More Than a Man: 5 Bold Biblical Claims That Prove Jesus Is Truly God

👑 The C.S. Lewis Challenge: Why “Good Teacher” Isn’t an Option ✨

Have you ever heard someone say, “I believe Jesus was a great moral teacher, but I don’t believe He was God”?

It sounds respectful. It sounds tolerant. But biblically, it is impossible.

C.S. Lewis famously pointed out that if a mere man said the things Jesus said, he wouldn’t be a “great moral teacher.” He would either be a lunatic (on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg) or the Devil of Hell.

Jesus did not leave us the option of calling Him just a “good man.” He made claims that were so radical, so exclusive, and so divine that they forced the people of His day to make a choice: Kill Him for blasphemy, or worship Him as God.

Who is this Man?

This article explores the 5 boldest claims Jesus made—claims that prove He believed He was Yahweh in the flesh.

Claim 1: The “I AM” of Eternity (John 8:58) ⏳

The Grammar Shock ⚡

In a heated debate with religious leaders, Jesus dropped a theological nuclear bomb. They asked Him how He could know Abraham, who lived 2,000 years prior. Jesus replied:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.” —John 8:58 (KJV)

He didn’t say, “I was.” He used the present tense “I AM” (Ego Eimi).

To a Jewish ear, this was unmistakable. This was the divine name Yahweh given to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14 (“I AM THAT I AM”). By taking this name, Jesus was claiming to be the timeless, self-existent God who spoke to Moses. The Jews understood this perfectly—that’s why they immediately picked up stones to kill Him.

Claim 2: The Authority to Forgive Sins (Mark 2) ⚖️

The Paralytic’s Surprise 🛌

When a paralyzed man was lowered through the roof, Jesus didn’t heal his legs first. He said, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee” (Mark 2:5).

The scribes were horrified. They thought, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

And they were right. If I steal your car, your neighbor can’t forgive me. Only you can forgive me, because you are the offended party. All sin is ultimately against God (Psalm 51:4). Therefore, only God can forgive it.

By forgiving the man, Jesus was claiming to be the God who was offended by the man’s sin.

Claim 3: The Acceptance of Worship (Matthew 14 & 28) 🙌

Angels Refuse It, Jesus Receives It 🙇

In the Bible, whenever a human tries to worship a regular angel or a prophet, they are immediately stopped.

• Peter stopped Cornelius: “Stand up; I myself also am a man” (Acts 10:26).
• The Angel stopped John: “See thou do it not” (Revelation 22:9).

But Jesus never stopped anyone from worshipping Him.

• The disciples worshipped Him in the boat (Matthew 14:33).
• The women worshipped Him at the tomb (Matthew 28:9).
• Thomas cried out, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

If Jesus were merely a good teacher, He would have corrected them. By accepting their worship, He declared Himself worthy of the honor reserved only for the Creator.

Claim 4: The Architect of Creation (John 1 & Colossians 1) 🌍

Not Created, But Creator 🏗️

Jehovah’s Witnesses and others claim Jesus was the first being created by God. But the Bible says the exact opposite.

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” —John 1:3 (KJV)

Paul doubles down in Colossians 1:16, stating that all things were created “by him, and for him.” You cannot be the Creator of all things if you are one of the created things. Jesus stands outside the timeline of creation because He is the Author of it.

For more on His power over nature, read The Truth Behind Jesus Calming the Storm.

Claim 5: The Judge of the Final Court (Matthew 25) 🏛️

The Sheep and the Goats 🐐

In Matthew 25, Jesus describes the end of the world. He doesn’t say God the Father will be on the throne; He says “The Son of Man shall sit on the throne of his glory” (v. 31).

He claims He will be the one separating the sheep from the goats and determining the eternal destiny of every human being who has ever lived. No mere prophet—not Moses, Elijah, or Paul—ever claimed the moral authority to send people to heaven or hell. Only God is the Judge of the Earth.

Part III: 3 Common Misconceptions About Jesus’ Divinity 💡

Misconception 1: The Council of Nicaea “voted” to make Jesus God.

• Correction: This is a myth popularized by The Da Vinci Code. The early church worshipped Jesus as God from the very beginning (see the hymns in Philippians 2, written decades before Nicaea). Nicaea simply codified what the church had always believed to combat heresy.

Misconception 2: “Son of God” means He is less than God.

• Correction: In Jewish culture, the phrase “Son of…” meant “of the same nature as.” To call oneself the Son of God was to claim equality with God. The Pharisees said explicitly: “He made himself the Son of God” meant He “made himself equal with God” (John 5:18).

Misconception 3: Jesus never actually said “I am God.”

• Correction: He didn’t say those three English words. He did something more powerful: He applied the titles, actions, and prerogatives of Yahweh to Himself. He claimed to be the “I AM,” the “First and the Last,” and the “Lord of the Sabbath.”

For more on the mystery of the Trinity at work, read When Jesus Stepped Out of the Water, Why Did Heaven Send a Dove?.

Conclusion: The Question You Must Answer 🌟

Is Jesus God? The evidence demands a verdict.

If He is not God, we should ignore Him. But if He is God, then He owns us. He deserves not just our admiration, but our absolute surrender.

The tomb is empty. The prophecies are fulfilled. The claims are on the table. As He asked Peter, He now asks you: “But whom say ye that I am?”

Reflection: Is Jesus merely a figure in your history book, or is He the Lord of your life?