In an article first published by Assist News Service, cold case detective J WARNER WALLACE takes a look at the divinity of Jesus…
It’s Easter Season once again, and it’s definitely the time of year when people are curious about the life and nature of Jesus of Nazareth. Have you ever thought about what separates Jesus from other wise religious men from history? Have you ever been challenged to defend the divinity of Jesus?
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PICTURE: © Amanda Rohde/istockphoto.com “When people think about the nature of God (even those who doubt God’s existence) they typically think of God as all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving. The Gospel eyewitnesses described Jesus as having all three of these Divine characteristics.” |
Jesus claimed to be God and He demonstrated His divinity in several important ways. When people think about the nature of God (even those who doubt God’s existence) they typically think of God as all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving. The Gospel eyewitnesses described Jesus as having all three of these Divine characteristics:
• Jesus is All-Knowing?
Jesus demonstrated His “omniscience” to the woman at the well. “Leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?'” (John 4:16-19, 28-30). In addition, the Gospels tell us repeatedly that Jesus knew the thoughts of people around Him (Luke 6:8 and 11:17, for example) and He also knew who would betray Him (John 6:70). More importantly, Jesus knows the very nature of our hearts (John 2:24-25)
• Jesus is All-Powerful?
Jesus repeatedly demonstrated his “omnipotence” as He performed dozens of miracles. These miracles confirmed His power over nature (Matthew 8:23; Mark 4:37; Luke 8:22), His power over disease (Matthew 8:2; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12), His power over need (Matthew 14:15; Mark 6:30; Luke 9:10; John 6:1-14), and His power over death (John 11:38-44). But the Bible describes Jesus as far more than a miracle worker. The Bible attributes all of God’s power to Jesus:
– the Power (Ability) to Create? Jesus is not simply our Savior. According the Bible, Jesus is also our creator (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16)
– the Power (Authority) to Forgive? Jesus repeatedly demonstrated His Divine authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:1-8)
– the Power (Ability) to Grant Eternal Life? Jesus demonstrated the ability to provide eternal (spiritual) life in the next world (John 10:28, John 11:25-26)
– the Power (Right) to Judge? Jesus, as the author of our lives, demonstrated His right to evaluate how we have lived as His creation (Matthew 25:31-33)
• Jesus is All-Loving?
Jesus repeatedly demonstrated His “omni-benevolence”. He gave His life as the supreme demonstration of His love (John 15:9-14), even though we are seldom, if ever, worthy of His affection (Romans 5:6-8). Jesus loves and desires that ALL should come to know Him (John 3:16-18). Jesus’ omni-benevolence is demonstrated not only by the broad group that He loves, but also by the extent to which He is willing to demonstrate that love.
This Easter, as our friends and family begin to once again consider the nature and person of Jesus of Nazareth, let’s take the time to help them see that the Biblical eyewitnesses described Jesus as much more than a good teacher or a wise man. They clearly and repeatedly testified that Jesus possessed the very nature, power, wisdom and essence of God Himself. Perhaps this is why Jesus told His disciples, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
J Warner Wallace is a detective (currently working cold case homicides), a missions leader and a church planter. He earned a Master’s Degree in Architecture (UCLA) and a Master’s Degree in Theology from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. J Warner is the director of Please Convince Me Ministries and hosts the www.PleaseConvinceMe.com website, blog and podcast. This article was first published by Assist News Service.
