As the Bible says:

The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)

Everything we know about God comes through His Word and His Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 2, the crucifixion of Christ is described as a mystery—one born out of the wisdom of God. This means that it was God’s divine wisdom that ordained He would come in the flesh and be crucified for mankind.

Deuteronomy 29:29 beautifully puts it:

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever...

So, while we may not have all the answers, some truths are revealed for our understanding.

The Mystery of God Becoming Flesh

Now to the core question: Is Jesus God?

Let’s consider 1 Timothy 3:16 (Amplified Classic Version):

And great and important and weighty, we confess, is the hidden truth (the mystic secret) of godliness. He [God] was made visible in human flesh, justified and vindicated in the [Holy] Spirit, was seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, [and] taken up in glory.

The Message Version of the same verse begins this way:

“This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough...”

One of those clear truths is that God became flesh and was made visible to humanity. This passage points directly to Jesus being God in the flesh—a profound mystery, but a truth revealed through Scripture.

Jesus also made several statements that provide hints to us that He was God:

1. “Before Abraham was, I AM.” — John 8:58

   (This statement echoes God's name in Exodus 3:14, “I AM WHO I AM,” showing that Jesus claimed eternal existence.)

   
   

2. “I and my Father are one.” — John 10:30

   (A direct claim to unity with God.)

   
   

The Word Was God and Became Flesh

When we consider John 1:1 & 14, we can conclude this discussion,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Let’s break this down into 'bite-sized' facts:

Fact 1: The Word was in the beginning

Fact 2: God was in the beginning (Genesis 1:1)

Fact 3: The Word was God (John 1:1)

Fact 4: The Word became flesh (John 1:14)

Putting all this together, the conclusion is clear: Jesus is God.