Is Jesus God? What a great question! We are so glad you asked. You may also be asking the question “Who is God?” Let’s dive in and find the answer to your query today.
“Although He (God the Son) existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped (Philippians 2:5-6, 9-11).”
Who is Jesus?
Who is Jesus? God the Son has existed as God from eternity past. Yet He willingly, in the person of Jesus, took on the form of a man, a servant. So, among other things, He could provide redemption for the world (Ephesians 1:7). He became a man with grief and sorrows (Isaiah 53:3). He wouldn’t ever have had to endure suffering as God if He had remained as a Spirit in heaven. But He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.
Yet, because He humbled Himself in this way,
God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Philippians 2:9-11
The passage above gives evidence that Jesus is God.
At some time in the future, God the Father will have every tongue confess and every knee bow before Jesus. God forbids anyone to bow in worship before anyone but God:
Then I fell at his feet to worship him (an angel). But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship GodRevelation 19:10
Jesus’ disciples worshipped Him: “Behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.”
A disciple who doubted Jesus’ resurrection came to confess Jesus is God: Then He said to Thomas:
“Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:27-28
The Apostle Paul tells us Jesus is God:
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.(Colossians 2:9)
Jesus’ enemies knew He claimed to be God:
For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him (Jesus), because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God;John 5:18
Jesus claimed to be one with the Father: “I and the Father are one (John 10:30).”
People reacted to Jesus because He is God: “So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground (John 18:6). I am is a way God self-identifies Himself (Exodus 3:14).
Is Jesus God?
The evidence is clear.
If you would like to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we invite you to watch the GREAT NEWS FOR YOU Video on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jesus actually God, or just a great teacher or prophet?
Scripture presents Jesus as far more than a teacher or prophet — He is God in human form. Colossians 2:9 states plainly that “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” His disciples worshipped Him, His enemies sought to kill Him specifically because He claimed equality with God, and even a doubting disciple, Thomas, fell before Him declaring “My Lord and my God!” A mere teacher or prophet would have corrected that worship — Jesus did not.
Why would God become a man if He was already God?
He did it willingly and out of love for humanity. As Philippians 2:5-6 describes, though Jesus existed in the form of God, He did not cling to that equality but humbled Himself, taking on human form as a servant. This was necessary so that He could provide redemption for the world — experiencing grief, sorrow, and suffering in ways He never would have had to endure as a Spirit in heaven. His willingness to step down is itself one of the most profound expressions of God’s love for us.
What happened as a result of Jesus humbling Himself?
Because Jesus humbled Himself, God the Father highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above every name. Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that one day every knee will bow — in heaven, on earth, and under the earth — and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. This universal, future worship before Jesus is significant, because Scripture is equally clear that God forbids worship of anyone other than God Himself.
Did Jesus Himself ever claim to be God?
Yes, repeatedly and in ways His audience clearly understood. In John 10:30 He declared, “I and the Father are one.” In John 18:6, when He identified Himself with the words “I am” — the same phrase God used to identify Himself in Exodus 3:14 — those present drew back and fell to the ground. His enemies in John 5:18 sought to kill Him specifically because He was “making Himself equal with God.” These were not misunderstandings — they were direct claims that the people around Him recognized immediately.
Why does it matter whether Jesus is God or not?
It matters because the entire foundation of Christian faith rests on it. If Jesus is merely human, His death on the cross is the death of a good man — significant, perhaps, but not sufficient to redeem all of humanity. But if He is fully God in bodily form, as Scripture consistently affirms, then His sacrifice carries the infinite weight necessary to cover every sin and offer eternal life to all who believe. Who Jesus is determines what His death and resurrection actually accomplish.
