Did Jesus say He is God?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Jesus never said the exact words "I am God," but He clearly claimed deity by saying "I and the Father are one" and by using the divine name "I am," which His listeners understood as blasphemy. The New Testament affirms Jesus’ deity by identifying Him as the Word who was God and became flesh. Jesus accepted worship from His disciples, who recognized Him as Lord without hesitation despite the law against blasphemy. Paul and the writer of Hebrews also affirm Jesus as God, describing Him as the exact image of God’s nature and eternal King. Through His words, actions, and resurrection, Jesus reveals Himself as God incarnate, inviting us to trust, worship, and follow Him fully.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Jesus saying that He is God does not occur in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• In John 10:30, Jesus said, "I and the Father are one," directly linking Himself with God the Father and thus claiming deity. While Jesus did not say the exact words, "I am God," He did clearly say He is God in a way that those who listened to Him would understand.
• We know the people who listened to Him understood that Jesus was saying He is God by their reaction. John 10:31 goes on to say that, "The Jews picked up stones to stone him." When asked why, they replied, "for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God" (John 10:33). According to the Mosaic law, stoning was the punishment for blasphemy (see Leviticus 24:16), so the Jews were clearly understanding Jesus' claim to be God.
• The same thing happened another time in John 8:58 when Jesus made another claim to be God by calling Himself "I am," the same name with which God identified Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14. Again, the Jews understood the reference and tried to stone Jesus (John 8:59).
• John 1 identifies Jesus as God. Verse 1 states: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1, emphasis added). John affirms that the Word and Jesus are the same in verse 14, which says: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." This verse affirms the deity of Christ and makes the connection even more clearly about Jesus as God incarnate by talking about how He became flesh and dwelled among us.
• Throughout the Gospels, both before and after Jesus' resurrection, His disciples heard Him speak of Himself as God, and they worshipped Him as such (Matthew 14:33; 28:9; John 20:28). Jesus did not stop the disciples from worshipping Him. He accepted their worship. The disciples knew about the Mosaic law's punishment for the sin of blasphemy, but this didn't give them any qualms about worshiping Jesus as Lord.
• Paul also affirmed Jesus as God (Titus 2:13).
• Hebrews 1:3 says, "He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power."
• God the Father also called Jesus God: "of the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom'" (Hebrews 1:8, quoting Psalm 45:6; see also Matthew 3:16–17).
• Through His direct words, actions, and His resurrection, Jesus Himself shows us that He is God incarnate.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Knowing that Jesus claimed to be God challenges us to deepen our trust and devotion to Him, recognizing His authority over every part of our lives. When we truly grasp that Jesus is fully God and fully man, we can confidently bring our struggles, hopes, and worship to Him, knowing He understands us perfectly. Not only does He understand us, but He alone has the power to save and sustain us. This calls us to worship Him wholeheartedly and live in obedience to His teachings. It calls us to run to Him and to trust Him with everything. Understanding Jesus’ deity also strengthens our faith when facing doubts or challenges, reminding us that the Creator of the universe is intimately involved in our lives. As we grow in this knowledge, we are invited to rest in the assurance of His eternal presence and unchanging love.

UNDERSTAND

• Jesus claimed to be one with God the Father, though not by explicitly saying “I am God.”
• Jesus’ actions and words show that He claimed to be God.
• Jesus being God calls us to fully trust, worship, and follow Him as Lord.

REFLECT

• How does knowing Jesus claimed to be one with God affect the way you trust and worship Him?
• How can you grow deeper in recognizing Jesus’ divine nature while also embracing His humanity?
• How do Jesus’ words about His identity challenge your understanding of His authority and your response to Him?

ENGAGE

• How do Jesus’ claims to deity shape the way we understand His mission and our relationship with Him?
• How can understanding Jesus as both fully God and fully man transform the way we understand His purpose and interaction with humanity?
• How can we explain to someone that Jesus claimed to be God without explicitly stating, “I am God”?