In today’s world, we are presented with a choice when it comes to our beliefs about Jesus and the Bible. We can either reject the Bible and Jesus’ claims as false or accept them as truth. There is no middle ground when it comes to such a profound and life-altering decision. One of the key aspects of Jesus’ teachings that confronts us is His declaration of being equal with God. In this blog post, we delve into this claim and the implications it holds for our faith.
Christ’s Self-Declaration of Deity
In verse 17, Jesus makes an unprecedented statement, declaring Himself as equal with God. He proclaims His power, authority, and abilities as being in line with God the Father. This bold assertion of divinity serves as the first of seven claims of Christ’s deity present in this chapter. By announcing Himself as the Messiah, Jesus confronts the religious leaders and asserts His equality with God.
The Jews’ Reaction and Jesus’ Identity
The Jews’ response to Jesus’ claim reveals their deep-rooted resistance to accept Him as equal with God. They sought to kill Him not merely because of the miraculous works He performed or His disregard for the Sabbath. It was because His statement made Him equal with God in their eyes. Jesus’ declaration shook the cornerstone of their traditional beliefs and challenged their understanding of His identity.
The Power of Work and Creation
Jesus further establishes His equality with God by emphasizing the continuous work of God the Father. Just as God works on the Sabbath day, Jesus proclaims Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath, asserting His divinity and authority over this sacred day. Jesus affirms His involvement in the creation of all things, as stated in Colossians and the book of John. Nothing was made without His participation, further solidifying His claim as equal with God.
The Rejection of Christ’s Deity
The rejection of Christ’s deity is not limited to the Jews of that time. Even today, some cults and religions deny Jesus’ divinity or attempt to diminish the significance of the Trinity. However, the Jewish people during Jesus’ time understood the implications of His claim. They recognized that when Jesus referred to God as His Father, He was asserting His equality with God. This crucial understanding leads us to contemplate our own choice concerning Jesus’ identity.
Our Choice: Reject or Accept
In light of Jesus’ self-declaration of being equal with God, we are left with only two options – to reject or accept the Bible and Jesus’ claims as truth. God has given us free will, allowing us to decide for ourselves. We can either dismiss the Bible and Jesus’ teachings as falsehoods and believe whatever we desire, or we can embrace the Bible and accept Jesus’ words as truth. These are the only two options available to us.
The deity of Christ and His self-declaration as equal with God form the core of Christian faith. As C. S. Lewis famously stated, Jesus does not leave us the option of viewing Him as merely a great moral teacher. His divinity demands either our rejection, in which case we may view Him as a lunatic or a devil, or our acceptance, falling at His feet and calling Him our Lord and God. The choice is ours to make, and it carries eternal consequences.
As believers, it is important to stand firm in our faith and trust in the authority of the Bible. We must recognize that the rejection of Jesus’ deity fundamentally contradicts the teachings and truths found within Scripture. Let us hold steadfastly to the truth of Jesus’ self-declaration and embrace the profound implications of His identity as equal with God.
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