Reply To: Christology 2024/25 Discussion Board 1

[ambcovenant]

The Gospel of John is indeed rich with passages affirming the deity of Jesus Christ, portraying Him as the eternal Son of God who shares the divine nature with the Father.

Here are four key passages from John’s Gospel that emphasize Jesus’ divine identity:

1. John 1:1-3 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him, nothing was made that has been made.”

In this opening passage, John establishes Jesus as the “Word” (Logos), who was both with God and is God from the beginning. This underscores the eternal existence and creative power of Christ, placing Him above all creation as co-creator with the Father. The phrase “the Word was God” affirms His divinity, directly declaring that Jesus shares in the divine essence of God.

2. John 8:58 – “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!’”*
Here, Jesus identifies Himself with the divine name “I AM,” which God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14. By using this title, Jesus asserts His pre-existence and divine nature, suggesting He is not bound by time or lineage. This declaration directly associates Him with the eternal God of Israel, causing great offense to the religious leaders, who saw this as a clear claim to divinity.

3. John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.”
Jesus’ assertion of unity with the Father goes beyond a mere agreement in purpose or will. This oneness implies a unity of nature and essence, which was understood by His listeners as a claim to deity. The subsequent reaction, where people attempted to stone Him for blasphemy, demonstrates that they recognized this as a declaration of equality with God.

4. John 14:9 – “Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
Jesus reveals to Philip that seeing Him is the same as seeing the Father, which speaks to His divine representation of God on earth. This doesn’t just imply that Jesus reflects God’s character; it suggests a deep unity where the fullness of God is revealed in Him. Jesus, therefore, becomes the visible expression of the invisible God.

Each of these passages illuminates a different aspect of Jesus’ deity as portrayed in John. John 1:1-3 presents Him as the eternal, creative Word of God, co-equal with the Father. John 8:58 and John 10:30 reveal His timeless existence and unity with God, showing His divine self-identification and equality with the Father. Lastly, John 14:9 communicates that to know Jesus is to know God Himself, as He fully embodies God’s nature. In these verses, John paints a powerful picture of Jesus as truly God in human form, confirming the divine mystery of the incarnation—that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. Through these revelations, John’s Gospel calls us to recognize Jesus’ divine authority, respond to Him with reverence, and embrace the life He offers as the divine Son who came to bring salvation.