◄ What Does John 10:36 Mean? ►

Jesus claimed deity, eternality, omniscience, and equality with the Father on many occasions, and the Jews of His day knew exactly what Christ meant when He called God His Father and referred to Himself as the Son of Man, when He forgave sins, or identified Himself with the holy name of God (I AM). But how often do we hear the apostate, the heretic, the agnostic, the atheist, the cults, and even carnal Christians declare that Christ never claimed to be the one true and living God!

How easy it is to deny the truth when the Word of God is not interpreted literally, when it is divorced from its historical roots or severed from its dispensational context. How easy it is for false prophets and liberal teachers to make Scripture say what they what it to say by adding to its inspired content or when the Word of God is spiritualised or twisted to whatever whim takes their fancy or whatever imaginations fill their mind.

On many occasions, the Jews of His day had a crystal clear understanding of Christ's claim to deity, eternality, omniscience, and equality with the Father for they often took up stones to stone Him - which was the punishment meted out by the Mosaic Law for blasphemy. Stoning was the irreversible sentence passed on all who would dare to blaspheme the true and living God - and this was their primary accusation against the Lord Jesus.

But Christ alone has the legal right and righteous authority to claim equality with the Father, for He was sanctified by the Father, sent into the world to save His people from their sins, and given by the LORD to become the sin sacrifice for the sins of the whole world so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life. And in declaring Himself as the Son of God and Son of Man, the Lord Jesus was professing a truth that had its roots in eternity past; a fact that was sanctified by the Lord God of Hosts; a truth that was practiced in the earthly life of our Saviour - that Christ was and is and is to come, God Almighty.

And yet these unbelieving, presumptions products of His own creation have the audacity to challenge Christ's claim to divinity despite the many evidences of His Messiahship by signs, miracles, wonders, parables, and teachings which were clearly prophesied in their own Scriptures. Jesus did not deny that He was God, but he certainly challenged their outrageous accusation of blasphemy against Him for He alone has the God-ordained right to claim the honour of Deity, Messiahship, and equality with the Father, for He is the incarnate Word of God. He is both Son of God and Son of Man. He is the righteous Judge, Emmanuel (God With Us), before Whose throne every knee will one day bow and to Whom every tongue will one day confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are such a gracious God that despite our arrogance, foolishness, rebellion, and sin, You sent Jesus into the world to be our Kinsman-Redeemer, and that He willingly laid aside His heavenly glory to become our Saviour and to die on the Cross in our place. I pray that in the days ahead I would come to know Him more and to love Him better, for He alone deserves all honour and glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN.