Is Christ Divine?
Is Jesus Divine? This question is of utmost importance. If Jesus is not Divine then He and the Inspired writers of the Bible are liars and cannot be the source of absolute truth that the Bible is regarded to be. If Jesus is not Divine then He cannot be the Messiah that He claimed to be. If Jesus is not Divine then we are lost in sin and without hope. We will consider the evidence from the Inspired Text to prove that Christ is part of the Godhead.
Genesis 1
The Bible begins with the words of Genesis 1:1–“In the beginning God.” To the English reader, this seems straightforward. Does the original Hebrew text give us further insight concerning the question of Christ’s divinity? The Hebrew reads, berisit bara Elohim (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים). There are two things we must consider, first, Elohim is the plural form rather than singular. This word is used 2,598 times in the Hebrew Old Testament to describe God. So in each of those times, the Holy Spirit chose to use the plural Elohim over the various other names of God.
The plural elohim is compatible with the rest of Genesis 1:1-26. These verses speak much of the Godhead. The text teaches that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters and that God created the heavens and the earth (showing the 2nd person of the Godhead, the Son) which will be covered shortly. Moreover, in verse 26 God says, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.” Did you notice the plural pronouns used in this verse: us, our, and our? These all point to the fact that there is God the Father planning the creations, alongside the second and third persons of the Godhead. This is but one indicator of all three co-equal members of the Godhead present in the beginning which certainly points to the divinity of Christ.
John 1
Next, we will consider the prologue to John. These verses are very telling concerning the question: is Christ divine?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.
John 1:1-1-5
The text indicates that Christ (referred to as the Word here) was in the beginning, He was with God and was God. We learn that Jesus was coexisting with God the Father (and the Holy Spirit) in the beginning. We are once again confronted with the truth that Jesus was the active worker in creating the heavens and the earth. All things were made through Him and nothing was made without Him.
Hebrews 1
Hebrews 1:1-3 also brings to mind the intent of the godhead in His creation and work of the son on this earth and after.
God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds; who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Hebrews 1:1-3
Consider in former times that God spoke in the prophets, and, in the end, He spoke in His Son. This points out that while Jesus was the prophet like unto Moses (cf. Deut 18:15-19), He is unique and different from any messenger sent of God. He made all things. There is a difference between the created and the creator. God came in the flesh to His very creation to redeem them. Jesus is the one who radiated the eternal glory of the Godhead (effulgence) showing us the exact image of God on this earth, after which He returned to the right hand of the Father. Other passages help us to understand this idea further.
Jesus prayed in John 17 concerning His return to His former state that He enjoyed before He took on flesh. “And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (John 17:5). Jesus gave up some of His abilities when He came to this earth. He had to go through nine months in the womb, He was born as a human, weak, and dependent on His earthly parents to care for Him. He subordinated under His parents as a child and grew into a man. Toward the end of His earthly ministry, we read of Jesus’ desire to return to the fullness of His former glory. Jesus retained His Divinity on this earth. He was God and man, called Immanuel or God with us.
Philippians 2 sheds more light on this idea.
Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil 2:5:11
In some form or fashion, God emptied Himself while on this earth. He took on the form of a servant and appeared as a servant would. He hungered, He thirsted, He was tempted, He encountered stress, sadness, joy, and anger, all without sin. Jesus, though the eternal God for a time, humbled himself, even dying on the cross. Even so, Colossians 2:9 reminds us that “ in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”.
Jesus Received Worship
Finally, one must consider that Jesus received worship on many occasions (cf. Matt. 8:2, Matt. 14:33, John 9:38, John 20:8, John 28:17). Jesus received worship from those He healed, and He never corrected them. He received worship from His disciples, and He never rebuked them. Contrast this with the occasions we find in the book of Acts when Peter and Paul received worship, they rejected and corrected it (cf. Acts 10:25-26; Acts 14:11-18). If Jesus is not Divine, the eternal God, why did He receive the worship of men? If He was a mere created being, then He is not worthy of worship. The Bible teaches He is, and He is worthy of all worship and praise.
Grace and Peace,
R.D. Beavers
