Part
Five: How did Jesus show that he was
God?
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Our discussion will
take the form of a simulated conversation between a
Jehovah's Witness named Joe and a Christian named
Chris.
Joe:
Chris, you told me that this week we would discuss how Jesus
could be God while he was here on earth. I believe that
Jesus while he was on earth was only a good man.
Chris:
Joe, remember that when we are talking about Jesus being God
I am not saying that Jesus is the Father. What I am saying
is that Jesus has the nature or character or attributes of
God. The same attributes that make the Father God, also
qualifies Jesus as God.
Joe:
Are you saying that Jesus is God because he has the
attributes that only God has? I have never seen any
attributes of God that belong to Jesus.
Chris:
Well, we have already talked about one of the unique
attributes that God has and that is omnipresence. No angel
can be everywhere at one time. No man can be everywhere at
one time. Only God has as his nature the attribute of
omnipresence. And remember that Jesus claimed to possess
omnipresence by promising to be everywhere that two or three
of his disciples are gathered.
Joe:
So if Jesus is God and the Father is God then you believe
that there are two Gods!
Chris:
No. Joe, let me illustrate it to you this way. Look at this
bowl of water. Would you say that this bowl of water is
three separate entities?
Joe:
No of course not. Water is a unit. It is a whole
thing.
Chris:
Now what if I took some of the water and put it into an ice
cube tray to freeze. Then I took some of the water and put
it into a steamer to produce steam. Would you say that the
ice and the steam and the water are three separate
entities?
Joe:
No they are not. They would be separate forms but they are
the same essence. They are all H2O. They all have the same
molecular structure.
Chris:
You're right Joe. Although their form is different, their
essence or substance is the same. Ice is not the same as
steam and water is not the same form as ice yet their
essence or genetic makeup is identical. And although ice and
steam and water have different forms, they could be put
together into a container and they would all become one
essence - H20. In the teaching of historic Christianity, the
Father could be like the ice, the son like the water and the
holy spirit like the steam. All have the very same essence,
that is they have the same attributes or characteristics or
molecular structure. Yet we see them differently. And Jesus
when he became man was like a separate substance, coffee,
being added to the hot water. Jesus added a human nature
(the coffee) to the H2O (or God essence) that he already
had!
Joe:
But the Watchtower teaches that while Jesus was on earth he
was nothing but a mere man. How can you prove from scripture
how Jesus demonstrated that he had God's nature or
characteristics while he was here on earth? I only see Jesus
as a man.
Chris:
Joe, let's first of all have a look at 2 Chronicles 6:30.
Can you read that in your New World Translation?
Joe:
It says "then may you yourself hear from the heavens, the
place of your dwelling, and you must forgive and give to
each one according to all his ways, because you know his
heart (for you yourself alone well know the heart of the
sons of mankind)."
Chris:
In this verse we are given another unique characteristic of
God. What is it Joe?
Joe:
It says that God alone knows the hearts of men. But Satan
can read our hearts or minds too, can't he?
Chris:
No. Satan only has access to put thoughts into our minds.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that he can read our
minds. In fact the verse you just read says without
a shadow of a doubt that only God can read the hearts of
men. Now if Jesus has God's essence, or character, or
nature, then Jesus could also read the hearts of men. Look
at Matthew 12:25. What does it say in your Bible?
Joe:
It says about Jesus "Knowing their thoughts,
he said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself comes
to desolation, and every city or house divided against
itself will not stand." It don't understand this. It says
that Jesus knew their thoughts.
Chris:
Have a look at another passage in your Bible. Look at Luke
9:47.
Joe:
"Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts,
took a young child, set it beside him..." It says that Jesus
knew the reasoning of their hearts.
Chris:
There are a lot of passages where Jesus reads people's
thoughts, but have a look at one more that says that Jesus
search all hearts. It is found in Revelation
2:23.
Joe:
"And her children I will kill with deadly plague, so that
all the congregations will know that I am he who
searches the kidneys and hearts, and I will give to
YOU individually according to YOUR deeds."
Chris:
Who is speaking in Revelation 2:23?
Joe:
It is Jesus who is speaking, but the trinity can't be true
because holy spirit is not a person.
Chris:
Let's discuss the holy spirit next week.
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