And We Are All Together

Jesus said, “If you do not believe that I Am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." John 8:24

The question becomes obvious, “Who did Jesus say that He is?”

Just ask the Pharisees. They knew exactly who Jesus said He was and the crime for that is called blasphemy. The evidence was Jesus claiming to do those things that only God can do - forgiving sins being the most important of them all.

“The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”" Luke 5:20-22

"We are not stoning you for any of these, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10:33 -

"Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does." John 10:37 -

"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" "He is worthy of death," they answered. - Matt 26:64-66

Jesus told people in no uncertain terms that He was not just a Rabbi, not just a prophet but God incarnate. On numerous occasions Jesus equated Himself with Father God. When He was accused of working on the Sabbath (John 5:17) Jesus said, (supported by Ps 121:4 and Isaiah 27:3) that God works 24/7 and He, Jesus, is God who is Lord of the Sabbath. The Pharisees got the message loud and clear. He didn’t just break the Sabbath, Jesus called God His Father, making Himself equal with God vs. 18. Jesus had, in fact, been calling Creator God His Father since the age of 12 (Luke 2:49). The next time that it was recorded was when He said, “My Father’s house is to be a house of prayer.” In John 5:19 to the end, Jesus claimed equality with Creator God:

in person,

in His works,

in His knowledge,

in His sovereignty over life and death,

in His judgment of sin and forgiveness,

in His self-existence,

in His deserving of honour as God is deserving to be honoured,

in His knowing and doing God’s perfect will, and

Jesus said that Creator God’s whole purpose was to bring glory to Jesus and Jesus whole purpose was to bring glory to God.

Jesus was emphatic that, “If you have seen Me, you have seen God.”

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matt.7:21

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. Matt. 10:32

"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Matt. 11:27

"You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." John 8:20

"My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me." John 8:54

"Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." John 10:37,38