This article is based on Pastor Adrian Rogers' message, Is Jesus God?.
Who is Jesus?
You cannot tip your hat to Jesus and say He was “a good man,” or “a prophet.” If Jesus Christ is not the true God, He was a fraud who has deceived countless millions and invalidated the writing of the prophets. He is either a lunatic, or He is a liar, or He is Lord.
Here are four reasons to believe Jesus is God the Son.
Jehovah is the name for God in the Old Testament. It is used some 7,000 times. In many translations of Scripture, Jehovah is translated as LORD. Jehovah is God’s personal name, which He used when He was dealing with His people. That name speaks of a covenant-keeping God.
Jehovah of the Old Testament and Jesus of the New Testament are one and the same.
How is Jesus God?
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3). Isaiah was speaking of Jehovah (LORD).
John the Baptist said of Jesus, “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight”’” (Matthew 3:3).
God speaks of Himself: “I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:11).
In Titus 2, we are told to be “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God’” (Isaiah 44:6).
In Revelation, John the Apostle has a vision of Jesus. “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last’” (Revelation 1:17).
David, out guiding his sheep, picked up his harp and under divine inspiration began to sing, “The LORD is my Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1a). That name, Jehovah, again.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
“Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah” (Psalm 24:10).
The Apostle Paul said, “…None of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8).
“The seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God….Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:10a,11b).
“For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8).
Jesus is called the Word of God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).
Jesus did not begin at Bethlehem. There never was a time when the Lord Jesus was not. Don’t let it bother you if you don’t understand it—you cannot understand God. Can the finite understand the infinite?
Scripture teaches Jesus’ absolute holiness. There is only one who is absolutely holy, and that is God Himself. “For I am God, and not man, the Holy One in your midst” (Hosea 11:9b).
Jesus could look at His enemies and say, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46a). Jesus never once prayed for forgiveness. Either that was consummate arrogance, or He was indeed absolutely holy.
When the apostles talked about the crucifixion of Jesus, they said, “But you denied the Holy One and the Just” (Acts 3:14a). Jesus’ absolute, pristine holiness sets Him apart from all others.
Idolatry is the ultimate sin. Jesus knew that worship is reserved for Jehovah, God Almighty, only.
Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Matthew 4:10).
Yet Jesus allowed Himself to be worshipped.
And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him (Matthew 28:9).
If Jesus allowed Himself to be worshiped (Matthew 28:9)—when He Himself said that God alone is to be worshiped (Matthew 4:10)—then either He is guilty of ultimate arrogance and idolatry, or else He is God.
When God called Moses to lead the Jews out of Egypt, Moses asked, “Who shall I say sent me?”
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).
Jesus was having a discussion with the Pharisees. He said to them, “‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’” (John 8:56-57)
Abraham had been dead for centuries.
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by (John 8:58-59).
Why did they want to stone Him? Because He said He was “I AM,” the great eternal God.
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:9)
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
There is no one Jesus is not able to save. Anybody who wants to be saved can be.
Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:2).
Christ is going to make you like Himself. Every speck of dust, every mountain, and every celestial body must obey His will.
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day (2 Timothy 1:12).
He is able to keep you saved. Every need you have, He is able to supply.
There never comes a time when a child of God does not have a Savior to whom he can come and cling.
To explain Jesus is impossible. To ignore Him is disastrous. To reject Him is fatal. Human speech is too limited to describe Him. Your human mind is too finite to comprehend Him. The human heart is too small to contain Him. Jesus Christ is God. You accept Him and bow the knee, or you reject Him. What will you do with Jesus?
Matthew 3:3, 4:9-10, 12:8, 27:11-22, 28:9; Isaiah 40:3, 43:11, 44:6; Titus 2:13; Revelation 1:17, 22:8-9; Psalm 23:1, 24:10; John 1:1, 8:46,56-59, 10:11, 14:9; 1 Corinthians 2:8; Exodus 3:14, 20:10-11; Hosea 11:9; Acts 3:14; Hebrews 7:25; Philippians 3:21; 2 Timothy 1:12
Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know? (Proverbs 30:4)
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (Mark 4:39-41)
