In a society where people keep questioning the deity of Jesus, a bible scholar answers the question with verses found in the Bible.
Bible Scholar
Cliffe Knechtle, a bible scholar, founded a ministry called “Give Me An Answer,” where he spends time in colleges and campuses inviting students and staff to have dialogues about Christ. He even encourages them to ask tough questions about his faith.
And in one of his interviews, he answers the most often asked, “Is Jesus God? And if He is God, where in the Bible does it state that He is God?”
Without any hesitation, Cliffe started narrating Bible verses that solidified Jesus’ claim as God.
Is Jesus God?
First, he referred to John 8:58, which says, “Jesus said, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.'”
Cliffe said, “Before Abraham was born, I am. Now the Jews did not call God, G-O-D. The Jews called God Yahweh, which is the Hebrew verb ‘to be,’ “I am who I am.”
“There was no misunderstanding. The Jews picked up stones for blasphemy.”
Second, he pointed to John 10:30, which states that Jesus and the Father are one.
“No misunderstanding,” Cliffe continued. “They [Jews] didn’t think, ‘Oh, I see. This guy’s a Hindu. He thinks everybody’s part of God. So, He’s claiming we’re all part of God.’ No, no, no. Jesus was a monotheistic Jew who understood God is one.”
The Jews, who also understood Jesus’ bold statement, once again picked up stones to stone Jesus for blasphemy.
Then, Cliffe proceeded to highlight Jesus’ deeds that showed his divinity.
In Mark 2, four friends carried a paralyzed man and brought him to Jesus. Cliffe shared, “Jesus looked at the face of the paralyzed man and says, ‘Your sins are forgiven.'”
The Jews at the time were outraged by Jesus’ act. They were thinking, “What is He saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
The Bible scholar explained that the act of forgiving sins weighs more heavily than raising a crippled man. “By claiming to forgive the sins of a man He’d never probably seen before, Jesus is claiming to be God. ‘Cause only God can ultimately forgive my sins.”
Truly, Jesus never denied His identity as God and even showed to the world who He was.
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Header Image: George Janko [@thegeorgejankoshow], Cliffe answers, Instagram, October 1, 2023, https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cxy1MW9vCO6/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D