DID JESUS EVER CLAIM TO BE GOD?
(Work in
progress)
Many people who do not want to acknowledge that Jesus is God will claim that He never said He was. What does the Bible say? Are there clues in the 4 Gospels that prove that Jesus not only said He was God, but proved it as well? Read the passages below and decide for yourself. One thing to keep in mind on some of the verses is that everyone was Jewish, so you need to think like a Jew in some instances to really catch the meaning. Also, when the religious leaders pick up rocks to throw at you, you have committed blasphemy. You have either defamed God in some way, or you are claiming to be God.
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17
The Baptism of Jesus marked the start of his ministry. Upon coming out of the water, the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) descended on Him and God the Father declared: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Anyone that was there and heard and saw what happened would know that Jesus was God.
“Then the devil
taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is
written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands
they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again,
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Matthew 4:5-7
This is where Jesus is lead by the Holy Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. He has been fasting for 40 days and nights, and is hungry. The devil will tempt Him 3 times, in body, soul, and spirit. This is the second temptation. Satan even uses the Bible in the temptation, though he takes it out of context. Never forget that Satan probably knows the scriptures better than any human. Jesus response is to tell Satan to not tempt the Lord thy God. Who is the devil tempting? He is tempting Jesus. Since the devil is tempting Jesus, and He says, “Thou shalt not temp the Lord your God”, Jesus is basically saying that He is God.
“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
Jesus has traveled to the other side of the country and has run into two people possessed with demons. When they see Him, they acknowledge that He is the Son of God. Jesus does not dispute this, but with a word (go), cast the demons out into a heard of pigs. In James 2:19 it says that the demons believe in God and tremble.
“And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, this man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.” Matthew 9:2-7
A man that is paralyzed is brought to Jesus
to be healed. Instead, Jesus says that
his sins are forgiven. The religious leaders
that hear Him think that He has committed blasphemy, because only God can
forgive sins. Jesus deliberately said
his sins were forgiven to get that exact response. He then states as proof that He has the power to forgive sins, by
healing the man. Jesus has clearly
stated that He is God, by forgiving sins.
“As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.” Matthew 9:32-34
The Jews believed that in order to cast out a
demon, you needed to get it to give you its name. A person that was possessed by demons, but was deaf or dumb (or
both) could not do this. Dumb by the
way means that the person could not speak.
So these people could not have the demons cast out because they couldn’t
say the demons names. This meant that
only God could cast the demons out.
Since Jesus was able to cast the demons out, He was declaring that He
was God by His exorcism. The Pharisees
knew this, but instead said that He was able to cast the demons out because He
was in partnership with the Devil. This
belief put the Pharisees on very dangerous ground. You are never supposed to attribute the work of God (Holy Spirit)
to Satan.
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33
Jesus is claiming here to be the Son of the
Father in heaven, which is God. Jesus
is described as our advocate in heaven, defending us from Satan who is our
accuser.
“Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, this fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.” Matthew 12:22-24
Once again, Jesus has cast out a demon that could not speak. In this case, the person was both deaf and dumb. The Pharisees attributed it again to Satan. Jesus argues with them that Satan cannot work against himself. If not Satan, it must have been from God. By casting out the demon, Jesus was declaring that He is God. He also warns them about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
“And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” Matthew 14:23-27
Jesus had His disciples take their ship and go to the other side of the water while he sent the people away. After doing this, He went up the mountain to pray. After that he came back to the water, and the ship was out being tossed around by the wind. Jesus started walking on water to get to the ship. This scared the disciples, because they thought it was a ghost. The Jews believed that God would walk on water. This was another proof that Jesus was God.
“And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” Matthew 14:32-33
Jesus and Peter come into the ship (Peter had asked to walk on the water too, and Jesus let him, but he lost faith and started to sink. Jesus had to save him), and the disciples worship Him, saying that He is the Son of God. Again, as Jews, they knew that only God could walk on water. Jesus also allowed them to worship Him. There are other passages in the Bible where people start to worship angels, and they do not allow the worship, because only God is worthy of worship. By Jesus allowing them to worship Him, He is acknowledging that He is God.
“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 16:13-17
Jesus asks His disciples who they think He is. Simon (about to be renamed Peter) says that He is Jesus, The Christ (Greek Christos, meaning Anointed, or Messiah), the Son of the living God. Jesus does not dispute this, and goes even farther by saying that His Father in heaven has revealed this to him. This is a very clear declaration that He is the Son of God.
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.” Matthew 17:1-6
Jesus took three of His disciples up on a mountain, and was transfigured before them. He showed them His resurrected and glorified body. While they were there, God the Father spoke and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him”. God the Father was confirming that Jesus was His Son, the Son of God.
“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Matthew 24:3-5
This part of scripture is known as the “Olivet Discourse”. Jesus gives His disciples a briefing on the end-times. In this passage, Jesus tells them that there will be many people that will come in His name and saying “I am Christ”. The Greek for Christ is Christos, which means Anointed or Messiah. It is clear here that Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah of Israel, who the Bible portrays as the Savior of the World, the Son of God, and God Himself.
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matthew 24:35-36
We are still in the Olivet Discourse. Jesus says here that nobody knows when the end shall come, not man (no humans), not the angels, only His Father. This since no men or angels know, this leaves only God. So the Father is God. Since Jesus says it is His Father, then He is the Son of God, which again is God. So Jesus is claiming to be God here.
“Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” Matthew 26:52-53
In this passage, Jesus has just been betrayed by Judas in the garden of Gethsemane. A large crowd has gathered along with chief priests and elders of the people. Peter, who was asleep while Jesus was praying, wakes up, draws his sword and cuts off the ear of a servant of the high priest. Jesus tells him to put his sword away; that He doesn’t need any help. Jesus tells them that He could pray to His Father and He would send more than twelve legions of angels. One again, the Father sending the angels would be God. Jesus is implying that He is the Son of God.
“And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.” Matthew 26:62-65
Jesus was brought before the high priest who commands Him to tell them if He is the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus’ response causes the high priest to rip his clothes and declare that He is guilty of blasphemy. Jesus has definitely acknowledged that he is the Christ, the Son of God. This is the only claim that would have caused that response from the high priest.
“He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.” Matthew 27:42-43
Jesus has been sentenced to death by crucifixion, and is hanging on the cross. People are walking by and are mocking him saying, “If you are the Son of God why don’t you come down off the cross.” The chief priests and the elders have said the above passage. They are declaring that Jesus said that He was the Son of God.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.” Mark 2:5-12
Jesus is in a house speaking. There is such a crowd that the entire house is full as well as outside. Four guys come with another guy on a bed that has palsy. There are so many people that they can’t get in to see Jesus. They get on the roof of the house and tear a hole in it and lower the sick guy in. Jesus, knowing that there are religious leaders there, tells the sick guy that his sins are forgiven. The leaders immediately decide that He has committed blasphemy because “only God can forgive sins”. Jesus then says that He has the power to forgive sins on the earth and proves it by healing the man. Jesus acknowledges that He can forgive sins, which the religious leaders know only God can do. So Jesus, by forgiving the man’s sins, said he was God.
And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.” Mark 3:11-12
Jesus was at the Sea of Galilee with His disciples and a great crowd of people had followed Him. He had healed many, and some of the people were possessed by demons, which cried out acknowledging that He was the Son of God. Jesus made them hold their tongue.
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, what manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Mark 4:37-41
Jesus and His disciples had boarded a ship and were crossing the Sea of Galilee to go to the other side. Jesus was asleep on the boat when a big storm came up suddenly. The disciples were very afraid for their lives and woke Him up to save them. Jesus calmed the storm. Although He is not specifically saying that He is God here, He has complete control over the wind and the sea. This makes Him unique of all humans. With all of our technology, we are still devastated by hurricanes, tornadoes and severe electrical storms.
But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and
worshipped him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, what have I to do with
thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou
torment me not. For he said unto him,
come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
And he asked him,
what is thy name? And he answered, saying, my name is Legion: for we are
many.” Mark 5:6-9
On the other side of the Sea of Galilee, a man who is possessed by many demons meets Jesus. They even tell Him their name is Legion, because there are so many. When they first come up to Jesus, they worship Him. Then they acknowledge that He is the Son of God. Jesus tells them to come out of him and into the pigs, which then run into the water and drown. Again Jesus isn’t specifically saying that He is God, but His actions are. He has the power to command many demons to come out of a person with only a word. This particular man was very strong and destructive. The townsfolk had tried to tie him up, and even chain him, but he always broke free. Jesus freed the man without any trouble at all. When He had cast out demons in the presence of the Pharisee’s, they had said that He did it because he was in league with the devil. Jesus said that Satan can’t go against himself or he will not be able to stand. He would destroy himself if he let that happen. Jesus was therefore saying that His power over the demonic world was from God because He is God.
And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.” Mark 5:41-42
A leader of the Synagogue named Jairus comes to Jesus because his daughter is very sick, and about to die. He wants Jesus to come and make her well. By the time He gets to his house, the girl is already dead. He tells them that the girl is only asleep, and tells her to arise, which she does. Jesus has the power to raise people from the dead, another thing no moral man can do. This was also known in the Jewish faith as something only God could do.
And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.” Mark 6:47-51
Jesus walks on the water here. He can command the waves and the wind to calm down, as well as to walk on the water. The Old Testament says that only God walks on the water, so Jesus is proving again that He is God. This seems to amaze the disciples, who obviously are aware of the passages that talk about walking on water in the Old Testament.
And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.” Mark 8:27-29
Jesus asks His disciples who they think He is. Peter says that He is the Christ, which is Cristos in the Greek, meaning “Anointed” or “Messiah”. They say that he is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and He acknowledges it.
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38
Jesus is saying that His Father is the God of the Universe. Once again, angels are mentioned, which are associated with, and work for, God.
“And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elijah with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.” Mark 9:2-7
Jesus is transfigured and shows His glorified body to Peter, James and John. God says from a cloud in the sky, “This is my beloved Son: hear Him”. Jesus basically shows them that He is God.
“When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.” Mark 9:25-27
A man has brought Jesus his son who is possessed by a demon that is dumb. He had brought the son to the disciples but they were unable to case the demons out. Jesus was disappointed at their faithlessness and rebuked the demon and it came out of him, but left him dead. Jesus then took his hand and he got up. Once again, the Jews believed that only God can cast out a deaf and dumb demon. Jesus also said, when the disciples asked why they couldn’t cast him out, that these kinds of demons needed prayer and fasting, so they were hard to cast out. If the son was left dead, than Jesus also brought him back from the dead. On either accounts, this would prove to the Jews that He was God, or had the abilities of God.
“But he held his peace, and
answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou
the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And
Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of
power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any
further witnesses? Ye have heard the
blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of
death.” Mark 14:61-64
Jesus has been betrayed by Judas and appears before the High Priest who asks Him if He is the Christ, the Messiah. When Jesus says yes, the high Priest tears his clothes because he believes that Jesus has committed blasphemy, by proclaiming to be God.
“Now when all the people were
baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the
heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove
upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in
thee I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22
As Jesus was being baptized, the
Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven also proclaimed that Jesus was His beloved
Son. Anyone there should have known
that Jesus was the Messiah.
“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 4:12-13
After being baptized, the Holy
Spirit lead Jesus out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Satan tempted Jesus 3 times, body, soul, and
spirit. Jesus answered the last
temptation by saying that the devil should not tempt the Lord thy God. Satan was tempting Jesus, and Jesus said he
shouldn’t temp the Lord his God. So
Jesus was claiming that He was God.
“And in the synagogue there was a
man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art
thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy
peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he
came out of him, and hurt him not. And
they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this!
for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.” Luke 4:33-36
There
was a man in the synagogue that was possessed by a demon. The demon, upon seeing Jesus, proclaims His
deity by calling Him the Holy One of God.
“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
Jesus was healing many people,
some who were demon possessed. The
demons said that Jesus was Christ, the Son of God.
“And it came to pass, when he was
in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face,
and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him,
saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. And he charged him to tell no man: but go,
and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses
commanded, for a testimony unto them.”
Luke 5:12-14
Leprosy is a form of sin as portrayed in the Bible. The Jews believed that a man that had leprosy was sinful and cursed by God with the affliction. They also believed that only God could heal then. Jesus healing lepers was a sigh that He was God.
“And, behold, men brought in a
bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in,
and to lay him before him. And when
they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the
multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling
with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are
forgiven thee. And the scribes and the
Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who
can forgive sins, but God alone? But
when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason
ye in your hearts? Whether is easier,
to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man
hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I
say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and
took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying
God.” Luke 5:18-25
Jesus is speaking in a house that is crowded with people. Some guys carrying a paralyzed man were trying to get in to have Jesus heal him. They couldn’t get in, so they “raised the roof” and lowered the man down. Jesus saw their faith and told the man that his sins were forgiven. The Pharisees immediately started thinking blasphemy, because only God can forgive sins. Jesus knew what they were thinking, and told them that it was easier to just say your sins are forgiven than to heal someone. He did this on purpose, to show that He did have authority to forgive sins, being that He was God. He then healed the man.
“And it came to pass also on
another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a
man whose right hand was withered. And
the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath
day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the
withered hand, rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood
forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I
will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do
evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch
forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the
other. And they were filled with
madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.” Luke 6:6-11
This was probably a setup, where the Pharisees placed this man with a withered hand in the synagogue. He probably would not have been allowed under normal circumstances, but they wanted to see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus knew what they were up to, and asked them if it was lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath. We know from the other Gospel’s that they don’t answer Him. Jesus then heals the man. The Pharisees are mad and enraged with Jesus because He healed on the Sabbath. This was not against the law, just against the fences that they put around the law. Jesus would regularly break through their fences, which is why they wanted to kill him. It is sad that they would reject Him as Lord when they had so much evidence of who He was.
“Now when he came nigh to the
gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his
mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion
on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still.
And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered
him to his mother. And there came a
fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up
among us; and, That God hath visited his people.” Luke 7:12-16
Jesus raises a man from the dead. This is another thing that the Jews believed that only God could do. This explains why they are afraid when He did this, and also why they said that God had visited His people. Jesus was declaring that He was God by raising people from the dead.
“Now it came to pass on a certain
day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us
go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there
came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and
were in jeopardy. And they came to him,
and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked
the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a
calm. And he said unto them, Where is
your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner
of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22-25
Jesus gets on a ship with His disciples and takes a nap. While He is sleeping, a storm comes up that scares them so much that they wake Jesus up. They think that they are going to sink and drown, instead of having faith knowing that the God of the universe is on board. Jesus then stills the storm with a word. This scares them, possibly because they do not fully understand that Jesus really is the Son of God, who should be able to control the weather He created in the first place.
“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.” Luke 8:27-28
This is the story of the demon
possessed guy that Jesus frees by allowing them to go into a heard of pigs, who
then run into the water and drown. The
demons know who they are dealing with, addressing Him as Jesus, the Son of God
most high. Jesus easily casts the
demons out proving He has power over them as their God. Once again, it is a pity that those that
witnessed this are scared, and don’t want to have anything to do with
Jesus. Instead of embracing Him as
their Lord, they reject Him instead.
The guy that was demon possessed wants to come with Jesus, but He tells
him to go back to his city and tell what has been done to him. Jesus sends him out as a missionary to his
country.
“While he yet spake, there cometh
one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is
dead; trouble not the Master. But when
Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be
made whole. And when he came into the
house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the
father and the mother of the maiden.
And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead,
but sleepeth. And they laughed him to
scorn, knowing that she was dead. And
he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid,
arise. And her spirit came again, and
she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but he
charged them that they should tell no man what was done.” Luke 8:49-56
This is the story of Jarius who came to Jesus because his daughter was very sick; actually near death. On the way, a woman touches the hem of Jesus robe in the hopes of being healed, and she is. Jesus asks who touched Him because He wants to acknowledge her faith. While this is going on, word comes to them that the girl has died. Jesus tells them to not be afraid, just believe that He can heal her. Jesus raises the girl from the dead. Once again, the Jews believed that only God could raise the dead. Jesus was once again proving that He was God.
“And it came to pass, as he was
alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say
the people that I am? They answering
said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the
old prophets is risen again. He said
unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of
God.” Luke 9:18-20
Jesus is asking His disciples who
people say that He is. He then asks
Peter, who says that He is the Christ of God.
So Peter is convinced that Jesus is the Son of God. In the other gospel’s Peter says that He is
the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus replies that flesh and blood has not revealed this, but God
the Father. Jesus acknowledges that He
is the Son of God.
“And it came to pass about an
eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up
into a mountain to pray. And as he
prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white
and glistering. And, behold, there
talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should
accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and
they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they
saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto
Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles;
one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he
said. While he thus spake, there came a
cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud,
saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it
close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.” Luke 9:28-36