JOHN 20:24-31
Pastor Rick Jackson
Let us not be shy or coy about this matter. Let all doubt
and disputation flee from our minds, our mouths, our meaning. Jesus is God. He
is as much God as God the Father and God the Spirit. Let no namby-pamby, mealy-mouthed
cowardice keep us from this great and important Truth – the deity of Jesus
Christ! The great missionary C.T. Studd
but it this way, “If Jesus Christ be God, and died for me, then no sacrifice
can be too great of me to make for Him!” And He is God!
I. WE HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF HIS WORD
1. He Spoke with Authority [Mk. 1:22, 27; John 6:63, 7:46]
- And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught
them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
-And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned
among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for
with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
- It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
- The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
2. He Indirectly Claimed to be God [Jn. 11:39-45]
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of
him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath
been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou
wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the
stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and
said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou
hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that
they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried
with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound
hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin.
Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which
came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
3. He Directly Claimed to be God [Jn. 8:51-59]
Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he
shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast
a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my
saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father
Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus
answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that
honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him;
but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like
unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to
see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art
not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up
stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going
through the midst of them, and so passed by.
II. WE HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF HIS ACTIONS
1. He Forgave Sins [Lk. 5:20-25]
And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins
are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying,
Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But
when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason
ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to
say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon
earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee,
Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose
up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house,
glorifying God.
2. He Accepted Worship [Matthew 2:11, 4:8-10, 8:2, 9:18,
14:33, 15:25, 28:9, 17]
- And when they were come into the house, they saw the young
child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they
had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh.
- Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high
mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down
and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
3. He Rose from the Dead [Ecclesiastes 8:8, John 10:18, Rm.
1:4]
-There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain
the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death
- No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment
have I received of my Father.
- And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to
the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
III. WE HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF OTHERS
1. Demons Recognized His Divinity [Luke 8:27-28]
And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the
city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither
abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell
down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee,
Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
2. Certain Men Recognized His Divinity [Ps. 110:1, Luke
23:42, Jn. 1:1-4, 14-17; Acts 9:1-6]
- A Psalm of David. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at
my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
- And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest
into thy kingdom.
- IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were
made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was
life; and the life was the light of men
- And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of
whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before
me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law
was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
3. God the Father & God the Holy Spirit Proclaim His
Deity [Heb. 1]
