Page 2 - The Deity of Christ - November 2018 - Truth & Tidings

The Lord Himself Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (KJV).
The consistent use of “Lord” in chapter 2
The Lord Jesus shocked the Jews with
this claim: “Before Abraham was, I am” (vv11, 22-23) presents Christ as Jehovah as
(John 8:58, KJV). I have no doubt that drawn from Exodus 13.
they, knowing the Old Testament thor- Take the time to read Revelation 5 on
oughly, thought of Moses at Horeb when your own and determine whether or not
God told him to tell the people that “I AM the angels in the throne room worshipped
has sent me unto you” (Exo 3:14, KJV). the Lord Jesus as God or as someone less.
Their arguments were futile and their anger
manifest as they understood that this was a John the Baptist
direct claim to be God, the eternal “I AM.” John was given a special task, and he
Later, in the temple, the Lord again an- was unabashedly faithful in it. He declared
swered the Jews’ questioning with the bold that the Lord Jesus was before him in pref-
statement that “I and my Father are one” erence and time, and answered the ques-
(John 10:30, KJV). For the second time, tioning Jews by quoting Isaiah 40:3: “The
their wicked hands picked up stones to voice of one crying in the wilderness,
hurl at Him. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His
Finally, it was the Lord who questioned paths straight” (Matt 3:3, KJV). The One
them: “What think ye of Christ? Whose coming was the Lord (Jehovah)!
son is he?” (Matt 22:42, KJV). He then si- John
lenced them with a quotation from Psalm
110:1 to show that He was indeed God: “In the beginning was the Word, and
“The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at the Word was with God, and the Word was
my right hand, until I make thine enemies God” (John 1:1, KJV). These simple yet
thy footstool” (KJV). We may be far re- profound words from John’s Gospel were
moved in time, culture, and language; perhaps some of the first verses we memo-
however, the Jews present when the Lord rized as children. The apostle John spoke
spoke were very sure of His claims. In their with clarity and comfort when teaching
own words, the Lord “said also that God about the Son who came, “the Truth” who
was His Father, making Himself equal with perfectly revealed the Father. John said, “we
God” (John 5:18, KJV. See also 10:33, are in Him that is true, even in His Son
19:7). Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eter-
In great grace, the Lord said to the para- nal life” (1John 5:20, KJV). There was no
lytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” The re- doubt in his mind. It is wonderful to think
sponse of the Jews was “Who can forgive that John, who was so intimate with the
sins but God only?” (Mark 2:5, 7). Well perfect humanity of the Lord, could also
said! If only they thought more about their declare His perfect deity.
own words.
Thomas
Angels After the resurrection, when Thomas
In Luke 2:11, the angel had a wonder- was finally in the presence of the Lord Jesus,
ful message for the shepherds: “For unto there was only one possible response from
you is born this day in the city of David a his heart: “My Lord and my God” (John

2 TRUTH kTidings I The Deity of Christ