Did Jesus actually think he was God? (Level 3 discussion) - Part 2: The teaching and behavior of Jesus

Before reading below, I recommend you read Part 1: The self-references of Jesus.

As stated in my previous post, the question of Jesus' understanding of who he was has been the center of much debate, especially since the late eighteenth century. But the evidence is overwhelming: Jesus of Nazareth, indeed, believed himself to be God in the flesh. And the self-references discussed in my last post are only a part of the ample evidence...Jesus' teaching and behavior also allows us a peek at Jesus' self-portrait. Here are several examples:

• First, note how Jesus interprets his own miracles. He states, "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Luke 11:20). Jesus' miraculous acts are not similar to other miracle workers who do extraordinary things, only for life to go on as it always has. Jesus views his own miraculous acts as a sign of the ushering in of God's Kingdom. This sets him apart. The scholar Ben Witherington has stated, "Jesus sees his miracles as bringing about something unprecedented - the coming of God's kingdom...And that's a not-too-thinly veiled claim of transcendence." (qtd. in Lee Strobel's Case for Christ, pgs. 135-36).

• Jesus also flatly states while teaching, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). This definitely aroused a reaction from his Jewish audience! The next verse states, "The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him."

• In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reveals his perceived authority in his teaching on the Old Testament Law. Jesus takes the 7th commandment against adultery and extends its meaning to include lust of the heart. He does this in several instances and at one point later proclaims, "It is not what enters in the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man" (Matt. 16:11). You have to see what Jesus has done here! He has, in fact, set aside large portions of the Old Testament book of Leviticus, with its rigorous purity laws. Clearly, Jesus believed he had the authority to teach something new.

• Early in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill" (Matt. 5:17). This teaching undeniably implies a divine self-understanding. In fact, Jesus later makes a similar statement in which he extraordinarily claims that he is, in fact, the grand subject of the Old Testament!  He states, "...all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and Psalms (or Writings) must be fulfilled" (Luke 24:44).

• Jesus had twelve disciples, but notice how he's not one of the Twelve. Ben Witherington has noted, "If the Twelve (disciples) represent a renewed Israel, where does Jesus fit in? He's not just part of Israel, not merely part of the redeemed group, he's forming the group - just as God in the Old Testament formed his people and set up the twelve tribes of Israel. That's a clue about what Jesus thought of himself" (qtd. in Lee Strobel's Case for Christ, pg. 134).

• There's also the obvious question - How did Jesus end up on the cross? He was crucified during Passover season when no Jew wants any Jew to be crucified by the Romans. And while on the cross, the sign above his head read, "This is the King of the Jews." Either Jesus had made this claim or someone sure though he did.

• Jesus also stated that the way people viewed him would determine God's judgment toward them on judgment day. He proclaimed, "I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8-9). William Lane Craig has stated, "Jesus is claiming that people will be judged before him on the basis of their response to Jesus. Think of it: people's eternal destiny is fixed on their response to Jesus. Make no mistake: if Jesus were not divine, then this claim could only be regarded as the most narrow and objectionable dogmatism. For Jesus is saying that people's salvation depends on their confession to Jesus himself" (Reasonable Faith, pgs. 325-26).

• Jesus claims to have authority to forgive sins. Mark 2:5-7 states, When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Finally, note all of the times that Jesus accepted worship:

• Matthew 8:2 - A leper came to Jesus and worshiped him without rebuke from Jesus.
• Matthew 14:33 - The disciples in the boat worshiped Jesus without rebuke.
• Matthew 28:9 - Jesus' disciples took hold of his feet and worshiped him without rebuke.
• Matthew 28:17 - Jesus' disciples saw him and then worshiped him without rebuke.
• Mark 5:6 - The man with the unclean spirit ran to Jesus and worshiped him without rebuke.
• Luke 24:52 - As Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples worshiped him without rebuke.
• John 9:38 - The blind man who was cured by Jesus worshiped him without rebuke.
• John 20:28 - Thomas says "My Lord and my God!" to Jesus without rebuke.

The teaching and behavior of Jesus clearly exemplifies a divine self-understanding. Don't forget to check my final post on this subject - Part 3: Jesus' personal understanding of his bodily resurrection.