Skilled in the word of Righteousness (Hebrews 5:13) Part 22

SKILLED IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Hebrews 5:13)

Part 22

Written by Yeow Chin Kiong

In the three recorded instances of the Jews inferring that Jesus was claiming to be God, Jesus could have very easily dispelled their inference by denying He was claiming to be God. If the Jews were wrong to thus infer, it was His custom to correct them unequivocally (eg. Matthew 22:29). Here were three opportunities to declare clearly that He was NOT claiming to be God. However, Jesus did not so declare.

Like the Jews of His day, Jesus knew the scriptures that taught that God would not share His glory with any other (Isaiah 42:8) and, as He answered Satan during His temptation, “… it is written ‘you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve.’” (Matthew 4:10). Yet, the gospel records tell us that Jesus accepted worship from men without correcting them for doing so. After his disciples witnessed Jesus walking on water and saving Peter from drowning when the apostle tried to do the same (Matthew 14:22-32), “Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly, You are the Son of God’” (Matthew 14:33). Jesus accepted worship from His disciples and, by so doing, accepted that, as the Son of God, He was worthy of worship as God was.

Later. When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection we are told by the trustworthy record: “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’ So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.” (Matthew 28:9). Again, Jesus accepted worship from His disciples. And rightly so, since His resurrection was divine declaration that Jesus was the Son of God (Romans 1:4) and therefore worthy of worship (Matthew 14:33).

Of course. Jesus’ disciples and apostles knew that it was wrong for mere men to accept worship, which was due only to God, as Peter insisted to Cornelius who “fell down at (Peter’s) feet and worshiped him” (Acts 10:25-26 and see also Acts 14:14-15). Even angels were not to be worshiped (Colossians 2:18). Nothing of creation is to be worshiped. When the apostle John fell down to worship an angel in his vision, he was rebuked and reminded, “See that you do not do that ….. Worship God” (Revelation 22:8-9). This was the second time John was rebuked for wanting to worship an angel (Revelation 19:10). If God alone was worshiped and Jesus accepted worship, it follows Jesus was God.

Jesus’ clearest acceptance that He was God was on the occasion when His apostle Thomas,- persuaded by physical evidence of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (John 20:24-27),- exclaimed to Jesus, “My Lord and My God!” (John 20:28). This was a statement of Thomas’ belief, which was encouraged of him by Jesus (John 20:27) and accepted by Him as such (John 20:29). The subject of Thomas’ belief here was Jesus Christ, the Son of God, being ascribed the title of “God” by an apostle (John 20:30-31). We note that Jesus accepted the designations of “Lord” AND “God,” from Thomas, not correcting His apostle.

In summary, although Jesus never explicitly declared that He was Deity. that is, God, He implicitly accepted the fact that the Jews were correct in interpreting His words.- supported by His miraculous works,- to mean He claimed He was God. Also, before and after His resurrection, Jesus accepted man’s worship due to God alone, necessarily implying that He was worthy of such Himself, being God. The Jews’ problem was that they completely discounted,- and therefore rejected,- the possibility of Deity’s incarnation as a human being, as Jesus.