"Jesus," known as "the Christ," is named in the text of the Greek New Testament 972 times [Smith’s Greek-English Concordance, p. 2424]. Jesus is mentioned in the very first verse of the New Testament (Matthew 1:1), as well as in the New Testament’s very last verse (Revelation 22:21). It is no secret that Jesus, plus the salvation that is available to mankind through Him, are the focal points of the entire message of the Bible.

People today often ask questions about Jesus. Some ask them simply out of curiosity. Others ask about Him with a sincere desire to learn the truth. Yet another category of people asks questions about our Lord in such a way that it is obvious that their questions are intended to cause confusion, reflect on the reliability of what the Bible says, or else cause people to waver in their commitment to accept exactly what the Bible record states about our Savior.

The New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus is God, meaning that He possesses the characteristics of the Godhead. Jesus’ deity is set forth in a number of passages, including the fact that Jesus accepted what Thomas said about Him. Thomas proclaimed, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Hebrews 1:8 records that the Father called Jesus "God." Satan, however, has always tried to cause men, women, and children to doubt the reality that Jesus really was Emmanuel, meaning "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). In this article I want to consider three questions that are sometimes asked about the Son of God and His deity.

How could Jesus be God in the flesh? How could a divine Being become a human? A: The Bible says that "the Word was God" (John 1:1). To whom or what does "the Word" have reference? John 1:14 says, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." This verse identifies "the Word" as being "the only begotten of the Father," who is Jesus (John 3:16). Thus, the three statements in John 1:1 about "the Word" (that He was in the beginning, that He was with God, and that He was God) are in reference to the Christ. Since the Word was God, coupled with the fact that "the Word was made flesh," then it must be the case that God was made flesh.

The Bible says, "God was manifest in the flesh . . . believed on in the world, received up into glory" (1 Timothy 3:16). This points to the incarnation of Jesus. The Bible also says of Jesus, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:8). Despite such plain declarations, some in the first century denied that the Messiah came in the flesh. The Holy Spirit calls such deniers "antichrists" (2 John 7; 1 John 4:3). Such denials, though, cannot change what really took place. As we noted earlier, when Jesus lived in the flesh, He was "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). Thus, though He was in a human body, He was still God.

We are amazed that Jesus could be both "the Son of man" and "the Son of God," yet the Bible says that He was both. We are amazed that Jesus could have an earthly mother and a heavenly Father, but that is what the Bible teaches. We are amazed that the Christ could have a human body, yet still be God. However, because of our confidence in the message of the Bible, we accept it all by faith. If someone says, "There is no way that the true God could ever be in a human body," then that person either (1) has not read the Bible, or, (2) does not accept what the Bible says. In this matter, one must lay aside his/her own pre-conceived notions and accept God’s truth (John 17:17).

God is eternal, without beginning and without end. Jesus died. If Jesus is God, then that means that God died. How could God die? A: God the Father did not, and could not, die. But the same is not true for God the Son. Why? Jesus did die: "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3). Jesus willingly became a man. In doing so, He temporarily made Himself a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9). In what sense was He "lower" than angels? Simply by virtue of the fact that He came to live in this world of sin and in the end be put to death. Angels do not endure such. Why did Jesus temporarily take on a position that was lower than the created beings known as angels? In order to suffer death for all humanity (Hebrews 2:9).

Because Jesus "was made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7), then it was necessary for Him to go through physical death like all other men do (Hebrews 9:27). Looking at it another way, because Jesus came to be the Savior of fleshly people, then He Himself took on the form of flesh and blood (Hebrews 2:14,17). When Jesus died, He did not cease to exist. The part of Him that died was His physical body, which was in the grave for three days. However, His spirit continued to live, even when His body was in the tomb (Acts 2:24-27).

If Jesus is God, then why did He say that the Father is greater than He is? A: John 14:28 says, "I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." In 1 Corinthians 11:3 it is also written, " . . . the head of Christ is God." As we already noted, Jesus, in coming to the earth and living as a man and in the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7), was willing temporarily to be "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death" (Hebrews 2:9).

By coming to earth, Jesus willingly took on a lower position than the Father in that God the Father never personally came to live in the flesh. However, while in the flesh, Jesus was still the "I AM" (John 8:58)! When talking about His divine nature, Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). When speaking about His human nature/existence, Jesus said that the Father was greater (John 14:28). The President of the United States of America might temporarily be in a higher position of authority than you and I are, yet he is still a human being. His temporary change in authority does not cause him to stop being a man – his "humanhood" remains. In the same way, Jesus’ coming to earth did not cause Him to stop being Deity or to lose His "Godhood."

Commenting on what is said about Jesus in John 14:28, the late Guy N. Woods wrote: