Tag: faith

JESUS THE OMNISCIENT LORD

The following chart will enable the readers to see that Jesus Christ possesses the exact same omniscience that God alone possesses, because the inspired NT writings describe Jesus as the human Incarnation of YHWH God Almighty. At the same time, these sacred writings personally distinguish Christ from both the Father and the Holy Spirit.

GOD

JESUS CHRIST

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?” Romans 11:33-34

“then listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men,” 1 Kings 8:39

“Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.” Psalm 44:21

“And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;” Acts 15:8

“in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” 1 John 3:20

“And that to You, O Lord, belongs lovingkindness, For You repay a man according to his work.” Psalm 62:12

“If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ Does not He who weighs the hearts understand? And does not He who guards your soul know? And will not He render to man according to his work?” Proverbs 24:12

“Behold, Lord Yahweh will come with strength, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.” chapter Isaiah 40:10

“Behold, Yahweh has announced to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.’” Isaiah 62:11

“I, Yahweh, search the heart; I test the inmost being, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10

“But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you view your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:9-12

“so that their hearts may be encouraged, having been held together in love, even unto all the wealth of the full assurance of understanding, unto the full knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge… For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily,” Colossians 2:2-3, 9

“And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’ But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?’” Mark 2:5-8

“And knowing their thoughts He said to them, ‘Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.’” Matthew 12:25

“until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen… So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’… ‘Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us… And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen,’” Acts 1:2, 6, 21, 24

“on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” Romans 2:16

“For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted. But the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and make manifest the motives of hearts. And then each one’s praise will come to him from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:4-5

“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ And Nathanael said to him, ‘Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said about him, ‘Behold, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to Him, ‘From where do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered Him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.’” John 1:45-49

“His disciples said, ‘Behold, now You are speaking openly and are not using a figure of speech. Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe?’” John 16:29-31

“He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’” John 21:17

“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds.” Matthew 16:27

“Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. So then, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we have been made manifest to God; and I hope that we have been made manifest also in your consciences.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-11

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: This is what the Son of God, the One who has eyes like a flame of fire and His feet are like burnished bronze, says… ‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.” Revelation 2:18, 23

“‘Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’… He who bears witness to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:12-13, 20

All scriptural citations taken from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).

FURTHER READING

The Incomprehensible and Omniscient Son of God

TRINITY CHART

BINITARIAN CHART

JOHN’S EGO EIMI SAYINGS REVISITED

CHRIST’S DEITY IN HEBREWS

CHRIST THE GOD-MAN

JESUS: YHWH GOD INCARNATE

APOCRYPHA & CHRIST’S DEITY

The book of 3 Maccabees ascribes specific titles and functions that belong uniquely to God:

“Lord, Lord (Kyrie, Kyrie), king of the heavens and sovereign of all creation (despota pases ktiseos), holy among the holy ones, the only ruler (monarche), almighty, give attention to us who are suffering grievously from an impious and profane man, puffed up in his audacity and power. For you, the creator of all things (ta panta) and the governor of all, are a just ruler (dynastes dikaios), and you judge those who have done anything in insolence and arrogance.” 3 Maccabees 2:2-3 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

The aforementioned traits are some of the very essential and definitional aspects of God’s Being, which distinguish him from all of created reality.

Remarkably, these very unique qualities and roles of God are attributed to the Lord Jesus Christ!

For example, Jesus identifies himself that very “Lord, Lord”:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord (Kyrie, Kyrie),’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly.’” Matthew 7:21-23 NRSVUE

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord (Kyrie, Kyrie),’ and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it quickly collapsed, and great was the ruin of that house.” Luke 6:46-49 NRSVUE

Christ is also described as the sovereign King and Creator of all creation, employing terminology that is virtually identical to the Greek of 3 Maccabees:

“He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (pases ktiseos), for IN HIM all things (ta panta) in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things (ta panta) have been created THROUGH HIM and FOR HIM. He himself IS before all things (ta panta), and IN HIM all things (ta panta) hold together.” Colossians 1:13-17 NRSVUE

“to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which HE will bring about at the right time—HE WHO is the blessed and ONLY Sovereign (monos dynastes), the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is HE ALONE (monos) who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:14-16 NRSVUE

In fact, the risen Lord is even said to be the only Despot and Lord of the believers who, in his prehuman existence, was that very glorious divine Being who led Israel out from Egypt, and subsequently punished the rebellious among them in the wilderness:

“For certain intruders have stolen in among you, people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly, who pervert the grace of our God into debauchery and deny our ONLY Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (ton monon Despoten kai Kyrion hemon ‘Iesoun Christon). Now I desire to remind you, though you are fully informed, once and for all, that JESUS, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” Jude 1:4-5 NRSVUE

This means that, according to the inspired NT documents, Jesus is the human manifestation of the one true sovereign God of all creation, being the very human incarnation of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And yet these inspired Scriptures are clear that Christ is not the Father or the Holy Spirit, but is one with them in essence, power, glory and worship.

FURTHER READING

THE CHRISTIAN SHEMA

JESUS: THE ONE AND ONLY ADONAY YHWH

The Christian Shema: Confessing Jesus as Yahweh God the Son

The Inter-Testamental Jewish Literature and the Deity of the Lord Jesus, [Part 2], [Part 3]

JESUS AND THE GOSPEL

The Synoptic Gospels portray Jesus as being sent to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom of God, announcing to the Jews that God’s rule had come and it was therefore time for them to repent and believe:

“Now after John had been delivered up into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” Mark 1:14-15

“And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus rose up, went out of the house, and went away to a desolate place, and was praying there.And Simon and his companions searched for Him;and they found Him, and said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’ And He said to them, ‘Let us go elsewhere, to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came out for.’And He went, preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and casting out the demons. Mark 1:35-39

One vital aspect of Jesus’ proclamation is that individuals had to be willing to abandon everything for his sake, including giving up their own lives if necessary:

“And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38

“And as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.”’And he said to Him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.’And looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” Mark 10:17-21

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:34-39

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple… So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” Luke 14:26-27, 33

The reason Christ could demand such a devotion is because he is that very sovereign King of the kingdom, which he came to announce. As such, one cannot enter the kingdom without first embracing and loving its Ruler.

In this post I will set out to prove that Jesus’ proclamation in all the Synoptic Gospels centered on his being the unique divine King whom everyone must submit to in order to be saved.

DIVINE SON OF MAN AND KING

Throughout the Synoptics Jesus speaks of himself as the Son of Man who comes on the clouds with his angels to judge mankind:

“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of HIS Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38

“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.” Mark 13:26-27

“But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him and said to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”” Mark 14:61-62

Christ is clearly referring to the vision of the prophet Daniel, where he sees two distinctly divine figures:

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; ALL nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14 New International Version (NIV)

By identifying himself as the Danielic Son of Man, Jesus was essentially proclaiming himself to be the eternal divine King whom all nations are to worship forever and ever.

Interestingly, even the rabbis took Daniel’s prophecy as a reference to the King Messiah:

one like a man was coming. That is THE KING MESSIAH.

and… up to the Ancient of Days. Who was sitting in judgment and judging the nations.

came. arrived, reached. (The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16490/showrashi/true#v13)

Jesus further confirmed his divine royalty by entering Jerusalem on a donkey:

“And as they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,and said to them, ‘Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.’And they went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it.And some of the bystanders were saying to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’And they spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.And they brought the colt to Jesus and put their garments on it; and He sat on it.And many spread their garments in the road, and others spread leafy branches, having cut them from the fields.And those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:

‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!’

“And Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.” Mark 11:1-11 – Cf. Matt. 21:9-17

This same episode is found in John’s Gospel with some added details:

“On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.’ And Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.’ These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him, and that they had done these things to Him.” John 12:12-16

As John noted, Jesus was deliberately fulfilling a prophecy that is found in Zechariah, as well as another one located in the Psalms:

“This is the day which Yahweh has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Yahweh, save! O Yahweh, succeed! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of Yahweh; We have blessed you from the house of Yahweh.” Psalm 118:24-26

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Make a loud shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Lowly and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a pack animal. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His reign will be from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” Zechariah 9:9-11

What makes Zechariah’s prophecy all the more remarkable is that elsewhere in the book, the prophet identifies the King who rides the foal of a donkey as YHWH God Almighty!

“And Yahweh will be king over all the earth; in that day Yahweh will be the only one, and His name one… Then it will be that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, there will be no rain on them.” Zechariah 14:9, 16-17

Since YHWH is the One coming to Jerusalem to rule over all the earth, this means that it is YHWH whom the prophet announced will enter Jerusalem on a donkey!

Therefore, by riding on a donkey into Jerusalem Jesus was basically identifying himself as that YHWH God whom Zechariah prophesied was coming to Jerusalem to reign.

Once again, we have the rabbis agreeing with the New Testament that Zechariah 9:9 is in fact a Messianic prophecy:

In the land of Hadrach. R’ Judah the son of Ilai expounded: THIS IS THE MESSIAH, who is sharp against the nations and soft to Israel. R’ Yose the son of a Damascene mother said to him [to Judah the son of Ilai]: “Judah, our master, how long will you pervert the verses for us? I call heaven and earth to testify for me, that I am from Damascus, and there is a place named Hadrach. [Rabbi Yose continued:] Now how do I explain: ‘And Damascus is His resting place?’” That Jerusalem is destined to reach as far as Damascus. ‘His resting place’ means only Jerusalem, as it is said: (Psalms 132:14) “This is My resting place to eternity.” He said to him [i.e. R’ Judah to R’ Yose]: “Now how do I explain (Jer. 30:18) ‘And the city shall be built on its mound?’” He replied: “That it is not destined to move from its place.” So was the baraitha taught in Sifre (Deut. 1:1).(The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16213/showrashi/true#v1; emphasis mine)

Behold! Your king shall come to you. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO INTERPRET THIS EXCEPT AS REFERRING TO THE KING MESSIAH, as it is stated: “and his rule shall be from sea to sea.” We do not find that Israel had such a ruler during the days of the Second Temple.

just and victorious. saved by the Lord.

and riding a donkey. This is a symbol of humility.

and a foal of she-donkeys. as in (Gen. 32:16) “and ten foals.” (Ibid., https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16213/showrashi/true#v9; emphasis mine)

The next example is so remarkable, that Muhammad plagiarized our Lord’s words and ascribed them to his deity:

“‘But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

“‘Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” Then the righteous will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”

“‘Then He will also say to those on His left, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.” Then they themselves also will answer, “Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?” Then He will answer them, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’ When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, ‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.’” Matthew 25:31-46; 26:1-2 NASB1995

Note here that Christ identifies himself as the very Lord and King of the day of judgment, being the Owner of the glorious throne!

It is so plainly obvious that Jesus was making himself out to be God Almighty in the flesh that Muhammad stole the aforementioned statements of Christ and put them in the mouth of his god:

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, who said that the Messenger of Allah said:

Allah (mighty and sublime be He) will say on the Day of Resurrection: O son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so had fallen ill and you visited him not? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so asked you for food and you fed him not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you to give Me to drink and you gave Me not to drink. He will say: O Lord, how should I give You to drink when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: My servant So-and-so asked you to give him to drink and you gave him not to drink. Had you given him to drink you would have surely found that with Me.

It was related by Muslim.

Hadith Qudsi 18 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/qudsi40/18)

By taking Jesus’ words and attributing them to Allah, Muhammad bore witness to the fact that Christ made himself out to be God Almighty since he does what even Islam’s false prophet realized that only the one true God shall do. I.e., Jesus Christ comes to judge mankind on the last day, on the day of resurrection, since he is the Master and Ruler of the day of judgment!

The Synoptics have more to say.

In one episode, Jesus heals a paralytic in order to prove that, as the Son of Man, he has power to do what even the Quran acknowledges only God can do, namely, forgive sins:

“And when He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. And being unable to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof over where He was; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the mat where the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’

“But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”; or to say, “Get up, and pick up your mat and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, get up, pick up your mat, and go to your home.’ And he got up and immediately picked up the mat and went out before everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’” Mark 2:1-12 – Cf. Matt. 9:1-8; Luke 5:17-26

This isn’t the only time that Jesus personally forgave a person’s sins:

“Then He said to her, ‘Your sins have been forgiven.’And those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man who even forgives sins?’And He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’” Luke 7:48-50

Astonishingly, these texts demonstrate that Christ possesses the very characteristics and performs the unique functions, which the Hebrew Bible only attributes to God.

According to the OT, it is YHWH who forgives sins, heals diseases, and knows what is in the hearts of men:

“then listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men,” 1 Kings 8:39

“Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.” Psalm 44:21

“Bless Yahweh, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;” Psalm 103:2-4

And, as I already noted, even the Islamic scripture attests that forgiveness of sins is a unique divine prerogative:

who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember God, and pray forgiveness for their sins — and who shall forgive sins but God? — and do not persevere in the things they did and that wittingly. S. 3:135 Arberry

Interestingly, the Quran echoes the very objection which the Jews leveled at Jesus for claiming to be able to forgive sins!

I will have a lot more evidence to share in the next part in this series.

JOHN’S EGO EIMI SAYINGS REVISITED

A careful examination of the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, typically known as the Septuagint (LXX), with that of John’s Gospel will conclusively prove that Jesus’ “I AM” statements are clearly intended to identify him as the human incarnation of YHWH God (cf. John 1:1-18). The way in which John has communicated Christ’s words into the Greek tongue makes it obvious that the Apostle is making a direct connection with the “I AM” sayings of YHWH in the Hebrew Bible, specifically the book of Isaiah.

In the following chart, I cite from the LXX version of Isaiah in order to help readers see how Jesus’ “I AM” statements deliberately echo that of YHWH’s.

“Therefore shall my people know my name in that day for I am he, the one who is speaking to you (ego eimi autos ho lalon).” Isaiah 52:6 LXX

“All the nations are gathered together, and princes shall be gathered out of them: who will declare (anangelei) these things? or who will declare (anangelei) to you things from the beginning? Let them bring forth their witnesses (martyras), and be justified; and let them hear, and declare the truth. Be my witnesses (martyres); and I too am a witness (martyrs), says the Lord God, and the servant whom I have chosen (exelexamen)so that you may know, and believe, and understand that I am he (hina… gnote pisteusete… hoti ego eimi): before me there came to be (egeneto) no other god, nor shall there be any after me. I am God, and besides me there is none who saves. I declared (anengeila) and saved; I reproached, and there was no stranger among you: You are my witnesses; I too am a witness, says the Lord God.” Isaiah 43:9-12

“The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim (anangelei) all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one who is speaking to you (ego eimi autos ho lalon).’” John 4:25-27 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

“Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.’” John 4:39-42 NRSVUE

“In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I am (ego eimi) the one testifying (martyron) about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies (martyrei) on my behalf.” John 8:17-18

“He said to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are from this world, I am not from this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he (pisteusete hoti ego eimi).’” John 8:23-24 NRSVUE

“So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he (gnosesthe hoti ego eimi) and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’” John 8:28-29 NRSVUE

“‘Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham came to be (genesthai), I AM (ego eimi).’ So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” John 8:56-59

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God (pros ton theon)… ‘I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen (exelexamen). But it is to fulfill the scripture, “The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.” I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it comes to be you may believe that I am he (hina hotan genētai pisteusete hoti ego eimi).’” John 13:3, 18-19

What makes the septuagintal rendering of Isa. 43:10 rather intriguing is that the servant is depicted as being distinct from both YHWH and the nation of Israel, whereas in the Hebrew version the servant and Israel are equated:

“You are my witnesses, says the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.” NRSVUE

“Be my witnesses; and I too am a witness, says the Lord God, AND the servant whom I have chosen so that you may know, and believe, and understand that I am he.” LXX

Notice how the LXX gives the impression that the servant whom YHWH has chosen is personally distinct from the Israel that is summoned to also bear witness to YHWH being the only God that exists.

This comports with the fact that in Isaiah there are two servants, both of whom are called Israel, namely, the nation and the specific individual whom the NT and later Jewish tradition identifies as Messiah (Cf. Isa. 42:1-7; 49:1-10; 50:4-6; 52:13-15; Matt. 8:14-17; 12:17-21; Luke 22:37; Acts 8:30-35; 1 Peter 2:21-25).

Jesus’ ego eimi statements in John 13:19 is also significant in light of its context where John tells us that the Son “had come from God and was going to God (pros ton theon).”

These words deliberately the Prologue where Jesus is identified as the eternal Word who was with God (pros ton theon) from before the creation of all things:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (pros ton theon), and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God (pros ton theon). All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people… The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him… And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-4, 9-10, 14

Elsewhere in John, Christ plainly speaks of his coming down from the Father to enter into the world, and of his leaving the world to go back to the Father:

“‘I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but will tell you plainly of the Father. On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father (pros ton patera).’ His disciples said, ‘Yes, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe?’” John 16:25-31 NRSVUE

Note, once again, John’s use of the preposition pros, which again points us to Jesus being the divine, uncreated Word who was pros (“with”) God from before the creation.

In fact, the Lord makes this very same point in his prayer to the Father:

“So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed… for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me… Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:5, 8, 24 NRSVUE

Here, Jesus affirms that he personally existed alongside the Father where they both shared the same glory from before the creation the world. This is why he could say that he had come forth from the Father and was now returning back to the glory that he had shared alongside of him.

Nor is this the only time where Christ spoke of his prehuman, heavenly existence with the Father:

“No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” John 3:13 NRSVUE

“‘for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.’ Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’” John 6:38-42 NRSVUE

“Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” John 6:62 NRSVUE

“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God, and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.’” John 8:42 NRSVUE

Clearly, then, Jesus’ ego eimi saying in John 13:19 means much more than “I am the Messiah who was foretold by the prophets.” The context shows that Christ is deliberately echoing the “I AM” sayings of YHWH found throughout Isaiah, specifically in Isa. 43:10, in order to make it known to his disciples that they were beholding the God of Israel himself in human flesh.

FURTHER READING

JESUS CHRIST: ISRAEL’S ANI WAHO WHO SAVES

JESUS: THE I AM HE INCARNATE

Even More Proof That Jesus is Jehovah God Most High! Pt. 2

Jesus as the Great I AM

Jesus as the Great I AM Excursus

The Early Church Fathers On John 8:58