How would you answer the question, “Did Jesus really claim to be God?” Here’s the answer we’ll explore:
“Yes! Jesus claimed to be God in multiple ways. He equated himself with God and claimed to have God’s ability to forgive sins. He described himself as the unique Son of God and the divine Son of Man.”
Now, let’s walk through this answer . . .
“Yes! Jesus claimed to be God in multiple ways . . .”
Tim is a Christian, and his friend Hassan is a committed Muslim. Tim enjoys eating lunch with Hassan, and one day the topic of Jesus came up. Hassan said, “I know you believe Jesus was God, but Jesus himself never actually claimed to be God. After the time of Jesus, Christians decided that Jesus was God. But, even in the Bible, there is no verse where Jesus himself actually says he is God.”
Tim was surprised to hear Hassan say this. He knew that Muslims don’t believe Jesus is God—they believe Jesus was a prophet, but not divine. This is a big difference between what Christians and Muslims believe. But Tim didn’t realize that Hassan thought Jesus himself never even claimed to be God in the Bible. Tim had never been challenged on this point before, and he wasn’t sure how to respond. Could it be true? Did Jesus himself never claim to be God?
This is a really important question because it gets to the heart of who Jesus is. For Christians, the belief that Jesus is both fully human and fully God is central to their faith. This teaching, known as the incarnation, means that Jesus existed eternally as God before coming to earth as a human being. Even though he lived as a man, he remained fully God.
So, in this conversation, let’s explore multiple ways that Jesus claimed to be God.
“For Christians, the belief that Jesus is both fully human and fully God is central to their faith.”
“. . . He equated himself with God . . .”
One way Jesus made it clear that he saw himself as God is by saying things that equated himself with God. One of the most powerful examples of this is found in John 8:58. Leading up to this, in verse 54, Jesus tells the Jewish religious leaders that the God they worship “glorifies” him (gives him special honor). Then, in verse 58, Jesus makes an extraordinary claim: “before Abraham was, I am.” This seemed like a crazy statement to make because Abraham lived nearly 2,000 years before Jesus was born! In this statement, Jesus not only claimed to have existed long before his earthly birth, but he also used the divine name “I Am,” which God used in Exodus 3:14 when he revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush.
The Jewish leaders immediately understood what Jesus was saying. He was claiming to be God—saying he existed long before his birth and applying God’s name to himself. This is why they reacted by trying to stone him (verse 59); they saw his words as blasphemous because Jesus was clearly equating himself with God. Blasphemy (disrespecting God), in Jewish law, was considered a serious offense, and claiming to be God was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16). This lines up with what the Old Testament said about the Messiah: Isaiah 9:6 calls him “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father,” and Micah 5:2 says he existed from eternity, even though he would be born in Bethlehem. Jesus showed that these prophecies were about him.
“Isaiah 9:6 calls him ‘Mighty God’ and ‘Eternal Father,’ and Micah 5:2 says he existed from eternity, even though he would be born in Bethlehem.”
Another moment where Jesus equates himself with God is in John 20:24–29. After Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas, one of his disciples, at first doubted the other disciples’ claim that they had seen Jesus alive. But later, Jesus appears to Thomas, and Thomas immediately believes in Jesus and worships him, saying, “My Lord and my God!” Did Jesus get upset with Thomas for calling him God? No. Instead, he accepted this worship and told Thomas that he should have believed sooner.
Here’s one more place where Jesus makes himself equal to God. In Matthew 13:41, Jesus says, “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers.” The “Son of Man” is a title Jesus frequently used for himself (more on that in a moment), so Jesus is claiming the authority to send angels. He’s claiming God’s angels are his own. Only God has the power to send angels for such a judgment.
“. . . and claimed to have God’s ability to forgive sins . . .”
Another major way that Jesus claimed to be God is by forgiving sins, which is something only God can do. In Mark 2:1–12, a man who was paralyzed and couldn’t walk was brought to Jesus. The man had faith that Jesus could heal him. But instead of immediately healing the man’s paralyzed legs, Jesus responded to the man’s faith by saying, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (verse 5). 
Some Jewish leaders who heard Jesus say this saw Jesus’ claim to forgive the man’s sins as blasphemy. This is because they knew that only God has the authority to forgive sins (verse 7). By claiming to have this authority, Jesus was claiming to be God.
So, Jesus said to them that he would prove he had the authority to forgive sins by healing the man’s paralyzed legs. Anyone can claim to be God, and anyone can say they are able to forgive sins. But not just anyone can heal a paralyzed man’s legs and back up such claims. So, Jesus healed the man right in front of their eyes! This amazed the crowd, and it proved to them that Jesus wasn’t making empty claims. This miracle demonstrated that he truly had the authority of God to forgive sins.
“. . . He described himself as the unique Son of God . . .”
Jesus also showed that he considered himself to be God by calling himself the unique “Son of God.” He didn’t just claim to be one of God’s sons and daughters (as all humans are “children of God”), and he didn’t claim to be just another prophet or messenger of God. He claimed to be the only unique Son of God, with a special relationship and authority that no one else shares.
For example, in Mark 12:1–9, Jesus tells a parable (a story meant to illustrate a point) in which he portrays himself as way more than just another prophet that God sent to speak to the people. He describes himself as God’s final—and most important—messenger who came to us with a special mission and with special authority after all the prophets were rejected. He describes himself as God’s special Son.
Similarly, in Matthew 11:27, Jesus says that he is the only one who has a deep, direct knowledge of God the Father: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” The word Jesus uses for “knows” is epiginosko—a Greek word that means to know by experience or through direct relationship. Jesus is saying that his connection with the Father is unique. He is not just another child of God, but the special Son of God.
“He describes himself as God’s final—and most important—messenger who came to us with a special mission and with special authority after all the prophets were rejected.”
“. . . and the divine Son of Man.”
In the Bible, Jesus called himself “the Son of Man” more than any other title (over 80 times in the Gospels). Many assume that Jesus used this title to emphasize his humanity. But, while it’s true that Jesus is human, this title actually points to the fact that he is God.
When Jesus calls himself “the Son of Man,” he’s referring to Daniel 7:13–14, where the prophet Daniel describes a vision of “one like a son of man” who comes on the clouds, ruling over all people with eternal authority. The imagery of coming on the clouds represents divine majesty, and only God can have an eternal kingdom.
It’s clear that Jesus is referring to this passage in Daniel when he calls himself “the Son of Man.” We see this in his trial in front of the Jewish High Priest (Mark 14:53–65) where he was condemned of blasphemy and handed over to the Romans to be crucified. The High Priest asks Jesus if he is the Christ (the Jewish Messiah) and the Son of God (verse 61). Jesus replies by saying “I am,” and then adds that “you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (verse 62). So, Jesus directly identifies himself as the divine “Son of Man” from Daniel 7, who will come to judge and reign with eternal authority. The High Priest knew what Jesus was saying, and he immediately accused Jesus of blasphemy (verses 63–64).
“The High Priest knew what Jesus was saying, and he immediately accused Jesus of blasphemy.”
But Jesus wasn’t guilty of blasphemy if he truly is God. So, how do we know if Jesus is a blasphemer or the true Son of God? If Jesus rose from the dead, then God confirmed that Jesus was telling the truth about his identity.
