Basic Training Day 1- Understanding the Deity of Christ

THE POWERFUL NAME OF JESUS CHRIST

There is power in the very name of Jesus Christ.  Why? The Bible tells us, and there is not doubt that Jesus is fully man but He is also fully God.  The Bible is very clear on the deity of Christ.  In fact if it were not for the fact that Christ is God then our faith would be useless and we would still be in bondage to our sin. 

Jesus Divine Attributes

If you took the time to do an exhaustive study you find passage after passage of Scripture that point to the divined attributes of Jesus. The Bible especially the New Testament writers wanted those who came after them to understand that Jesus was God.  This was for two reasons, one it was planned by God so we would know that His Son had come to die for us and that if we put our FAITH in Him we would have eternal life. 

The second reason was to give an eyewitness account to the truth.  We could not see what the New Testament writers saw, the miracles, the resurrection etc. so they set forth to show us though the written word what our eyes could not see.  We are left with God’s Word to guide our hearts to what we soon know is the truth.  Faith shapes our vision just as much as vision shaped the faith of the New Testament writer.  Listed here are just a few areas that conclusively show Jesus divine nature.

Jesus Is Eternal

John Gospel begins with the words,  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He (referring to Jesus) was with God in the beginning”.  John understood that Jesus was God and that He was eternal and that He was not only our Savior but also our Creator.

When you look at this verse do you see the eternal nature of Jesus?  If so what does this mean for your life and especially in helping to shape your FAITH in the things to come when this life is all said and done. 

Jesus is Our Creator

As mentioned before John understood the nature of who Jesus was, God the Creator. Hebrews 1 states when referring to Jesus that he laid the foundations of the world as well as created the Universe. Also in the passage from John 1 tells us that Jesus was there in the beginning.  This means that when you go back to Genesis Chapter 1 where it talks about God as the Creator, it is referring to Jesus. 

Jesus is the Creator of everything. Take the time to read Colossian 1:16-17 and write down what this verse means with regards to the deity of Christ.

Jesus is All Powerful (Omnipotent)

There are numerous instances in the Gospels of Jesus giving us a small glimpse of His power.  Jesus stilled the storm when His disciples were afraid Matthew 8:24-27.  Another time Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead, John 11 and still another time He fed 5000 men not counting women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.  Even John said that If he were to write down all the things he had see Jesus do all the libraries in the world could not contain the books.

Jesus showed us His power not for His benefit, but to offer up some proof of who is.  These miracles and authority over nature proves beyond a doubt that Jesus is God and has the power of God.  Jesus power is infinite and as such is beyond our human comprehension.

Jesus is Always With US (Omnipresent)

When He was returning to Heaven Jesus told His disciples that they should not be fearful because He would always be with them.  That same promise is true to day.  Take a few moments to read Matthew 28:20 and then in a few lines describe how it affect your faith knowing that Jesus is always with us. 

I always get a chuckle out of those people who say ” Would you be acting this way is Jesus were here?”  Well all I can think is that they must have temporarily forgotten that Jesus is always with us. 

Jesus Knows Everything (Omniscience)

To me it is a little unnerving to know that Jesus knows everything.  Jesus knew Nathaniel’s situation long before He got there, John 1:48.   Jesus knew who was going to betray Him before it happened, John 13:11.  Jesus knows everything. 

If you read John 16:30; 21:17 you will see the disciples declaration that Jesus knew everything about them, that is their inner most secret.  We all have things we try to hide but those thigns are never hidden from God.  The disciples recognized that Jesus knew things that only God could know so Jesus must be God. 

Read the verse from John and then write down how your life will be different now that you know that Jesus knows what you are thinking and doing.  

Jesus Claimed to Be God

Not only did Jesus exhibit the qualities of deity, He also claimed many time to be God.  In John 8:56-59 Jesus claimed to be older to than Abraham.  This statement is incredible in an of itself, but in making the statement Jesus used the words ‘I AM” which meant that He was calling Himself God. 

Think of the horror struck Jews because “I AM” was the name God called Himself in Exodus 3:14 and for any person to say they were God was blasphemy and punishable by death.  The Jews were ready to stone Jesus but His time had not yet come so He was able to get away.  This is not the only time Jesus claimed to be one and the same with God, and that he was God.  The problem is that the Jews for one reason or another failed to see that He backed up His calims with actions.

Yes, Jesus is God of that we can be sure because we have the evidence to prove it, the eyewitness accounts of those who walked with Jesus.  We can also see the work of Jesus in the way he still changes the lives of those who put their faith in Him.

Some Things To Think About

1.       Why is it important to your faith to understand that Jesus is God?

2. Describe what you believe to be the strength that shapes your faith
3. Can the power of any demon shake your faith when you have the name of Jesus to call upon?  Why or why not?