The Holy Bible verses referenced below are from the King James Version.
Words of Christ in Red.
If Jesus is God, then how could he die & who was running everything those three days Jesus was dead?
Implicit in the question is the assumption that death implies non-existence, so to say Jesus died implies that God ceased to exist, which cannot happen. The problem is that the definition of death is wrong since according to the holy scriptures death does not mean non-existence, but rather refers to the separation that resulted from Adam's rebellion against God. The Scriptures tell us that as a result of the first man's sin, two types of separation occurred. The first is spiritual "death" where a person is severed from having fellowship with God, being separated from God's loving, intimate presence. Instead of God's love abiding upon an individual, it is the divine wrath that rests upon him:
"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Genesis 2:15-17
After disobeying God by eating from the forbidden tree, the man and his wife were then banished from the presence of God in Eden:
"And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Genesis 3:22-24
Scriptures continue to elaborate on this spiritual separation that has occurred as a result of sin:
"For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man." Psalm 5:4-6
"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psalm 66:18
"But your iniquities have seperated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:2
"Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings." Micah 3:4
"Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity..." Habakkuk 1:13
"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." Romans 2:5
"But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath." Romans 2:8
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)." Ephesians 2:1-5
In this last passage, Paul speaks of believers being dead in sin prior to their regeneration and union with the Lord Jesus. Yet it is obvious that believers were still conscious and alive when they were dead in sin. Being dead in sin doesn't mean ceasing to exist, but refers to being separated from loving union with God, just as the passage itself states.
The second type of "death" that the Holy Bible refers to is physical death. This is where the soul/spirit departs from the body and the body returns to the ground from which it came. And, as our sin-bearer, the Lord Jesus experienced both types of death, i.e. the loss of intimate communion with God and his soul departing from his body.
Yet, neither types of death results in non-existence or cessation of life. Note for example, the following citations:
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Hebrews 12:22-24
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:26
"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." Revelation 6:9-11
Further, in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ:
"Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him." Luke 20:37-38
Christ, therefore, did not cease to live when he died on the cross since, as the Holy Bible teaches, the Lord's soul was still consciously alive during the three days his body lay in the tomb:
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said." John 2:19-22
"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." John 10:17-18
The only way that Christ could be able to raise himself from the dead is if Christ were still consciously alive. This establishes that Christ did not cease to exist for those three days that his body remained in the grave. Both Christ’s divine nature and his human soul were still conscious during that period of time.
So in answer to the question, the one true God always exists as three distinct Persons even during the entombment of Christ’s physical body. And, even as his body lay buried, Christ was alive and sovereignly sustaining the universe along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
If Jesus is God, then who did he pray to?
Was Jesus praying to himself on the cross when he said "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Mark 15:34
The Holy Bible teaches that there are three distinct, yet inseparable Persons who exist as the one true God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The three Persons of God, because they are personally distinct, have loving communion and dialog amongst themselves. Therefore, the Lord Jesus wasn't praying to himself on the Cross, but was actually praying to the Person of the Father.
Furthermore, the Holy Bible also teaches that Jesus became, and forever will remain, a true human being. It is, therefore, not surprising that Christ did what every God-fearing person is supposed to do, namely pray and worship God. Jesus is man as God intends all men to be, namely a perfect servant who perfectly submits and worships the true God.
Now, as to why the Lord cried out to the Father that he had been forsaken by him, this was due to Christ being our sin-bearer. According to the Scriptures, the Lord Jesus came to die as our substitute in order to take upon himself the judgment and wrath of God which came as a result of sins:
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29
"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Romans 3:25-26
"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:19-21
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Galatians 3:10-14
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." 1 Peter 2:24
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" 1 Peter 3:18
Sin resulted in the loss of intimate communion with God and also brought on physical death, where the soul departs from the body and the body returns to the dust from which it originally came. God's wrath is poured out on sinners as a result of their rebellion and wickedness, because of their failure to do what God's Law requires (cf. Genesis 2:17, 3:19; Isaiah 59:1-2; Psalm 66:18; Habakkuk 1:13; Romans 1:18-32).
Jesus' cry and the darkness which came upon the land at noon was an indication that God was punishing Christ in our place, that Jesus suffered the loss of God's intimate, loving fellowship in place of sinners:
"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:45-46
Contrast this with the following Old Testament citations:
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings." Exodus 10:21-23
"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day." Amos 8:9-10
Thus, Christ, because he is the sinners' substitute who came to die in the place of God's people, suffered the just punishment that all sinners deserve.
Fourthly, the Scriptures say that Jesus is also the believers' High Priest who presents his sacrifice on our behalf before the Father, making intercession for us:
"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;" Hebrews 3:1
"For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." Hebrews 7:14-17
"But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore." Hebrews 7:24-28
Related to this point, the Holy Bible states that Jesus was crucified at the third hour where he then offered a prayer on behalf of those who were crucifying him and dividing his garments amongst themselves:
"And it was the third hour, and they crucified him." Mark 15:25
And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots." Luke 23:33-34
What is more, Christ's cry to the Father occurred at the ninth hour:
"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Mark 15:34
The Lord Jesus' words just so happen to be the opening words of Psalm 22, part of a collection of Psalms which were sung at the Temple by worshipers:
"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?" Psalm 22:1
This indicates that Jesus was actually praying to God in the very words of this particular Psalm. What makes this so astonishing is that both the third and ninth hours were the times for Temple prayers and the daily sacrifices.
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven." Acts 2:1-5
"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day." Acts 2:14-15
Peter's statement about it being nine in the morning is significant as we will see shortly.
"Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour." Acts 3:1
"He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius." Acts 10:3
"And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing," Acts 10:30
Bible expositor, John Gill (b. 1697, d. 1771), comments on Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:25 and Acts 2:15
John Gill's Exposition of Matthew 27:46:
"And about the ninth hour"
Or three o'clock in the afternoon, which was about the time of the slaying and offering of the daily sacrifice, which was an eminent type of Christ. The Jews say (T. Hieros. Pesachim, fol. 31. 3, 4.), that
"every day the daily sacrifice was slain at eight and a half, and was offered up at nine and a half:''
about which time also the passover was killed, which was another type of Christ; and as they say (lb.), "was offered first, and then the daily sacrifice." Though the account they elsewhere (Misn. Pesachim, c. 5. sect. 1.) give of these things, is this;
`"the daily sacrifice was slain at eight and a half, and was offered up at nine and a half; (that is, on all the common days of the year;) on the evenings of the passover, it was slain at seven and a half, and offered at eight and a half, whether on a common day, or on a sabbath day: the passover eve, that happened to be on the sabbath eve, it was slain at six and a half, and offered at seven and a half, and the passover after it.''
John Gill's Exposition of Mark 15:25:
"And it was the third hour, and they crucified him."
The time of the daily sacrifice of the morning, at which the priests ought to have been; and the time when the sanhedrim usually began to sit (Maimon. Hilch. Sanhedrin, c. 3, sect. 1.); for
`"the grand sanhedrim sat from the daily sacrifice of the morning, to the daily sacrifice of the evening:''
John Gill's Exposition of Acts 2:15:
"seeing it is but the third hour of the day;"
or nine of the clock in the morning: for till this time it was not usual with the Jews, if men of any sobriety or religion, so much as to taste anything: the rules are these (Maimon. Hilch, Tophilla, c. 6. sect. 4. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 28. 2.),
"it is forbidden a man to taste anything, or do any work after break of day, until he has prayed the morning prayer.''
Now
"the morning prayer, the precept concerning it is, that a man should begin to pray as soon as the sun shines out; and its time is until the end of the fourth hour, which is the third part of the day (lb. c. 3. sect. 1. Vid. T. Beracot, fol. 26. 2.).''
So that a man might not taste anything, either of eatables or drinkables, until the fourth hour, or ten o'clock in the morning: hence it is said (Targum in Eccl. x. 17.), that
"after they offered the daily sacrifice they ate bread, (Nyev ebra Nmzb) , "at the time of four hours":''
or on the fourth hour, and sooner than this it was not lawful to eat, even ever so little; and whoever did, was not reckoned fit to be conversed with.
"Says R. Isaac (T. Bab. Betacot, fol. 44. 2.), whoever eats a green or herb before the fourth hour, it is forbidden to converse with him; and the same says, it is unlawful to eat a raw herb before the fourth hour. Amemar, and Mar Zutra, and Rab Ashe were sitting, and they brought before them a raw herb before the fourth hour. Amemar and Rab Ashe ate, and Mar Zutra did not eat: they said to him, what is thy meaning? (he replied) that R. Isaac said, whoever eats a herb before the fourth hour, it is forbidden to converse with him.''
The time for taking food by persons of different characters, is thus expressed by them:
"the first hour is the time of eating for the Lydians, the second for thieves, the third for heirs, the fourth for labourers, the fifth for every man; is it not so? Saith R. Papa, the fourth is the time of repast for every man; but (the truth is) the fourth is the time of eating for every man, the fifth for labourers, and the sixth for the disciples of the wise men (T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 10. 1.).''
Hence that advice (T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 83. 2.),
"'at the fourth hour', go into a cook's shop, (or tavern,) if thou seest a man drinking wine, and holding the cup in his hands, and slumbering, inquire about him, if he is one of the wise doctors''
The "gloss" upon it is,
"at the fourth hour, for that is the time of eating, when all go into the shops (or taverns) to eat.''
Now whereas they that are drunken are drunken in the night, and not in the day, and much less so soon in the day, when it was not usual, at least with religious men, to have tasted anything by this time; and whereas the apostles, and their company, were sober and religious men, and had never done thing to forfeit their character, it was unreasonable to suppose anything of this kind in them.
These practices of offering morning and evening sacrifices and prayers were instituted by King David to be observed during the time the Temple would be standing:
"These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age of twenty years and upward. For David said, The Lord God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever: And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof. For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above: Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God; Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size; And to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at even: And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the Lord:" 1 Chronicles 23:24-31
"Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel." 2 Chronicles 2:4
"And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the Lord our God; but ye have forsaken him." 2 Chronicles 13:11
Thus, it is not a coincidence that the Lord Jesus, who as our High Priest, prayed during the very hours that the Jews prayed in the Temple, right at the time when the sacrifices were offered.
If Jesus has a God, then how can he be God himself?
According to Hebrews 1:8-9 Jesus as God has a God over him. Some claim that Hebrews 1:8-9 is referring to Jesus’ humanity, that as a man he has a God over him. The only problem with this position is that it would imply that Jesus as a man is being called God, which means that his humanity is being deified. How do Christians get around all these problems?
Before we address these questions we need to first quote the verses within their entire context:
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Hebrews 1:1-14
From the foregoing we can see that the text is speaking of Jesus:
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Before his Incarnation as the Agent of Creation.
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During his Incarnation when he became the Redeemer.
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After his resurrection and exaltation into glory where he then began ruling on the Divine throne forever.
In other words, the entire chapter is a reflection on Jesus’ existence before he became a man, when he became a man, and after his resurrection and ascension into heaven.
In light of the preceding, it is quite evident that the author of Hebrews was commenting on the whole Christ event, that he was looking at Jesus’ entire career retrospectively. The author wasn’t focusing so much on the natures of Christ, i.e. did Christ have one or two natures, was he God and man simultaneously etc., but on the various functions that he performed. The writer was speaking of the one eternal Person of Jesus from all his various activities, from his role as Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and eternal King.
With the above in mind we can now address the specific objections. The first thing we need to realize is that Hebrews 1:8-9 is quoting Psalm 45:6-7, which is a Psalm composed in relation to the Davidic King’s wedding ceremony. Here is the entire Psalm so that the readers can see this for themselves:
"My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever." Psalm 45:1-17
The author of Hebrews applied this text in reference to Jesus’ Messianic office, an office which he received by virtue of becoming a human descendant of king David after the Incarnation:
"And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:30-33
"Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:" Romans 1:3-4
Putting it in another way, the writer applied Psalm 45:6-7 to Jesus in reference to his Messianic role, that as the Son of David he perfectly fulfils all the promises God made to David and his sons that theirs would be an eternal royal dynasty:
"Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee." 2 Samuel 7:10-15
Note, 2 Samuel 7:14 is applied to Jesus in Hebrews 1:5
But since the only way Jesus could have ever fulfilled these promises is by becoming a man from the line of David this implies that Hebrews 1:8-9 has Jesus’ Incarnation and exaltation in view. After all, if Jesus hadn’t taken on a human nature he would not have become a descendant of David and could not therefore rule on the throne as his representative.
Moreover, since Jesus became a true human being and will forever remain a man who sits on the throne as David’s representative, the Father became and will forever remain his God. So there is no problem with Jesus having a God over him.
Now does this mean that Jesus’ humanity is being deified, that the human nature of Christ is being called God, since we are claiming that this text has in mind Jesus’ humanity which accounts for his having a God over him? Not at all.
At the Incarnation Jesus did not cease to be God, but simply added an additional nature to his Divine Person. Hebrews 1:8-9 isn’t necessarily referring to Jesus as God or Jesus as man, but does have in mind the Incarnation and subsequent resurrection and exaltation. The text is speaking of the one Person who at this point in time was both God and man simultaneously. Putting it simply, since Hebrews 1:8-9 has Christ's post-resurrected exaltation in view Jesus can therefore be addressed as God in reference to his Divine nature and said to have a God over him in reference to his humanity. It isn’t an either/or scenario, but a both/and situation.
The Divine Father is praising his Divine Son for ruling forever on David’s throne as the God-man. Amen. May the risen and exalted Lord, the One who is the only God-man forever, Jesus Christ, also be praised by all his creation forever and ever. Amen.
Do Jesus' miracles prove that he is God seeing as other prophets also performed miracles?
There are a few Old Testament prophets that performed the very same kinds of miracles that Jesus did. If the miracles of Jesus make him God then why don’t the miracles of the other prophets prove that they are God as well?
Before responding to this question, we first look at a few examples from the Old Testament which some use to try undermine Jesus’ uniqueness, supposedly refuting Christian claims that Christ is God’s divine, unique Son.
"And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth." 1 Kings 17:20-23
"And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son." 2 Kings 4:30-36
"And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet." 2 Kings 13:20-21
And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:" Exodus 4:2-4
Other examples include curing the blind, healing leprosy and feeding hundreds with a few loafs of bread (2 Kings 6:15-24, 2 Kings 5:10-14 and 2 Kings 4:42-44).
With the these examples in mind, we can now address the argument. In the first place, it isn’t so much the miracles which make Jesus God, but the divine claims of Jesus which the miracles serve to validate. Jesus made certain statements that no other true prophet before him ever did, and then performed supernatural miracles to back up the truthfulness and validity of those claims:
"Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand," John 10:25-39
"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake." John 14:9-11
"If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father." John 15:24
"Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:" Romans 1:3-4
Thus, the miracles do not make Jesus God, but rather it is Jesus’ own claims which demonstrate that he at least believed he is God. The miracles only served the purpose of providing divine validation for Christ’s claims.
Specific miracles which Jesus performed to prove that he has specific divine attributes and abilities are proving that Jesus forgives sins (Mark 2:5-12), that Jesus is sovereign over both the spiritual and physical realms (Matthew 14:22-33 & Luke 10:17-20), that Jesus is the sustainer and the source of life (John 6:5-15, 26-42, 47-59 & John 11:1-3, 23-27, 38-43), that Jesus is co-equal to the Father (John 5:2-10, 16-21, 25-26, 28-29).
No prophet or apostle ever made the claims that the Lord Jesus made, and none of their miracles were done to validate their claims of being Deity. The prophets went out of their to show that they were nothing more than fallible human beings whom God empowered to carry out his specific purpose and will. This is quite unlike the Lord Jesus.
Secondly, Jesus has authority to grant others the ability to perform miracles. The New Testament is replete with examples of people performing miracles in Jesus’ name:
"And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;" Mark 6:7
"And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them." Mark 6:13
"And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me." Mark 9:38-39
Further examples include Acts 3:1-10 & 13-16, Acts 4:7-12, Acts 9:33-35, Acts 16:16-18. Again, there is not a single instance in the entire Holy Bible where persons performed miracles in the name of prophets, apostles and/or saints.
Third, even though it is true that specific prophets performed some of the same kinds of miracles that Jesus performed, no single prophet performed all of the miracles that Jesus did. Nor did any one individual prophet perform as many miracles as Christ performed.
If Jesus is God then how was Satan able to tempt him?
The question of how Satan could temp Jesus and offer him authority to rule over the very kingdoms of earth which should have already belonged to Christ in the first place entails a lengthy response and explanation of basic Christian theology. A short and long answer are both given below.
Short Answer
God has the right of ownership because he is the Creator and sovereign Ruler of the entire creation. God also designated man as his coregent, giving him the right to rule the world as his agent and representative. Yet since the Fall Satan has been given permission to rule this world as a consequence of man’s rebellion against God since the first human couple chose to obey the Adversary instead of God their Creator.
The Lord Jesus owns creation by virtue of being the Divine Son of God. Yet Christ temporarily gave up his right to rule the moment he entered into creation in order to function in the role of a servant by becoming a man.
Satan, thinking that Jesus was prone to sinning since he had become a man who could experience human weaknesses such as hunger and fatigue, seized the opportunity by enticing Christ to turn away from God’s purpose for him. The Devil thought he could cause Jesus to sin by giving him the option of receiving authority to rule once again without having to follow the path of suffering, even though this was the way God had ordained for the Son to enter into the glory he had with the Father before the world began.
Satan soon found out that he was wrong and powerless against the Son of God since Christ’s entire purpose in going to the desert was to take whatever the Devil could throw at him and successfully overcome him in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Moreover, it seems that the Devil didn’t realize that part of Christ’s suffering included the shame and humiliation of dying on the cross, which accounts for why he instigated Jesus’ betrayal by Judas and subsequent death at the hands of the Gentiles due to the insistence of the Jewish religious leaders. The enemy must have erroneously assumed that Christ’s sufferings only included such things as experiencing human fatigue, hunger, weakness etc., but not death on the cross. Had he known that the crucifixion would mean the end of his reign of evil as well as his control over the lives of the people of God Satan would have obviously tried to prevent Christ from going to the cross. Yet God, in his perfect wisdom, kept this hidden from the enemy and even used him to fulfill his will for the Son to die since this was the means by which the Almighty would render Satan powerless.
In other words, the Devil actually helped to accomplish his own destruction by instigating the death of God’s unique and beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, the eternal King of glory.
Long Answer
Theology - God’s rule over creation and man as his coregent
In the first place, the Holy Bible teaches that God owns and controls the entire creation, including the earth:
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods." Psalm 24:1-2
"I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." Psalm 50:9-12
The Holy Bible further teaches that God designated man as ruler over the physical creation, and grants humans the right to reign over all the works of God’s hands:
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so." Genesis 1:26-30
"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:" Psalm 8:3-6
"The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men." Psalm 115:16
Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold." Daniel 2:37-38
The Fall of man and the rule of Satan
The Holy Bible also indicates that, as a result of man’s disobedience where the first human couple listened to the Serpent/Satan (Genesis 3; Revelation 12:9 & 20:2), God handed mankind over to the control and dominion of the Devil and sin:
"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." John 8:34
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." John 8:44
"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Romans 7:14-23
"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:5-8
"And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." 2 Timothy 2:26
By taking control of humanity Satan also took possession of all that man had dominion over, such as the world. This is why the Devil is called the prince/ruler of this world and is said to have a kingdom:
"Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out." John 12:31
"Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." John 14:30
"Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." John 16:11
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" Ephesians 2:1-2
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12
At times Satan will exercise his rule from a specific geographical location, in certain places such as Pergamum, which became the capitol of emperor worship and where an altar of Zeus had been built:
"And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth." Revelation 2:12-13
Moreover, we are told that a network of wicked and unclean spirits shares Satan’s rule over the world (Daniel 10:1-13 & 20-21).
The princes that the angel was referring to were spirit beings who exercised control over the human rulers of those respective areas and places.
A very important qualification is necessary at this point. Even though Satan rules the world he does not have ultimate control since he is still subject to the sovereign authority of God and can only act and do as God allows.
The God who humbled himself to become a servant
Now as far as Jesus is concerned, even though he is God and owns everything, being the very Heir of every created thing:
"All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Matthew 11:27; cf. Luke 10:22
"But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance." Matthew 21:37-38; cf. Mark 12:6-7; Luke 20:13-14
"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 by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:1-3
"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not." John 1:10-11
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14
"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." John 3:35
"He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you." John 16:14-15
"And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." John 17:10
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:" Hebrews 1:1-3
He set aside his rule and authority for a season in order to assume the role of a servant by becoming a man:
"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28
"For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth." Luke 22:27
Jesus demonstrated his servant role by washing the feet of his followers, including Judas. It is interesting that John mentions that the Father had placed all things under the authority or power of the Son in the same context where he records the Lord’s act of washing the feet of his followers. This underscores the fact that Christ willfully humbled himself in order to assume the role of a servant even though he is the unique, beloved Son of God who owns and rules all things. It further shows that the Lord exercised his authority not by force, but through acts of love and service as a demonstration of the heart of God for his people (John 13:3-15).
The Lord further spoke of the glory he at one time had with the Father, thereby implying that he didn’t have that glory while he was on earth:
"And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." John 17:5
The blessed apostle Paul stated it best:
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:5-8
The Son who comes to destroy the kingdom of darkness
One of the reasons why Christ came was to destroy the power of Satan and the kingdom of darkness:
"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8
He did this by setting people free from the power and effects of sin, such as physical diseases and demon-possession:
"And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him." Mark 1:34
"For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God." Mark 3:10-11
"Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ." Luke 4:40-41
Further examples include Luke 13:10-17 and Acts 10:36-41
The Lord also came to take the penalty of sin, which is death, in order to remove the charges against mankind for breaking the holy Law of God:
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Colossians 2:13-15
Satan as the accuser of the brethren
Paul’s point here is that by doing away with the charges against sinful mankind for breaking God’s moral code through his death on the cross, Christ has disarmed the spiritual powers and authorities since he has left them with no grounds to accuse and condemn the people of God.
The Scriptures clearly state that one of the functions of Satan is to accuse God’s elect:
"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" Zechariah 3:1-2
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." Revelation 12:10; cf. Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7
Yet because Christ has paid the price for sin and has made peace between God and his people through his blood (i.e. death), the Devil can no longer bring any charge against them before God’s judgment seat. The blessed Apostle wrote about this in Romans 5:1, 8-11 and Romans 8:30-39 with something similar said in Hebrews 2:9-11, 14-18
Satan held the power of death in that he instigated the rebellion of the first couple, whereby he brought them under the condemnation of sin, namely death. By tasting death for all whom God would save Christ took on the penalty of sin, and by his resurrection Christ demonstrated that he had destroyed death itself. His resurrection further showed that God had accepted Jesus’ death as an atoning sacrifice which satisfied God’s justice and appeased his holy wrath, which is what hilaskesthai literally means. In other words, Jesus’ death made God propitious or favorable towards sinners, being the basis upon which God could now look upon man graciously and forgive him of all his sins.
The Son who sets us free
Since the price for sin has been paid, and God’s justice and holiness have been satisfied, sinners can now be set free from the power and rule of Satan and enter into God’s reign by repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus:
"And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." Acts 26:15-18
Further on this is written in Colossians 1:13-20, with the foregoing in perspective we can now examine Jesus’ temptation in more depth.
Jesus’ temptation re-examined
Here is the temptation account as reported by Luke:
"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." Luke 4:1-13
And here is a portion from Matthew’s version:
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:1-4
There are several key points which can be gleaned from the above texts. In the first place, lest the readers assume that Satan wasn’t certain whether Jesus is God’s Son we need to point out that the Greek conjunction ei (if/since) doesn’t necessarily express doubt. Rather, the conjunction suggests that Satan is tempting Christ precisely because he knows he is God’s Son and wants him to fail. The New Testament commentator Donald A. Hagner explains this in Hagner, World Biblical Commentary: Matthew 1-13 [Word Books Publishers, Dallas TX, 1993], pp. 64-65.
Secondly, we are expressly told that it was the Holy Spirit who drove Jesus into the desert for the specific purpose of being tempted or tested by the Adversary.
Thirdly, notice that the texts further say that the Tempter started to test Christ the moment he was hungry. This indicates that it was God’s will for Jesus to face the enemy of our souls during one of his weakest moments in order to overcome all that Satan would bring against him. Yet Jesus only did this right after he was filled with the Holy Spirit, therefore showing us by his example how to be victorious over the enemy.
Suffering as the path of glory
It also shows that the Devil thought that this was his opportune time to cause Jesus to stumble. Even though Satan clearly knew that Jesus was God’s Son he must have assumed that by becoming human Christ was now susceptible to sin and capable of failure since he was seeing Jesus getting tired and hungry from being in the desert and fasting for forty days. The Devil must have reasoned to himself that if Christ could be so weak and hungry as a result of being a man then he surely must also be prone to sinning and disobeying God in his weak condition.
Another point to be gleaned from all of this is that Satan must have known that God’s purpose was for Christ to experience human frailty and suffering before he could enter into his glory. The enemy may have reasoned that the reason why God sent forth his Son was to experience human weakness in order to learn what it was like to be faithful to God’s will in spite of human pain and anguish. As Hebrews puts it:
"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;" Hebrews 5:8
Only after fully experiencing such human frailty would Christ be able to reclaim the glory that he had before the world was created. This is something that the Devil was determined to prevent from happening, and yet he was quite unsuccessful since the Lord Jesus proved faithful and overcame the attempts of the evil one. In fact, on one occasion the Lord Jesus spoke of having to suffer in order to enter into his glory:
"Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." Luke 24:25-27
Moreover, Jesus himself told his followers that the road leading to life was difficult and only few would be able to make it:
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13-14; cf. Luke 13:21-30
The above seems to support the interpretation that Satan’s purpose was to entice Jesus in his moment of weakness to avoid the path of human suffering so as to not fulfill the will of God. The enemy clearly didn’t want Jesus to endure hardship and pain since he seemed to realize that this was the way that God had ordained for his Son to regain his glory. However, our exegesis seems to run into a problem when we take into consideration that the Devil was instrumental in causing the death of the Lord Jesus. Why would he want Christ to die on the cross when he tried to entice the Lord to avoid suffering by offering him a shortcut to glory and royal authority? This leads us to our next point.
The mystery that was kept hidden
The Holy Bible further informs us that God’s purpose in the death of the Lord Jesus was kept hidden from the rulers of this age, which would naturally include the spirit authorities as well:
"Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." 1 Corinthians 2:6-8
This helps us understand why Satan would want to have Jesus crucified since he didn’t realize that the cross was God’s means of destroying his kingdom and power over the sons of men and the earth. The Devil thought that by having Jesus killed he would be ending the ministry of Christ, thereby causing him to fail in accomplishing God’s purpose.
We know that the Devil wanted Jesus to be killed since he entered Judas in order to influence the latter to betray his Master and Lord:
"Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money." Luke 22:1-5
"And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;" John 13:2
"When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly." John 13:21-27
This means that Satan didn’t factor in the crucifixion as being an integral part of Jesus’ trials. The Devil must have assumed that Christ’s suffering only included such things as human hunger, fatigue etc., but not crucifixion. The enemy must have thought that by instigating the death of Jesus he would be basically terminating Christ’s ministry and thereby thwart God’s will in the process. Little did he realize how wrong he was.
This, perhaps, also explains the shock and confusion of the evil spirits at seeing Jesus before the appointed time of their destruction:
"And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" Matthew 8:28-29
"And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep." Luke 8:27-31
Note that, even though these spirits were seeing Jesus for the first time, they fully knew who he was and were clearly aware that he would be the One to destroy and torment them at the hour designated by God.
The demons also realized that Christ had the power to send them into the abyss, or the place where demons are imprisoned and where Satan will be bound for a thousand years:
"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season." Revelation 20:1-3; cf. 9:1-12
The only way these demons could have known all of this is if they already knew who Jesus was and had already seen him beforehand in the spirit realm, in heaven itself. This interpretation makes sense in light of the emphatic and explicit Biblical teaching that Christ is the preexistent Son of God who came down from heaven.
In other words, the reason why the evil spirits were shocked to see Jesus before the appointed day is because God had kept the knowledge of the Incarnation hidden from them. The demonic realm was prevented from knowing that God would send his Son before the judgment day in order to destroy the kingdom of darkness by his ministry and perfect life of obedience, which included dying on the cross in order to set people free from the power and effects of sin and Satan’s control.
Did Jesus ever say the words "I am God" in the scriptures?
There is no record of Jesus saying the exact words, "I am God." However, he did make the claim to be God in many different ways, and those who heard him knew exactly what he was saying.
"I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him." John 10:30-31
The Jews who heard him make that statement knew well that he was claiming to be God as witnessed by their reaction, accusing Jesus of claiming to be God. When he asked them why they were attempting to stone him, they said, "The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." John 10:33
Jesus made another statement where the Jews, upon hearing him, clearly understood that he was claiming pre-existence:
"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." John 8:58
The Gospel of John begins with a statement of Jesus’ deity:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14
John is affirming that the Word (Jesus) is God, and he left heaven to come to earth in the form of a man to live with men and display the glory of God the Father.
The disciples of Jesus distinctly heard him declare his deity. After Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas the doubting disciple finally understood Jesus’ deity, declaring him to be "My Lord and my God." John 20:28
John 20:24-29 substantiates the fact that the disciples must have understood from the statements made by their Lord and Master (cf. John 13:13-14) that, although personally distinct from the Father who sent him, he was still God nonetheless. It apparently took Jesus’ resurrection for them to be fully convinced of the truth of this claim. If Thomas could say that Jesus is God, with Christ personally blessing that confession and without this scandalizing the other disciples, then what’s to say that Jesus didn’t claim he was God in those exact words especially after he had engraved in the minds of the disciples that he wasn’t the Father?
If this were not the case Jesus would have corrected Thomas, but he did not; Thomas spoke the truth. After seeing Jesus walking on the water, his disciples worshipped him (Matthew 14:33). When He appeared to them after the resurrection, they fell at His feet and worshipped him (Matthew 28:9). The disciples were well aware of the Mosaic Law’s penalty for blasphemy, yet they worshipped him as God, and Jesus accepted their worship. Jesus never rebuked people for worshipping him, accepting their worship as good and proper.
Jesus’ deity is recognized throughout the New Testament. Both Paul and John declared that Jesus created the universe:
"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:3
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Colossians 1:16–17
Genesis 1:1 clearly says that God created the heavens and the earth. This can only mean that Jesus is God. Even God the Father referred to Jesus as God:
"But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." Hebrews 1:8
By quoting Psalm 45:6-7, the author of Hebrews connects Jesus to the messianic promises of the Old Testament.
The only problem is that we do not have a record of him actually saying it, at least during his earthly ministry. But not having a written record of Christ telling his followers that he is God exactly in those words is not the same as saying that he never made this assertion, since the Gospel writers did not set out to give us an exhaustive list of everything Jesus said or did:
"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." John 20:30-31
"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." John 21:25
Thus, to argue, as some do, that Jesus never said he was God in those exact words while on earth solely because there is no record within the New Testament that he did is nothing more than an argument from silence, which is a logical fallacy. After all, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, i.e. just because the New Testament doesn't record Jesus claiming to be God precisely in that manner doesn’t mean that he never did say it, specifically to his followers who believed in him.
More importantly, this erroneously assumes that the only way that the Lord Jesus, or even the New Testament writers for that matter, could ever identify himself as God is by using this exact phrase. We say this is erroneous since Christ’s Divinity is not based on him having to say, "I am God." Both the words of Christ and the statements found within the New Testament demonstrate the full Deity of Jesus since they ascribe to him certain qualities, characteristics, and functions which belong to God alone, i.e. Christ is the Agent of creation and redemption, the Sustainer of the universe, has all of God’s essential and omni-attributes etc.
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