Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! (Deut 6:4 NASB)
Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are my witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none. (Isaiah 44:8 NASB)
The message of the Bible is quite clear. God is one, there is no other.
"Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:22 NASB)
The first commandment given at Mount Sinai prohibited the people from having any other gods beside the LORD who delivered them out of Egypt. The second prohibited the making of idols to worship. God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:2-5). How dare we trifle with God by making an image out of wood or metal, or perhaps creating an image in our minds that we worship. What we know and believe about God is vital to our souls, because that is where our worship will be directed.
We read this in Romans chapter 1,
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:21-25 NASB)
A. W. Tozer states this,
Let us beware lest we in our pride accept the erroneous notion that idolatry consists only in kneeling before visible objects of adoration, and that civilized peoples are therefore free from it. The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him. It begins in the mind and may be present where no overt act of worship has taken place.
(A. W. Tozer
The knowledge of the Holy
©1961 A.W. Tozer. Harper Collins Publishers
Page 3)
The Christian concept of God is that of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As Christians, we do not worship three gods. We do not believe that Jesus one day became a god, nor do we believe that the Holy Spirit showed up later as a third god to add to our pantheon of christian gods. No, we are monotheistic. We worship one God, and only one.
The doctrine of God flows seamlessly throughout the scriptures, Old covenant and new. Scripture interprets scripture. You cannot take a single verse, or a chapter by itself and make a doctrine. By comparing biblical passages found throughout the scriptures the revelation of who God is becomes clear.
In the above quoted verse, also referred to as the Shema, we see the oneness of God. Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one. James is in agreement, You believe that God is one. You do well (James 2:19a). Again, we believe that there is only one God. However we also believe that the one God is also one as in unity.
The Hebrew word translated as one in Deuteronomy 6:4 is echâd. This word means to be first in numerical sequence, to be one as in the only, or to be united as in one. For example in Genesis 2:24 where speaking of the marriage bond, "the two shall become one flesh."
The Greek word translated one in James 2:19 is heis. Similarly, this word is used to mean first, one by one, the only one, one in agreement, and one by union. Examples of this sense of the word can be found in Matthew 19:5-6, where Jesus, quoting from Genesis 2:24 declares the two shall become one flesh. In John 10:30, Jesus states, "I and the Father are one." And in 1John 5:8 we see the same word used this way, "For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement."
As Christians, we believe that the one God consists of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are united as one in essence and agreement, yet diverse in person and role. When Jesus declared that He was one with the Father the Jews understood perfectly that He declared He was God. They wanted to stone Him for blasphemy (John 10:30-39).
This unity is why Jesus stated in John 5:19 that he could do nothing of Himself, only what He saw the Father doing. ( see also John 14:10). Likewise in Gethsemane, with the cross looming before Him, He pleads for the removal of the cup of suffering. However He is perfectly submitted to the will of the Father; let your will be done, not mine (Matt 26:39, 42, Mark 14:35-36, Luke 22:42). Jesus did not come with His own personal agenda. He did not have His plans and purposes in opposition to the Father. They were united in essence and could not be divided. Even while on this earth, in His humanity, Jesus was in perfect agreement with His Father.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit is also in unity with the Father and Son. This is why Jesus states that the Holy Spirit will not speak on His own initiative, but will speak whatever He hears (John 16:13-15). The Spirit will glorify Christ.
So where does this idea of the triune God come from? Is there a verse that makes this all clear? One passage, often referred to is found in the account of Jesus' baptism, After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matt 3:26-17 (see Mark 1:9-12, Luke 3:21-22)
But to truly understand all of this we need more than a few verses. As I previously stated, a doctrine cannot be formed out of a single verse, or passage. We need the complete witness of Scripture, as it will interpret itself and guide us into the truth. This is not an attempt to cobble together unrelated bits of Scripture in a fruitless effort to prove a non existent doctrine, but God's revelation of Himself is shown throughout the Bible, and can be found by anyone with a humble and teachable heart.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, " let there be light" ; and there was light.
Genesis 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, " This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
John 1:1-18 NASB
The readers of John's gospel are immediately taken to the creation account found in the first two chapters of Genesis. We are told that the Word (Jesus) was there, pre-existing with God, and as God. In fact, everything was created through Jesus.
When God said, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness" Jesus was there (Gen 1:26).
Speaking of Jesus, the apostle Paul writes this, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones and dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
(Colossians 1:15-18 NASB)
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.
(Colossians 2:9-10 NASB)
Paul is in agreement with John. Jesus was there at creation, as the creator. He is the physical representation of the invisible God. As Jesus said in John 14:9, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life--
and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--
what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
(1 John 1:1-3 NASB)
John was an eyewitness to the life of Jesus. He spent three years of his life with Jesus as one of His closest disciples. He saw Him, heard Him, and touched Him. This is what John had to say. The Jesus whom the disciples were intimately aquanted with coexisted with the Father from eternity past. This is in complete harmony with the above passage from John's gospel.
The writer of Hebrews also bears witness of these things.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
(Hebrews 1:1-3 NASB)
All of these passages are telling us the same thing. Jesus Christ is the exact representation of God. He is God in bodily form. These portions of scripture are not stating that Jesus is another God who existed with the Father, but that they are both God. One God. As we read in John 1:18, Jesus is the visible revelation of the unseen God, and in John 5:37 Jesus states that no one has seen the Father's form at any time. So we can draw the conclusion that it is the Father who is unseen, as Jesus states, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father (John 14:9).
There are many instances found throughout the Old Testament where God appeared to men.
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great."
Genesis 15:1
The concept of the word of the LORD is not a New Testament innovation. Reference is made to the word of the Lord throughout the Old Testament. Often it goes beyond the mere idea of God saying something to a person or prophet, but is an actual appearance of the LORD.
The Targums are Aramaic translations/ paraphrases of the Hebrew scriptures. Often when God is described in an anthropomorphic way they insert the Aramaic term for "word", memra, into the text.
For example Deuteronomy 11:23 reads in the NASB, then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.
In the Palestinian Targum it reads, then will the Word of the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and you shall possess the heritage of nations greater and stronger than yourselves.
The Targums were written in Aramaic, the common language in use in the time of Christ, the language Jesus spoke. They were read in the synogogues in His day, and the readers of John's gospel would have clearly understood the divine connection made when he referred to Jesus as the Word.
The word of the LORD comes to Abram in a vision, but suddenly the word of the LORD comes physically to Him in verse four,
Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir." And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it."
Genesis 15:4-7 NASB
This is the LORD who appeared to Abram, takes him outside and makes a covenant with him (Gen 15:18). Abram saw the LORD, spoke with the LORD, and heard the LORD.
The next recorded appearance of the LORD is found in Genesis 16: 6-18. He appeared to Hagar, when she fled from Sarai, her mistress. Some things to notice here are,
The angel of the LORD said, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count."
(Genesis 16:10)
It is the LORD who spoke to her (Genesis 16:13).
Hagar recognized that it was the LORD and said to Him, "You are a God who sees." She was amazed that she was still alive after seeing God (Genesis 16:13).
This angel of the LORD who appeared to Hagar speaks as God, and is recognized as God.
The LORD appears again to Abram in Genesis 17:1-22. This is not a voice out of heaven, but an appearance. Like the promise made to Hagar, God promises to multiply Abram's descendants. This is only a promise God can make, likewise in the above appearance to Hagar as well. In Genesis 17:20-21 God affirms that He will multiply Ishmael exceedingly, but His covenant with Abram will be established with Isaac, who will be born in the following year. Again, this is an actual appearance of God, as the text states that when He had finished talking with Abram, God went up from Abram (Genesis 17:22).
The LORD appears to Abram yet again in Genesis 18:1-33. He is accompanied by two angels (Gen 19:1). They eat the food Abram offers them (Gen 18:8). The LORD speaks to Abram (Gen 18:10).
Abram stands before the Lord and intercedes on behalf of Sodom, where his nephew Lot dwelled (Gen 18:22-32).
The LORD is physically present in the sight of Abram and his wife Sarai. He conversed with them. Abram recognized Him as God, a fact clearly shown in Genesis 18:25 where Abram refers to Him as The Judge of all the earth, and in Genesis 18:27 where Abram states he is speaking to "The Lord (Adonay) even though he was but dust and ashes."
In Genesis 19 we find a curious verse that reads, Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven (Gen 19:24).
The use of LORD in all capitals denotes YAHWEH, the self existent, or external one. The Jews by the second temple period looking at this passage as well as others such as Psalm 110:1, and Daniel 7:13-14 saw them as presenting two divine beings, yet both were Yahweh one God. In the above quotation from Genesis, we find the LORD who is on earth (he had previously left speaking with Abram), pouring out fire and brimstone from the LORD who is in heaven. One LORD in heaven and on earth simultaneously. They held this view until the second century AD, when Rabbis, in an effort against the Christian view equating the angel of the LORD with the pre-incarnate Christ, rejected this view as heretical. However, from a simple reading of these Old Testament texts one can actually see that this binitarian viewpoint held by many Jews in this time period was not far from the truth.
The angel of God speaks to Hagar again in Genesis 21:17-18, speaking for God and as God. This is something seen in most of the angel of the LORD passages. The same in Genesis 22:11-16, where Abraham is offering up Isaac. It was God who tested Abraham (Genesis 22:1-2) and the angel of the LORD equates Himself with God who required Abraham's son in Genesis 22:12, and swears by Himself, the LORD in Genesis 22:16.
Throughout the Old Testament we see this pattern of the Angel of the LORD/word of the LORD appearing to people speaking as God and for God, making claims that only God can make. Here are instances and references for you to look up.
Jacob encountered the angel of the LORD/ angel of God on several occasions (Gen 28:12-16, Gen 31:11-13, Gen 32: 24-30. Hosea confirms this and identifies this angel as no one else but the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD is His name (Hosea 12:2-5).
The Angel of the LORD appears to Baalam (Numbers 22:22-35).
The angel of the LORD appears to Israel in Judges 2:1-5. The angel states He was the one who led them up from Egypt. Wait a minute, wasn't that God who did that? But we see it was the angel of God (Exodus 14:19) who in fact was the presence of God (Exodus 33:14).
The angel of the LORD appears to Moses in the burning bush stating that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 3:1-22).
This angel, when asked what His name was, declared "I AM WHO I AM". I AM was sending Moses to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. This He says, is My name forever, My memorial name to all generations (Exodus 3:14-15).
Behold I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place which I have prepared. Be on your guard before Him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him (Exodus 23:20-22).
Tie all of this together. Who is this angel of the LORD? He is no mere created angel. He makes claims only God can make. Yet there is even more.
The angel of the LORD appears to Gideon in Judges 6:12-22. This angel is identified as the LORD several places in this passage.
The angel of the LORD appears to Sampson's parents (Judges 13:3-23)
The word of the LORD comes to Samuel and physically stands and calls to him. This is not a voice from the sky experience. The LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in this way (1 Samuel 3:1-21).
The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. How do we know that this was a divine appearance? It states that the LORD stretch out His Hand and touched his mouth. Again, not a voice out of the sky, but a visible, physical manifestation of God (Jeremiah 1:4-10).
Isaiah saw the Lord (Isaiah 6:1-5). He says this, "My eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Speaking of Jesus, John references Isaiah 53:1, a well known Messianic prophecy, and the continuation of the above passage Isaiah 6:8-10, to declare that Isaiah saw and spoke about Jesus (John 12:37-41).
Ezekiel saw the manifestation of the glory of the LORD on several different occasions . Ezekiel 1:22-28 records the first appearance of the LORD to Ezekiel. He saw a throne and on that throne was a figure with the appearance of a man. He saw the glory of the LORD again, standing in a plain, just like the glory he saw the first time (Ezekiel 3:22-24). And then in Ezekiel 8:2-4 he once again encounters this same divine individual with the appearance of a man.
Daniel saw in a vision "One like a Son of Man" coming on the clouds of heaven and approaching the "Ancient of days." (Daniel 7:9-14). This Son of Man was given an everlasting dominion over all peoples, and nations. This title was used by Jesus throughout the gospels. When He referred to Himself as the Son of Man, this is who He was saying He is.
The New Testament writers applied many Old Testament scriptures to Jesus. Let's take a look at some of these passages. In Isaiah 45:22-23 we read, "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance."
We see this applied to Jesus in Philippians 2:9-11, For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This is telling us that the one and only God (we just read there is no other) is Jesus. Every knee will bow to Him, every tongue will confess He is Lord. There is no doubt this passage is declaring the divinity of Jesus Christ. The larger context (Philippians 2:5-11 bears witness to this fact. And Yet we see that this brings glory to God the Father. They are not two Gods, again, we have just read that there is no other. They are both the one God. Jesus, who was equal with God, humbled himself, took on flesh, was crucified, risen, and exalted. Every knee will bow to Him. Every tongue will confess Him as Lord. The context of these two passages of scripture do not allow us to believe less. The use of the word Lord (Kurios in Greek) cannot mean Sir, as a respectful title in this instance, here it is not used as a title for a human ruler or master. When applied to Jesus, it can only mean God. Again, the whole context of this passage cannot mean less. It would make no sense.
In Psalm 45:6-7 we read, Your throne, O God is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God has annointed You with the oil of joy above your fellows.
In Hebrews 1:8-9 this passage from the Psalms is applied to the Son (Jesus), But of the Son He says, "YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANNOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS."
Jesus is set forth as God in these two passages. He has a kingdom and throne that will endure forever. Again we see two differing persons mentioned as God in these verses. This poses no problem when we take into consideration the Father and the Son as co-equal, both God, the Son submitted to the Father, taking on flesh, as we read in the passage from Philippians, humbling Himself to the point of death, being exalted, and receiving an everlasting kingdom. Again, this clearly sets forth the deity of Jesus Christ, and shows that the Christian concept of a triune God is not some fanciful notion, but is consistently, and progressively
revealed throughout the scriptures.
Isaiah 63:1-6 tells of God treading the winepress of His wrath in the day of His vengeance. His garments are stained with blood. In Revelation 29:11-16 we see this applied to Jesus at His second coming. Notice here that He is called the Word of God. When we read passages such as Ezekiel 39:20, Zephaniah 1:1-18, Zechariah 14:3-5, and many other similar verses speaking of the day of the LORD, we can be assured that it is Jesus who ultimately returns to the earth to gather His people and bring judgement upon His enemies, ultimately establishing His everlasting kingdom.
Did Jesus declare that He was God? Where in the New Testament can we find any statements that He made to that effect? One of the titles Jesus used in reference to Himself was the Son of God.
One argument made against this being a title of Deity goes something like this. Adam was a son of God, I am a son of God, you are a son, and so is Jesus. We are all sons of God based upon our relation to God as our creator. According to this argument the term son of God means nothing more than this, and the term as applied to Jesus means nothing more than He was only a mere man Himself.
So let's look at the term Son of God as it is used in New Testament, primarily in the gospels. Is this what it means, or can we dispel this argument?
Luke 1:32-33 records the angel Gabriel's words to Mary the mother of Jesus, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."
Interesting. He will inherit the throne of David and reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever. This is a Messianic hope, something the nation had held in great expectation. The coming Messiah was about to arrive.
Gabriel goes on, " The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the Holy Child shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)
Well if I'm a son, and your a son, and we are all sons of God, this is definitely out of our realm of experience. A miraculous virgin birth, yet only a son of God in an abstract meaningless sense of the term?
Satan uses the term Son of God when he tempted Jesus (Matt 4:3, Luke 4:3,). Why did He ask Jesus to prove that He was the Son of God by turning stones into bread? If He was a mere son like the rest of us why would it matter?
The demons recognized Jesus as well. When casting out demons, they recognized Him as the Son of God and feared Him. Matthew 8:28 reads, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"
Why would they react this way to some ordinary generic son of God? (See also Luke 4:41)
When Jesus asked Peter who he thought He was, Peter replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
So was Peter affirming that Jesus was only one of the guys, just like the rest of them? And what about Jesus' reply? "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven." (Matt 16:16-17)
No, Peter understood who Jesus was, Israel's long awaited Messiah, the divine Son of God. Jesus affirms this by His reply. To believe less is born out of faulty flesh and blood logic according to Jesus.
On several occasions the Jews sought to stone Jesus for blasphemy. What did He say that triggered this response from the religious leaders of His day?
John 19:7 gives us the reason. He made Himself out to be the Son of God. They were not ignorant, it was plain to them. They knew perfectly well what Jesus meant.
What about the Centurion who witnessed the crucifixion? He declared "Truly this was the Son of God." The Romans crucified people all the time. What made this event any different? Were all the others sons of God also? Or was Jesus a Son of God in a much higher sense?
Concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:3-4 NASB
As for us, we don't need to be raised from the dead as proof of our "sonship" if all it means is some abstract idea of the "brotherhood of man." Jesus, by referring to His Father, by stating that He was the Son of God, by declaring that He was one with the Father (John 10:39) meant only one thing. The religious people understood it, the devils understood it. Do you?
Jesus refers to Himself as The Son of Man more times than any other title in the gospels. While many people believe this title places emphasis on His humanity, it actually speaks of His divinity. Jesus is telling the world that He is the Son of Man from Daniel 7:13-14. The Son of Man who comes in the clouds of heaven, who has free access to approach the Ancient of Days. Who receives glory and dominion, an everlasting kingdom, and the worship of all peoples and nations.
Jesus makes an interesting statement in John 1:51, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
A reference to Jacobs dream in Genesis 28:12-16, where Jacob sees a ladder set between heaven and earth, angels ascending and descending on it, with the LORD standing above it. Jesus is stating that He, the Son of Man, has access to God. In fact there is no other way to the Father, except through Jesus (John 14:6).
The Son of Man has authority to forgive sin (Matt 9:6).
The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father, and will recompense every man according to his deeds (Matt 16:27) Jesus applies Isaiah 59:18 to Himself, the LORD who repays recompense to His enemies.
The Son of Man will come in the clouds of Heaven, and all the tribes of earth will mourn(Matt 24:30). A direct reference to Daniel 7:13-14, and Zechariah 13:10 (see also Rev 1:5-7).
The Son of Man will sit on His throne and Judge the nations (Matt 25:31-46). Compare this to Joel 3:1-17, where we read of the LORD God returning to restore His people Israel, and Judge the nations who have scattered them.
As I stated, Jesus used this term more than any others recorded in the gospels. People did not misunderstand Him. This is made evident by the reaction of the high priest as he questioned Jesus after His arrest.
Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, AND COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN." Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you? And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death (Mark 14:61-64 NASB).
Again, they knew who the Son of Man was from Daniel 7. They were also aware that Jesus applied Psalm 110:1 to Himself in His reply. To sit at the right hand of God was a place of power, a place reserved for deity. They absolutely understood what Jesus meant. He could not have been more blatant than this, and they condemned Him.
John saw the Son of Man and recorded what he saw and heard in Revelation 1:18. His head and hair were white like wool, his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, glowing like they had been in a furnace. His voice was like the sound of many waters, and His face shone like the sun. This description is very much like that of the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:9-10. John fell at his feet as a dead man. Jesus then said to John,
"Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades" (Rev 1:17-18).
Read who declares Himself to be the first and last in Isaiah 41:4,
I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.
And in Isaiah 44:6
Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.
Jesus, the Son of Man, is the exact representation of the invisible God. He applies Old Testament scriptures that can refer only to God, to Himself. The religious leaders of His day knew what He was saying. They were not ignorant, and Jesus was not accidentally saying things he did not mean, and creating the wrong impression in the minds of those who heard Him speak. Reading the gospels and seeing the tension that existed between Jesus and the religious leaders only strengthens the fact that Jesus knew what He was saying, knew how His adversaries would react, and yet never backed down.
And finally back to the angel in the burning bush, the I AM. Jesus claims this name in the statement He makes to the religious Jews who were confronting His teachings. They placed their confidence in their lineage, their ethnic heritage. Claiming Abraham as their Father was, in their estimation the ultimate spiritual pedigree. Jesus boldly refutes this position with this one statement, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am." (John 8:58)
The next verse records that they picked up stones to try to stone Him.
Jesus declared His Father's name to the men that He had given Him. He prayed that the Father would keep them in His name, the name that was also given to Jesus. Jesus Himself kept them in this name, the name He shared with His Father (John 17:6, 11-12). The name, the everlasting name of the LORD, YAHWEH, the I AM was given to Jesus, and received by Jesus. He was that angel of the LORD in the burning bush. He was that angel who went before Israel out of Egypt, the angel who carried the name of YAHWEH (Exodus 23:29-22). All the appearances mentioned above throughout the Old Testament were in fact appearances of the Son of God in His pre-incarnate form. Jesus Christ, the visible manifestation of the invisible God. Jesus who was in the Father, and the Father in Him, who was indeed one with the Father, who loved Him before the foundation of the world (John 17:22-26). This Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets, and indeed they all point to Him. When Jesus encountered the two men on the road to Emmaus He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the scriptures, beginning with Moses and with all the prophets (Luke 24:27).
Jesus also rebuked the Pharisees. They searched the scriptures rigorously, but failed to see that they spoke of Jesus (John 5:39-40). The scriptures in Jesus' time were the Old Testament scriptures. He tells them that if they believed Moses they would believe Him because Moses wrote about Him (John 5:46).
We must now look at what the Bible reveals to us about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is first mentioned at the creation (Genesis 1:2), He was already there, pre-existant with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is mentioned throughout the Old Testament. He was present as Israel came out of Egypt and wandered in the desert (Isaiah 63:10-14)
At various times the Holy Spirit would fill an individual or come upon someone in power for a specific purpose. In Exodus 31:1-11 we see how the LORD filled Uri, the Son of Hur with the Spirit to give him wisdom and skill in craftsmanship. The men working with him were given skill as well, all for the purpose of making the tent of meeting or tabernacle. This passage hints at the New Covenant, which we will look at shortly.
The LORD took the Spirit who was upon Moses, and placed Him upon the seventy elders as well, and they prophecied ( Numbers 11:25).
The Spirit of the LORD came upon Sampson at times, giving him great power. (Judges 14:6, 19, 15:14). However Sampson lived a selfish life and flirted with sin. His mistress Delilah asked him for the secret of his strength. The Philistine lords had offered her money so that they could bind him. The time came when he finally told her the truth. She shaved his head and he fell asleep. When the men came in to bind him as before Sampson got up thinking that he would shake them off as before, but his strength had left him. Sampson, in his complacency, did not know that the LORD had left him (Judges 16:1-20).
The Spirit of God came upon Saul and he prophecied (1 Samuel 10:10).
After his sin of adultery, David pleads with God not to cast him away from His presence, or take His Holy Spirit from him (Psalm 51:11).
In Psalm 139:7-8 we see mention of the Spirit, where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold You are there.
This passage ties together The LORD, His presence, and His Spirit. You cannot separate them. For the Holy Spirit to be something other than divine is an impossibility.
When Annanias and Sapphira sold a piece of property and kept back a portion of it, Peter asks them why Satan had filled their heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. He then informs them that the had not lied to men, but to God (Acts 5:1-4). Peter understands this. The Holy Spirit is not some divine force, He is not Gabriel as some have thought, He is not a prophet, not a god, but God.
It was prophecied in Isaiah that the Messiah would be annointed with the Spirit.
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of council and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:1-2 NASB).
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD. (Isaiah 61:1-2 NASB)
The passage goes on, but Jesus stopped here as He read, in the synagogue, from the same passage in Isaiah, and said, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:14-22).
In fulfillment of prophecy, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His baptism. The one God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, who fills all space, who the heavens cannot contain; Jesus on this earth in human form, the Father speaking out of the heavens, the Spirit descending as a dove; "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The gospel writers record this event. It is not just a random scripture used by Christians as an excuse to plunge into polytheism, but the merging of centuries of prophecy, culminating at this point, as Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, begins His ministry (Matt 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34, Galatians 4:4-5).
The Holy Spirit came upon certain individuals at certain times, for various purposes throughout the Old Testament as we have seen. Time does not permit me to thoroughly exam every one of these cases.
There is a theme running through the Old Testament prophets, a promise of the Father. Christians understand the Holy Spirit has existed from eternity past. We realize that He was present and active active throughout the Old Testament period. However, as I have stated, He only came upon certain individuals at certain times for certain purposes. God has always desired to dwell with man, but we lost His presence, our fellowship with Him through sin. A Redeemer, the coming of the Messiah is a theme running through scripture from the very beginning. Someone to deliver from sin and bring things back to the way God intended it to be. As revelation unfolds we begin to see another aspect of this restoration as well, the coming of the Holy Spirit in a deeper, more intimate way. He is coming to be with the people of God, and not only that, but to dwell within them.
"For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants; and they will spring up among the grass like poplars by streams of water. This one will say, 'I am the LORD'S'; and that one will call on the name of Jacob; and another will write on his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD,' and will name Israel's name with honor". ( Isaiah 44:3-5 NASB)
"As for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the LORD, "From now and forever." (Isaiah 59:21 NASB)
In Jeremiah we first see this promise referred to as a new covenant.
"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, " When I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel in those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34 NASB)
And the prophet Ezekiel speaking of this very same new covenant says this, "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God." (Ezekiel 36:25-28 NASB)
God desires our obedience. He has shown us how to live, He has given us commands to follow. Under the old covenant, Israel was given a law which they agreed to follow. They entered into a covenant with God at Sinai. Sadly they broke this covenant time and time again.
We, as citizens of various cities, states, and countries are also placed under various laws which we are expected to keep. The speed limit is posted at 60 mph for example. Just because there is a law, a sign is posted along the highway, does that ensure you will obey it? Can a law in and of itself make you obey it? Maybe whenever a highway patrol car is present you might slow down, but otherwise you just ignore the speed limit and drive however fast you want to drive.
This is what human nature is like. God gives us laws, but laws themselves are powerless to make us obey them. God needs our hearts. Our selfishness is the issue. The old covenant was good, but lacked the power to change the heart. The problem is with us (Hebrews 8:7-9).Only God can change a heart, and this is the purpose of the new covenant. To gain our hearts and not only that, to dwell in our hearts as well. The Holy Spirit is God Himself living in us, transforming us on the inside, leading to a change in our outward actions (See Romans 8:3-4).
The new covenant is often portrayed as a licence for Christians to sin freely. This is totally wrong. It could not be further from the truth. God has not changed His standard of living, but in His grace and mercy has provided the power to overcome our selfishness, and live our lives in obedience to Him.
Continuing on, in Joel we read, "It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophecy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days." (Joel 2:28-29 NASB)
This promise is picked up in the New Testament. Here we have the testimony of John the Baptist, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." (John 1:32-34 NASB see also Matt 4:11, Luke 3:16)
As the time of Jesus' earthly ministry drew to a close, He addressed this promise also in John 14:16-26. The Father will send another Helper, the Spirit of truth, who will not only abide with, but will be in His disciples.
"In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." (John 14:20)
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our abode with Him." (John 14:23)
The Father and Son, dwelling in believers by the Holy Spirit. Not three gods living in you or I, but the one God dwelling in us. Notice again the issue of obedience. If we love God we will obey Him, and He will live in us. If we refuse and rebel He won't. He is ready to transform our lives if we are submissive and willing (see Acts 5:32).
Jesus identifies the Helper as the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in the name of Jesus (John 14:26). In John 15:26 He refers to this same Helper, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, and likewise in John 16:7-15.
Luke records Jesus' final instructions to His disciples before His ascension.
You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:48-49)
Luke picks up this same occurrence in the book of Acts, clarifying that this promise is the Holy Spirit bringing power to the disciples, equipping them for their witness. Again, Jesus is addressing His disciples prior to His ascension,
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" ( Acts 1:8).
In Acts 2 we read of the initial fulfillment of this promise when the Holy Spirit fell upon the 120 believers waiting in the upper room (Acts 2:1-4). Peter quoting the above passage from Joel, declares this is the fulfillment of what had been prophecied (Acts 2:14-21). As Peter delivers a bold message to the crowd that gathered around them, he states, "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having recieved from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this what you both see and hear" (Acts 2:32-33).
He closes with this admonition, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself" (Acts 2:38-39).
This is the same promise which we saw in Isaiah, read about in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The prophet Joel foretold these days, John the Baptist, and finally Jesus spoke of the very same thing. There is only one Holy Spirit found in the Bible. He was present in the Old Testament and now fills each believer under the New Covenant.
This started in Jerusalem, continued in Samaria (Acts 8:14-17), and was given to the Gentiles as well (Acts 10:44-45), paving the way for the gospel to be carried to the nations.
As followers of Christ, we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Jesus dwells in us through the Holy Spirit (Col 1:27). This is what Jesus states in John 17:20-23). Romans 8:9-11 states this, However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
The promise of the Holy Spirit is available to all, Jew or Gentile. The new covenant was made with the house of Israel first, but we as Gentiles have been offered this gift as well. Through the Spirit we also have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:11-18). The covenant made with Abraham promised blessing to all the nations of the earth (Genesis 22:14-18). Galatians 3:13-14 reads,
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us--for it is written "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE --"
In order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
In conclusion, we believe, as the scriptures clearly state, in one God only. There is no other. We believe, as the scriptures also clearly state, that God is composed of Father, Son, and Spirit, distinct, yet perfectly united as one in essence and unity. I have labored to show this from passages throughout the Bible. This is not some pagan idea formed by a Gentile Church desiring to worship multiple gods. It is not composed of a few scattered, unrelated verses somehow patched together. This theme flows throughout the scriptures, Old and New Testaments.
So why didn't the Jews see this? Again as stated above, they saw the verses showing the appearance of God as the angel of the LORD. They saw the Son of Man approach the Ancient of days in Daniel 7. They wrestled through these passages, understanding that there were "two powers" in heaven, and worked to reconcile this with their monotheism. They saw the promises of a coming Messiah and the coming of the Holy Spirit. They were familiar with these things.
The life and ministry of Jesus did not occur in a vacuum. Wherever He went great crowds of people thronged him. His miracles, His teachings, attracted attention. The news about Him spread everywhere. People wondered greatly about Him. Messianic expectation was rampant. The Jews longed for deliverance from Rome. They longed for the Messiah's kingdom to come. The kingdom of God is what John the Baptist proclaimed, it is what Jesus taught, and that did not fall on deaf ears.
The religious leaders of the day clashed with Jesus. They had their comfortable lives, and a lot of power over the people. Jesus stepped on their toes with His teachings and claims about Himself. They wanted Him dead.
So why didn't Jesus just say, I'm God, worship me?" Well first of all, Jesus didn't come to beg for worship. John records that many people, seeing the miracles that He performed, believed in Him. However people can be so superficial. Jesus knew their hearts and did not entrust Himself to them (John 2:23-25). What good is a forced, begged for worship? Is that real?
The final week of Jesus' life began with the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The people were welcoming Him as their long awaited Messiah. However, instead of casting off the shackles of Rome, Jesus casts the money changers out of the temple. The religious leaders were enraged. His final days were filled with confrontation. It is at this point when a scribe asks Jesus what the greatest commandment was (Mark 12:28-34). Jesus quotes the Shema, and states that to love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength is the first commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The scribe agrees and answers back that to love God with all of the heart, understanding and strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself, is much more than the rituals found in the law. Jesus saw that he gave a intelligent answer and replied, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
Why didn't Jesus run after him and tell him that He was God and needed to be worshipped? Again, Jesus did not live and teach in a vacuum. Everyone heard about Him, heard of His miracles, teachings and claims. It was up to this scribe to act upon what he heard and saw about Jesus. He could believe it, or reject it. We all must decide for ourselves.
Israel for the most part has not seen these things. Why? Because of the hardness of their hearts. It is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. They would be hearing but unable to hear, seeing but unable to see, lacking spiritual understanding, possessing insensitive hearts (Isaiah 6:8-13). Yet in the last days this will change for them. John tells us that this is the reason why they did not believe in Jesus while He lived and taught among them (John 12:37-41 see Matt 13:13-17 also).
Yet many did see and believe. Peter understood that Jesus was the Christ (Israel's divine Messiah), the Son of the living God (Matt 16:6).
Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist understood the prophecy that his son would be the forerunner of the LORD, to prepare His way. His monotheistic beliefs were not shaken by this revelation (see Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1).
There were 3,000 believers baptized in the name of Jesus on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41), and a short time later 2,000 more (Acts 4:4). These individuals had no problem when they realized that this Jesus who had lived among them, taught them, healed them, was crucified, resurrected, ascended and exalted was YAHWEH. They understood the concept of one God; they were absolutely monotheistic in their view of God. Therefore they understood that Jesus was not another god, and the Holy Spirit who filled them was not a third god to worship. They knew that They were experiencing the saving power and presence of YAHWEH God in their midst.
And what about Saul of Tarsus, the Pharisee of Pharisees? David B. Capes has this to say,
"As we have seen, Paul deliberately and unambiguously applies to Jesus OT texts that contain the divine name. A long with other patterns of religious devotion, this means that Paul identifies Jesus with God in remarkable ways, situating Jesus in relation to the church as YHWH is related to Israel. To borrow Bauckham's language, Paul includes Jesus within the unique identity of Israel's God. Yet it is also clear that he continues to see Christ as distinct from and even subordinate to the Father. Even so, these exegetical habits expressed in the earliest extant documents of the Christian movement are evidence of what scholars refer to as a "high Christology" or a divine identity Christology. At the same time Paul is a Jew, a monotheist, cut from the same cloth as the author of Joel or Isaiah. He wants to maintain the oneness of God in a world populated with polytheists and idolaters (1 Cor. 10:14-23). Nevertheless, he offers Jesus the highest honor ever bestowed on the one God of Israel."
(Taken from The Divine Christ
© 2018 by David B. Capes
Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker publishing group
Page 168)
This has been extremely long, and I have not covered everything I could have. Time has not permitted me to do so. There are so many more Old Testament passages I could have looked into, many instances where we see the Father, Son, and Spirit together in a passage, Old Testament and New. There are the portions of scripture where we see the various workings of the Father, Son, and Spirit as the plan of redemption proceeds to the final day when we see Jesus face to face. I could not cover it all in this post, and God willing will try to address these things in the future.