God

“What about you?” [Jesus] asked. “Who do you say I am?” — Matthew 16:15 Some people argue that the Bible never clearly teaches that Jesus is God. Some suggest that Jesus was only a great teacher and that Christians who were greedy for power turned him into something more.Baloney. Scripture is clear about who Jesus is.Jesus says, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). He spoke of having glory with the Father before creation (John 17:5). He also showed he had the authority to forgive sins—something that only God can do (Luke 5:21-24).Jesus’ listeners understood. His enemies said he was “making himself equal with God” (John 5:18). His disciples worshiped him (Matthew 14:33), and Jesus did not object.The apostle Paul declared, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9), and Paul described him as “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). John identified Jesus as “the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20). And as our reading today shows, Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”Our Hebrews text adds that Jesus is the “radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” And God the Father says of the Son, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever.”These are just a few examples, and we can believe that what the Bible says is true. Jesus is God. Who do you say he is? Lord Jesus, by the power of your Spirit, help us to see who you really are. May we praise and worship you always, our Savior and our God. Amen.