Introduction: We started on this on this voyage of exploration into the deity of Jesus Christ just a couple of weeks ago.  We have discovered so far that the Bible teaches Jesus to be far more than just a good man who walked this earth - He is God.  Last Sunday PM we examined one of the names of God that Jesus Himself claimed - “I AM”.  We saw how Jesus’ use of that name and claiming it connected Him to the Jehovah of the OT in the book of Exodus.  We also briefly examined some of the other “I am” statements that are found in the book of John that also teach the deity of Jesus Christ.

 

Tonight I want to continue examining some of the names that the Word of God uses for Jesus and see how they each teach the deity of Christ.

 

Why is this study so important?  It is important for several reason.  For a person to be saved and forgiven of their sins they must rightly understand and believe what the scripture says concerning who Jesus Christ is.  The thesis verse of the book of John makes this clear (John 20:31).  It is also important for us to study about the deity of Jesus Christ so that we can clearly and carefully explain with the Word of God why we believe in the deity of Jesus Christ.

 

I. Mighty God--Isa. 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

1. The word “Mighty”,from the Hebrew, means “powerful, a warrior.”  There are a number of different Hebrew words that are translated mighty but they all have a somewhat similar meaning.  It is also important to notice that the article “the” is used before this name of God. 

 

2. So how can we say that this is a name for Jesus Christ, the Son of God?  We can say this because this passage of scripture in Isa. 9 is a prophetic statement of His coming the first time and of his reigning after his second coming.  Jesus is the one who will sit upon the throne of David for He is of the line and family of David.  This is the reason why Matthew in chapter 1 of the book of Matthew gives us Jesus’ lineage through David to prove that he has all rights to sit on the throne of David.

 

3. JW’s have a ready answer for this Isaiah 9:6 and what it teaches concerning Jesus being God.  They explain that Christ is “the mighty god” but not “the Almighty God.”  They say that Christ is the mighty, never the almighty, and that Jehovah is the almighty God, never the mighty.  But that argument holds no water when we take a look at what it says in Jer. 32:18 which says,  Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name,  This verse clearly attaches the name “Mighty God” to Jehovah (LORD).  Therefore, since Christ (Messiah) is called “the mighty God” in Isa. 9:6 and Jehovah is also called “the Mighty God” in Jer. 32:18 - Jesus and Jehovah share the same deity.  Jesus is God.

 

4.  Since the JW’s persist in this “mighty god” and “Almighty God” line of reasoning, it is also helpful to compare Isaiah 10:21 to Exodus 3:6.  Isaiah 10:21 says, The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.  Now notice the words that Jehovah says about Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:6 on the occasion of the burning bush - Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

 

II. The Word Of God -- John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

 

1. This verse is such a clear statement of the deity of God, and as a result it has always come into the crosshairs of those who do not believe that Jesus is God, co-equal with God.  John makes it clear in John 1:14 that the Word is none other than Jesus Christ.

 

2. We can also go to Rev. 19:9-16 READ  Notice especially verses 13 and 16.  It is important to note that the person John attempts to worship in verse 10 is not the same one that is described in verses 11-16.  There can be no doubt that the One named “The Word of God” in Rev. 19:13 is the same One named the Word in John 1,14, and that is Jesus Christ.

 

3. Now some, like the JW’s have wrested John 1:1 to make it say what they believe about Jesus Christ - that he was created by God.  They have, in their New World Translation, added the article “a” between “was” and “God” at the end of John 1:1.  The JW claim that since the definite article is used with Theon in John 1.1b and not with Theos in John 1.1c, therefore the omission is designed to show a difference; the alleged difference being that in the first case the One True God (Jehovah) is meant, while in the second 'a god,' other than, and inferior to, the first is meant, this latter 'god' being Jesus Christ.

 

4. Is this proper and right?  Is this how the Greek text can and should be translated here?  Permit me to quote from Walter Martin’s book called The Kingdom Of The Cults from page 85.

 

Contrary to the translations of The Emphatic Diaglott and the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, the Greek grammatical construction leaves no doubt whatsoever that this is the only possible rendering of the text. The subject of the sentence is Word (Logos), the verb, was. There can be no direct object following was since according to grammatical usage intransitive verbs take no objects but take instead predicate nominatives which refer back to the subject, in this case, Word (Logos). In fact, the late New Testament Greek scholar, Colwell, formulated a rule which clearly states that a definite predicate nominative (in this case, theos--God) never takes an article when it precedes the verb (was) as we find in John 1:1. It is therefore easy to see that no article is needed for Theos (God) and to translate it a 'god' is both incorrect grammar and poor Greek since Theos is the predicate nominative of was in the third sentence-clause of the verse and must refer back to the subject, Word (Logos). Christ, then, if He is the 'Word made flesh' (John 1:14) can be no one else except God unless the Greek text and consequently God's Word be denied.

 

5. There are plenty of other verses where the article is not found with the word “God” and it is not translated “a god” even in the JW Bible. They are not consistent in this postion.  This is just another example of Satan’s desire to mislead people in regard to who Jesus Christ really is so that they die in their sins. 

 

6. This is also another good example of what can happen when people do not follow the clear rules of interpretation of the scriptures and the clear rules of grammatical structure.  The rules are there for a purpose - to provide a clear and consistent process for interpreting the Word of God or any other ancient writings.  The JW’s and others may be sincere in what they have done with John 1:1 but they are also wrong.

 

III.  Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending (the first and the last) - Rev. 1:8, 11, 17; 2:8; 21:6; 22:13

 

1. First of all, who is being spoken of here in Rev. 1:7,8?  Who is the one who will come in the clouds and every eye shall see him (Rev. 1:7)?  We need to go back to Matt. 24:30 where we are given some similar words in description of the Lord Jesus Christ coming at the end of the tribulation time.  Notice what it says in Matt. 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  Therefore, we can establish that the One being spoken of and described in Rev. 1:7-20 is Jesus Christ.

 

2. Now notice what Isaiah 44:6 says, Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.  It is very clear in this verse that the LORD or Jehovah is calling Himself the first and the last and that there is no other God other than Himself.  We find a similar statement in Isaiah 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.  Again, a simple reading of Isaiah chapter 48 makes it clear that the LORD, or Jehovah is speaking here.

 

3. It is now clear that the One speaking in Isa. 44:6 & 48:12 is God and the One speaking and being described in Rev. 1 is also God.  There are not two gods, only One, so therefore Jesus is God.

 

4. Now notice Rev. 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;  It is clear from what the last part of this verses says that the One who has claimed the name “first and the last” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus has once again claimed the name of Jehovah from Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12.

 

5. Notice Rev. 21:6 which says, And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.  Now the last sentence of this verse ought to sound familiar for Jesus used these words several times in the book of John.  First, to the woman at the well in Samaria in John 4:10, 13,14 If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.  Second, in John 7:37 - In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 

 

So what is the point here?  The same One who claimed to be Alpha and Omega in Rev. 21:6 is also the same one who promised to quench the spiritual thirst of those who came to Him.  This is Jesus speaking here in Rev. 21:6, and Jesus has claimed the same name that Jehovah used for Himself - the first and the last.

 

5. In Rev. 22:11-16 we find Jesus speaking to John through an angel He, Jesus, has sent to John.  In verse 22:13 we again find Jesus claiming the name “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”  Then in 22:16 we find out who has been giving these words here and throughout the book of Revelation - Jesus.

 

IV. The Lord Of Glory

 

1. I’ll close our study on the deity of Jesus Christ tonight with this name for Jesus that proves His deity.   This one is just as straight forward as any of the others.

 

2. Let’s look at 1 Cor. 2:7, 8 which says, But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  It is clear from how Paul writes this that he is referring to Jesus Christ, the one crucified, as the Lord of glory.

 

3. Let’s now compare that verse to what it says in Psalm 24:7-10 which says,  Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

 

4. There is no doubt in my mind as to who this King of glory is - it is the LORD of host - the Lord Jesus Christ.  Psalms 22-24 form a trilogy on Christ - Psalm 22 - His suffering; Psalm 23 - His shepherding; and Psalm 24 - His exaltation.

 

Conclusion: We will stop here for tonight but there are still some more names of Jesus Christ that prove his deity that we need to examine.  Come back next Sunday night for more of the same, and look for opportunities to use what you have learned tonight.