John 4:26 – Jesus is God

“Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” –  John 4:26

Jesus is clear about who He is and His followers must be clear about who He is too. In this verse Jesus declares that He is God. Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Their response was, “Some say John the Baptist; other say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets,” (Matt. 16:14). Then Jesus asks them the question that is most important to their individual lives, “But what about you… Who do you say I am?” (Matt. 16:15). Peter responds as we all should, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” (Matt. 16:16). And in His response Jesus yet again makes clear who He claimed to be, “Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,” (Matt. 16:17-18). Jesus confirmed that Peter’s response was accurate. He declared that God is His Father in heaven and that it is His church that is to be built. Whether it was the Samaritan woman at the well or His disciples, the people He spoke to knew who He claimed to be.

Some chose to accept Him as God, and others violently rejected His claim. “The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered, ‘I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me, I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’ ‘We are not stoning you for any good work,’ they replied, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God,” (John 10:24-33). His opponents heard His claims to be God, to be the Son of the Father, to possess the ability to grant eternal life, and for these claims they hated Him. For these claims they crucified Him.

In the words of C.S. Lewis from his book Mere Christianity, “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intent to.” So, who is Jesus to you? We must make our choice.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for your patience with us and your grace toward us. Thank you for coming to save us, for revealing yourself to us, and for putting us at a fork in the road. Help us to choose you and thank you for choosing us.