People in our multicultural society speak of Jesus as simply a good man, or a prophet. God called Him His Son after John baptized him. “A voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:13-17). Peter’s suggestion of erecting tents for Moses, Elijah and Jesus led to the Father confirming, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:1-4). The Jews understood that the Father calling Jesus His Son makes Him equal with God (John 5:18)!
The writer of Hebrews penned, “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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (1:3). Vine indicates this means that Jesus was the shining forth of God’s glory and the very image of His substance. He went on to quote Psalm 45:6-7 and said the Father was calling Jesus, God.
John the Baptist’s role was to prepare the way of the Lord (John 1:23; Isaiah 40:3). Jesus understood Malachi 3:1 to refer to John (Matthew 11:7-10). The context of that passage includes Malachi 2:17, where it is seen that the Lord whose way was to be prepared was the God of Judgment. John the Baptizer let his audience know that he came to prepare the way of Jesus, the Son of God (John 1:29-34).
Paul believed Jesus was God come down to earth. Jesus existed as the very essence of God, just as He took on the very essence of a servant by becoming a man (Philippians 2:5-7; Hebrews 2:9-18). Paul’s testimony, combined with that of the Father, the writer of Hebrews and John the Baptist, clearly proves Jesus is God.
