Did Jesus Claim to Be God? Answering the Muslim Objection
One question Christians often encounter when discussing the deity of Jesus Christ with Muslims is: “Where did Jesus say He is God?” The answer must be examined from the Scriptures, not merely by searching for the exact English sentence “I am God.”
The King James Bible records Jesus forgiving sins (Mark 2:5–12), declaring, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30), saying, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58), and telling Philip, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). These passages are central to the biblical case for the deity of Jesus Christ.
Let us examine what Jesus said, how His hearers responded, and what these passages teach about His identity.
Case #1: Jesus Claimed Authority to Forgive Sins — Mark 2:5–12
Mark 2:7 “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?”
These people said that only God can forgive sins. But who is the one that declared himself to be the person to forgive sins?
Mark 2:8-10 “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”
God only can forgive, but Jesus declared to himself to be the person who can forgive sins. Therefore, Jesus identified and declared himself to be God, to forgive the sins.
Case #2: Kingdom of God is Jesus’s Kingdom
John 18:36 “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
Jesus said that the kingdom that He was preaching, was “my kingdom.” The kingdom that Jesus was always preaching about, He declared it to be His own kingdom, which was the kingdom of God.
Do you know how many times ‘kingdom of God’ is mentioned in your Bible? Around 50 times. What was Jesus’s gospel? It was the Gospel of the kingdom. He always called this kingdom ‘kingdom of God’. But then He was declaring here, “my kingdom is not of this world.” Therefore, he declared himself to be God.
What about Jesus’s Humanity and Humiliation?
A side argument is Philippians 2. If Jesus declared himself to be God, why isn’t that clear and all over the Bible? That’s the question. That’s what Muslims will try to argue with you, showing that it seemed like Jesus was discouraging the notion that He is God. But that’s not the case.
Do you know why Jesus Christ wouldn’t label Himself to be God, but indicate it? Many times He would indicate and not say it point for point that He is God, even though there are some verses that He did say He is God. And if He does declare himself to be God, it’s an indication. There are only a few cases where He clearly said He is God; and there is one case that he did declare himself to be God, but it’s to a different person. But why did Jesus do that?
Phillipians 2:6-7 “(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:”
If Jesus declared Himself like, ‘I am God, I am God,’ not the humble human nature of Jesus Christ, then we get rid of one of the most important doctrines in the Bible: the humanity and humiliation of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ had to humble Himself so that He can die on the cross; so that He can be in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Because if He declared Himself to be God, and all the people took Him as God, He would have lived a comfortable life, rather than as a servant. That’s why a lot of times, Jesus Christ mentioned the Father to be God. He’ll separate the identity, but that just proves the trinity concept even more: God the son Jesus Christ being the human nature, God the Father.
Case #3: Jesus Said, “I and My Father Are One” — John 10:30–36
Another thing is that if He didn’t think He was God, why would He clearly say that? Here’s probably the most famous verse to defend where Jesus declared Himself to be God. This is used by apologists against the Muslims.
John 10:30 “I and my Father are one.”
Jesus is declaring Himself to be the same God as the Father. Do you think the Jews thought that as, ‘He just meant unity’? No because they wanted to stone Him.
John 10:31 “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.”
Jesus is asking them why they are stoning him.
John 10:32 “Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?”
And they are going to say why. Because Jesus declared himself to be God. See verse 33.
John 10:33 “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”
That is very plain and clear that Jesus is making himself the same God with the Father.
Jesus Meant the Capital ‘G’
Some of the critics are going to use this verse on you.
John 10:34-35 “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;”
Critics are going to try to claim that when Jesus was saying god, He meant a lesser god, because in verse 34, Jesus was saying, in the scripture, those beings were called gods, not like God the Father himself, but the lesser gods or the false gods. That’s what Jesus is trying to point out, some kind of lesser god, lesser deity, that’s what He was declaring Himself to be.
That argument is very weak.
John 10:36 “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?”
Jesus talked about the next verse, ‘these little gods’, who is greater? This Son of God or these little gods? Son of God.
So when Jesus Christ was declaring himself to be God, He wasn’t declaring Himself something less of a position like these little gods. He is pointing out an elevated position, because He realized that He is the Son of God, which is greater. Jesus Christ was laying down a foundation here.
Not only that, this higher being cannot overlook the fact that, ‘I and my Father are one’. That’s what He’s pointing out. Did He say that these gods were one? No. Those gods were not one with God the Father, but the Son of God was. That proves He’s talking about capital ‘G’.
Not only that, when Jesus was quoting the verse, did He say capital ‘G’ or little ‘g’? Little ‘g’. Were the Jews thinking little ‘g’ or capital ‘G’? Look at verse 33: ‘Because thou makest thyself God’. That’s capital ‘G’. The Jews knew what He was talking about.
Case #4: Jesus Said, “Before Abraham Was, I Am” — John 8:58
There’s no doubt Jesus declared Himself to be God, because He used one of the most forbidden things you can ever use, that Hebrew and the Jews don’t even say it today – the name of God, the highest name, tetragrammaton. He declared Himself by using the tetragrammaton: ‘I am’.
John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
This is one of the most unfavorite verses that Muslims. What did Jesus do?
John 8:59 “Then took they up stones to cast at him….”
Because the Jews knew that Jesus was using tetragrammaton ‘I am that I am’, but if that’s what he called himself, look at Exodus 3, when the tetragrammaton was first used. What do you think Jesus was talking about ‘before Abraham was I am’? Do you think he’s quoting Dr. Seuss or something like that? He was using it for a specific reason that would make them stone him.
Exodus 3:14 “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”
Case #5: Thomas Called Jesus “My Lord and My God” — John 20:28–29
The evidence is getting better and better. In John 14:7-9, Philip said, ‘shew us the Father, can we see the Father?’ You know what Jesus told Philip? ‘If you see me, you’ve seen the Father.’ That is strong. So Jesus really declared Himself to be the same God as the Father. The Father is God and Jesus is God. They are the same God.
John 14:7-9 “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and if sufficeth us. 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 there, Shew us the Father?”
John 20:28-29 “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’
Some might say, ‘the disciples were misunderstanding when they said Jesus is God. They totally misunderstood’. If they misunderstood, Jesus would have corrected them. But Jesus did not correct them. Why? Because Jesus wanted them to realize that He is God.
Do you believe Jesus is God? You’re more blessed than Thomas. Jesus said Thomas should have known that a long time ago. So Jesus was rebuking Thomas. He wasn’t saying ‘Oh, Thomas, you made a mistake, you said it out of shock’. But the very idea Jesus was accepting it, shows that Jesus was committing blasphemy, or He was accepting himself to be God. Jesus realized God should be the only one that’s worshipped, and nobody else. So why was He accepting it from Thomas? Jesus says you only worship God. That’s what He said, so He’s confirming that he is God.
Case #6: Jesus Declared Himself God to Satan – Matthew 4:7
Jesus never declared himself to be God, word for word, clearly, ‘I am God’ to people, because He had to prove His servanthood, but He did it to one being.
Matthew 4:6 “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.”
Satan was tempting Jesus, and Jesus replied at verse 7. If Christians want to defend their faith and show where Jesus declared himself to be God, one has to use this. This is the best verse. If you don’t want to beat around the bush, just jump to Matthew 4:7.
Matthew 4:7 “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
What did Jesus say He was? Jesus said He was God. But why didn’t He do that with other people? The reason why was He had to prove His servanthood to men; but He didn’t have to do that with Satan. He knew Satan knew who He was. So He’s the only being Jesus said right in front of His face that, ‘I’m God, you know that, so you don’t tempt me.’