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#2 Did Jesus say “I’m God, worship me”?

— by

Pastor Mark

Since worship is something that is done out of free will let us first establish if others declared Jesus as God. Secondly, did Jesus say that He is God? Thirdly, was He worshiped as God?

Matthew 16:13-17
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 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.

Disciples establish that Jesus is:

  1. Son of Man
  2. Son of the living God
  3. Messiah

The Father from heaven reveals this to his disciples. Now let’s move on to see if Jesus declares that He is divine. We are specifically looking for words that Jesus used.

John 8:58-59
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

In this reference, Jesus is declaring that He is divine. He was not misunderstood because people wanted to stone Him for this blasphemous claim.

John 10:30-33
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.”

This text clearly spells out why people wanted to stone him, and that’s for claiming to be God.

Let’s also establish that Jewish authority understood His claim about himself.

Matthew 26:64-65
“You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

John 19:7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

Jewish authority could not find a false witness against him, but they did not need one because Jesus gave them the biggest reason of all. Jesus claimed to be the “Son of Man.” This is a reference from Daniel chapter 10, where it speaks of someone who is called the “Son of Man.” This figure in Daniel’s prophetic vision is a reference to God. Jesus quoted it to the chief priests, the elders, and all the council implying that the vision is being fulfilled right in front of them.

Apparently, in addition to this, there are plenty of other references that Jesus claims about himself that make Him divine. He claimed to be the light of the world, word of God, the vine, the bread of life, the salt, that he can forgive sins, that He is the first and the last, final judge, the truth, all authority has been given to him and so forth. All these figures of speech are attributed to God only in the Bible and the Quran.

Let’s move on to the worship part. Did anyone actually worship Jesus as God? Let’s see if disciples worshiped Jesus.

John 20:27-28
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus, worshiped Jesus as God when he saw him in the resurrected form. What about all the other disciples? Did they worship Jesus as well?

Matt 28:17-18
When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

This biblical reference answers the question, Did all other disciples worship Jesus? The answer is “Yes.”

If someone is asking the question, did Jesus say “I am God, worship me”? Then it raises a bigger issue, and that is misunderstanding who Jesus is. God did not come down to earth to be worshiped or to prove to people that he is God. His purpose was to help us, to serve, and to save us. It was not to show up and claim “I AM GOD, WORSHIP ME.” And this is what the question implies in the context of scripture, while the new testament was never intended for that.

This is a fundamental principle. If I need help at work, I do not need my boss to come over and tell me “I am the boss, worship me and do as I say.” What we really want is for that boss to come over and help us resolve the issue. Now imagine, you’re sitting in that office as a stranger. You see a man calls someone on the phone because it’s obvious that he needs help. Eventually, you see a man come down from the upper floor. He is wearing a dirty shirt, jeans, and a pair of old shoes. He starts to helps the other man. As time goes by and the other man loosens up, and joy appears on his face. Finally, the issue is resolved and the man says “thanks boss!”. How stupid would it be to say this man comes down from the upper floor and declares “I am the Boss, worship me, I am here to help you.” You would think to yourself, thank God I do not work for that guy. That good boss is already admired and does not need to declare he is the boss for the sake of more worship.

Did Jesus say “I am God, worship me?” implies a gross misunderstanding of the revelation and misuses God’s word only to villainize God. It shifts the message from salvation to seeking worship and glory. Ultimately, this implies that God is self-observed. And that’s not something you want to walk around suggesting.

I hope this gave you a satisfactory answer to your question and some more.

Blessings,

Pay it Forward ❤︎

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Responses

  1. paarsurrey Avatar
    paarsurrey

    Mark Burykin said “DID JESUS SAY “I’M GOD, WORSHIP ME” ”

    Paarsurrey wrote:

    In other words one acknowledges that Jesus did not say ” I am God, worship me “. These words are not in the 4- Gospels, if these would have been in the 4-Gospels one could have quoted them., yet one failed to quote them. Right?
    The rest is one’s own erroneous reasoning, please. Right?
    Further the Second Coming has also established from the 4-Gospels that Jesus did not die on the Cross. One among many arguments is given below.

    “One of these is the following statement of Jesus:

    “But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.” (Matthew 26: 32)

    This verse clearly shows that Jesus, after he had come out of the sepulchre, went to Galilee and not to heaven. His words ‘After I am risen’ do not mean coming to life after being dead; rather, Jesus used these words in anticipation of what the people were going to say in the future, because as it turned out, they thought he had died on the cross.

    And indeed, if a man is put on the cross, with nails driven into his hands and feet, and he faints away for all his suffering, looking more dead than alive; if such a man is saved from his ordeal and recovers his senses, it would hardly be an exaggeration on his part to say that he had come to life again.

    No doubt, Jesus’ escape from such a predicament was no less than a miracle.

    There is no doubt that after so much suffering, Jesus’ escape from death was a miracle, but it would be wrong to say that Jesus had actually died.

    True, words to this effect are of course found in the Gospels, but this is only the kind of mistake which the evangelists have also made in the recording of several other historical events.”

    Page 21-22

    https://www.alislam.org/book/jesus-in-india/
    Right?
    So, Jesus was not God and Jesus is not to be worshiped, please. Right?

    Regards
    https://paarsurrey.wordpress.com

    Reply
    1. Mark Burykin Avatar
      Mark Burykin

      Hi Paarsurrey,

      Are you proposing an “exact word criterion” should be used to determine truth or claims? I am not sure if you want to do that. You are going to end up being a skeptic about everything in life. For example, Jesus never claimed to be a prophet. He never stated, “I am a prophet”. He never stated, “Don’t worship me”. Where does that put you with your objection? Jesus claims to be “I am”, he claimed to be “son of man”, authors of the gospels claimed he was God and so much more. The central point of the gospel is that “Jesus is the messiah”, he did not come to prove that he is a God. He is a God who took on the role of the messiah. Again, the New Testament is about a Messiah, not about who is God? Jesus happens to be the God but the story is about salvation and a Messiah who provides salvation from sin and death. When he was asked if he is God, he responded accordingly. This is what my article is trying to show. I hope it’s making sense to you.

      Let me respond to the “Jesus did not die” comment. I think you have a bias on this one. I don’t think anyone argues that point unless you are a Muslim who is desperately trying to make Jesus into a prophet. If we are to use the Bible as a historical book there are a few undisputed facts that all would agree on. 1. Jesus died on the cross 2. On the third day, the tomb was empty. After that, most diverge with their theories. If you are an atheist you don’t believe that there is a God. There is no resurrection in their mind. The book is a lie. If you are a Christian, then the path is very clear. Before the crucifixion, Jesus claimed that he will be handed over to the authority and will die and on the third day will resurrect. He claimed this in the text multitude of times (I can provide you references if you would like). It would be easier if you go and read it for yourself. It’s not that long. My friends, the historical Biblical text is clear that Jesus died and resurrected on the third day. I think someone lied to you about it. Every person who reads the gospels without a bias comprehends the way I started it. This is not about beliefs but about the comprehension of the book(s) and its claims.

      Thanks for your comments and May God open your eyes and help you see the truth.

      Blessing to you and your family

      Reply
  2. paarsurrey Avatar
    paarsurrey

    (Jesus’) Second Coming has given one argument (amongst many) very much from the 4-Gospels itself that Jesus did not die on the Cross and quoted:
    “But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.” (Matthew 26: 32)
    One’s comments do not refute his valid argument from the above verse of the 4-Gospels said to be given (according to Matthew) by Jesus himself, please. One needs to correct one’s thoughts, please. Right?
    Jesus did not die on the Cross. Why can’t Christians stop sinning, please? Right?

    Regards

    Reply
    1. Mark Burykin Avatar
      Mark Burykin

      Paarsurrey,

      Matthew 26:32 “But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Jesus is referring to his death and resurrection here and after the resurrection, he is referring to a place where he will see them again.

      Now read Matthew 28:16-20 (This is after the resurrection)

      “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

      I am not sure if you know this but after Jesus was resurrected he appeared to many different people for 40 days before his final ascension. All this is written in the gospel text. Again, I want to encourage you to read the gospels and it will all make sense. Stop believing the lies people are telling you.

      Christians are not sinning, but rather you are the one who is sinning right now. Here’s how you are sinning. You refuse to go and read the gospel(s) and figure out the facts using basic comprehension skills. I am not even telling you to believe the text just be true to the text. You refuse to read and you spread the lies. You are in sin. You are in darkness and refuse to see the light.

      Repent and the light will be shown to you.

      Reply
  3. paarsurrey Avatar
    paarsurrey

    Jesus neither said the words “I am God”, nor Jesus said/commanded to anybody “Worship me “, this creed was later invented when It was asserted/invented by (sinful) Paul (his associates and the Church), I understand, in absence of Jesus. How could innocent Jesus say such things being a Jew and when Jesus did not and could not die a cursed death on the Cross:
    the Promised Messiah and Second Coming has given reasonable clues/arguments from the Bible in his book “Jesus in India” that Jesus did not die on the Cross. I will give below one of his reasonable arguments:

    “Christians believe that Jesus was arrested and crucified, owing to his betrayal by Judas Iscariot, was later
    resurrected, and raised to heaven. A detailed study of the Gospel, however, disproves this notion altogether. It is written in Matthew chapter 12 verse 40:
    For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s
    belly; so shall the son of man be three days and three nights
    in the heart of the earth.
    Matthew chapter 12 verse 40
    Now it is obvious that Jonah did not die in the belly of the whale; all that happened was that he went into a swoon or a coma. The holy books of God bear witness that Jonah, by the grace of God, remained in the belly of the whale alive, came out alive, and his people ultimately accepted him. If then Jesus had died in the belly of the Earth , what resemblance could there be between the dead and the living, and vice versa?
    The truth is, that Jesus was a true prophet and he knew that God, who loved him, would save
    him from an accursed death. Therefore, on the basis of divine revelation, he prophesied in the form of a parable, and positively intimated that he would not die on the cross, nor would he give up his ghost on the accursed wood; on the contrary, like the prophet Jonah, he would only be in a state of swoon.
    In the parable, he had also hinted that he would come out of the bowels of the earth and join his people and would be honoured like Jonah. This prophecy was also fulfilled; for Jesus came out of the bowels of the
    earth and went to his tribes who lived in the eastern countries like Kashmir and Tibet. These were the ten tribes of the Israelites who 721 years before Jesus, had been taken captive and forced to leave Samaria by Shalmaneser, King of Assur. They eventually came to India and settled in various parts of the country.
    Jesus had to make this journey, for the divine object underlying his mission was to meet the lost tribes of Israel who had settled in different parts of India. This was because these were the lost sheep of Israel who had renounced their ancestral faith after settling in these parts, and most of them had become Buddhists, and gradually started worshipping idols.
    Dr. Bernier, on the authority of a number of eminent scholars, states in his Travels that the Kashmiris in reality are the Jews who had migrated to this country during the political turmoil in the days of the king of Assur.
    In any case, it was incumbent upon Jesus to find out the whereabouts of the lost sheep, who had got mixed with the local people after coming to India.
    I shall presently produce evidence to prove that Jesus did in fact come to India and then, by stages, travelled to Kashmir, and discovered the lost sheep of Israel among Buddhists, who ultimately accepted him the way Jonah was accepted by his people. This was inevitable, for Jesus himself said in so many words that he had been sent to the lost sheep of Israel.”Pages 17-19 “Jesus in India”
    https://www.alislam.org/book/jesus-in-india/

    Right?
    Regards

    Reply
    1. Mark Burykin Avatar
      Mark Burykin

      Hello again Paarsurray,

      Who is Dr. Bernier? Never heard of him. Can you send me a link to his work. I guarantee you that he is NOT an eminent scholar. The lost tribe of Israel in India. I am not sure how you connect that one. What does that have anything to do with Salvation or the gospels. Learn the basic claims of Christianity. Learn the storyline of Jesus from the gospels. Read the old testament to learn what happens to Israel and exile. There are no lost tribes of Israel in Tibet. There might be lost jews in Tibet from long ago but not a lost tribe. Learn the Jewish history. Old Testament and New Testament books are historically provable and are the best ancient books you can find today. These are the sources most historians rely on to make a claim.

      The Jonah Parable: Please read the gospels and educate yourself on the storyline of Jesus. Not sure how the parable of Jonah would have any authority in dictating the storyline of Jesus from the gospels. Let me break it down to you. There is a book about the story of Jesus and there is a parable that Jesus uses in this book. The story clearly states Jesus dies and resurrects on the third day. But you propose that a parable (a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson) should be used to dictate and change the storyline of the book. No thanks.

      Reply

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