HOW DOES THE LORD JESUS COME TO BE GOD?

HOW DOES THE LORD JESUS COME TO BE GOD?

It is appropriate that we now take another step toward deeper understanding by carefully examining this important question. It is a question that has confused many people in the world of faith: How does Jesus become God?

Clearly, this question seeks to understand the origin and basis of Jesus' divine authority. Many people assume that because Jesus appeared in human form, He must have originated from this earthly world.

To answer this question properly, we must first understand the origin and nature of Jesus. Only then can we gain a clearer understanding of the truth concerning His deity.

The Origin of Jesus

One of the greatest reasons for the opposition of the Pharisees and many Jews to the deity of Christ was their misunderstanding of His origin.

Many Jews focused solely on Jesus' human appearance and His earthly birth through Mary. As a result, they said:

John 6:42

'Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, "I have come down from heaven"?'

Their argument was based on the assumption that because Jesus was born of Mary and known as Joseph's son, His origin must be earthly. Consequently, they rejected His claim of having come from heaven.

Likewise, when Jesus declared His eternal existence, they objected:

John 8:56–58

'Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; he saw it and was glad.' The Jews replied, 'You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?' Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'

Again, they rejected His statement because they judged Him only according to His human age. They failed to recognize His eternal existence before Abraham.

In my view, the fundamental problem with those who deny Christ's deity is not His humanity or His birth through Mary. Rather, it is their failure to acknowledge His existence before His incarnation.

Where Did Jesus Originate?

Jesus repeatedly taught the Jews about His true origin.

John 8:23

'You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.'

John 6:62

'What then if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?'

In both passages Jesus plainly declares that His existence preceded His earthly life. Before becoming man through Mary, He already existed in heaven.

The Foundation of Christ's Divine Authority

Understanding Jesus' heavenly origin naturally leads to understanding His divine authority.

Although He was born through Mary, His birth was not the beginning of His existence. Rather, His incarnation served as the means by which He entered human history while veiling His divine glory.

Furthermore, His birth itself was entirely unique.

Matthew 1:18

'Before Mary and Joseph came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.'

Unlike every other human birth, Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit rather than through ordinary human reproduction.

Even the Qur'an describes normal human creation as proceeding through human reproductive processes.

Qur'an 22:5 speaks of mankind being created through the reproductive seed after Adam's creation from dust.

Thus, according to both science and ordinary human experience, human life normally results from the union of male and female reproductive cells. This ordinary biological process did not occur in the conception of Jesus.

His miraculous birth therefore raises profound questions concerning His identity and authority.

The Word Who Was God

The clearest biblical explanation is found in the Gospel of John.

John 1:1–2

'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.'

John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, identifies Jesus as the eternal Word who existed with God before creation and who Himself was God.

Later John explains:

John 1:14

'The Word became flesh and dwelt among us...'

This verse identifies the Word as Jesus Christ, who became human while retaining His divine identity.

Jesus Himself confirmed this truth.

John 17:5

'And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.'

Jesus declared that He shared glory with the Father before creation itself.

Likewise,

John 10:30–33

'I and the Father are one.'

The Jews immediately attempted to stone Him because they understood that He was claiming equality with God.

The climax of John's testimony is unmistakable:

John 1:1

'The Word was God.'

John explicitly affirms that before His incarnation Jesus possessed full divine authority.

Responding to a Common Objection

Some critics argue that John 1:1 is comparable to saying:

'In the beginning was a chair, and the chair was with the carpenter, and the chair was the carpenter.'

However, this analogy is fundamentally flawed because it compares two unlike realities.

A chair and a carpenter are different kinds of beings. By contrast, the Word and God share the same divine nature.

A more appropriate analogy would be:

'In the beginning was the chair, and the chair was with the tree, and the chair was the tree.'

This better reflects the relationship because a chair derives its very nature from the tree.

Likewise, according to the Gospel of John, the Word is inseparable from God because He shares the same divine essence.

Therefore, Jesus' divine authority is not something He later acquired. According to Scripture, it belongs to His eternal nature.

Shalom

Dr. Maxwell Shimba