Jesus is the most popular and influential figure in human history. Nevertheless, His life and teachings are misunderstood by many. Some dismiss Him as a heretic and lunatic while some regard Him to be the very Son of God.

Though most believed that Jesus’s story is mainly found in the four Gospels and the New Testament, the shocking plain truth is that Jesus is revealed to be the God of the Old Testament as well. This is an important concept that you need to understand. Join us now as we explore the word of God.

Jesus existed prior to His human birth

There are different verses that prove Jesus’s existence before even the time begun. Here are some scriptures:

John 1:1-2: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

John 17:5: And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

John 17:24: Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Jesus: A man of God?

It is sad that even some Christian denominations and churches today regard Jesus as just a mere human being. However, the scripture clearly tells us about His divinity.

John 1:1-2: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This verse plainly explains that in the beginning, there are two Beings who are considered to be both God. These Two Beings are God the Father and the Word. But who is this Word? Reading further revealed who this Word is.

John 1:14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

In addition to this, Matthew also bear witness to the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:23: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Jesus, the Creator of all things

The Bible further proves Jesus as a Divine Being by identifying Him as the Creator of all things. Here are some Biblical proofs.

John 1:3: All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

The Apostle Paul, whom Jesus Himself taught (Galatians 1:13), also considered Jesus as the Creator of all things.

Ephesians 3:9: And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;

Colossians 1:16-17: For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Jesus claimed the title, I AM

Jesus claimed a title that is so profound that the Jews wanted to kill Him for it. When Jesus said that He is the I AM of the Old Testament, there was no question in the mind of the Jews what He was trying to say. They saw this claim as blasphemy worthy of death. Here’s the incident when Jesus claimed to be the I AM.

John 8:58: Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

This is just one occasion when Jesus claimed the title, I AM. You can read in John 8:24, 28; 13:19; 18: 5, 8. This is a clear indication that Jesus understood Himself to be the I AM. We might think that Jesus might have accidentally uttered this word, but He claimed this title not just once, twice, but, at least, FIVE times!

So what’s the big deal with I AM? The I AM of the Old Testament is the same title used by God to reveal Himself to Abraham.

Exodus 3:13-14: Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”

There’s no mistake. The God who talked to Abraham is the same God who later became Jesus Christ! This reveals that Jesus is truly the GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT!

When Jesus said that He is God, we need to believe that. If He lied, then He sinned. But the Bible tells us that He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15). Therefore, Jesus is telling the truth when He said He is God!

Jesus claimed to be the YHWH

Aside from the title, I AM, Jesus once again made a breathtaking statement: He is the YHWH in the Old Testament.

“I AM” is related to the Tetragrammaton YHWH. This title is so sacred that a devote Jew would not have the courage to say it. Both the I AM and YHWH means being absolutely timeless self-existence. Both of these titles convey the meanings of “The One Who Was, Is, and Always Will Be,” The One Who Always Exists,” and “The Eternal One”.

The YHWH is rendered in the Bible as small capital letters Lord. There are certain descriptions of YHWH in the Bible that have been also applied to Jesus. Here are some of them:

Jesus as the good Shepherd: compare John 10:11 to Psalms 23:1.

Jesus as the Judge of all nations: compare John 5:22, 27 to Joel 3:12.

Jesus as the Light of the world: compare John 8:12 to Isaiah 60:19.

Jesus as the Bridegroom: compare Matthew 25:1 to Isaiah 62:5 and Hosea 2:16.

Jesus as the First and the Last: compare Revelation 1:17 to Isaiah 62:5 and Hosea 2:16.

Jesus having the same eternal glory with God the Father: compare John 17:5 to Isaiah 42:8.

Notice that Isaiah 42:8 tells us that God will not give His glory to another unless that another is God as well. However, we see in John 17:5 that Jesus was saying God the Father is sharing His glory with Him. Therefore, we can conclude that Jesus is also God who is worthy to have the eternal glory.

By this time, there is really no question. Jesus is the YHWH of the Old Testament.

Jesus as “The Rock” of the Old Testament

Another clear proof that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament is the title given to Him as “The Rock”.

1 Corinthians 10:1-4: Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

No one has seen the Father

In the Old Testament, we have seen many instances where they have seen God (Genesis 17:1; Exodus 24:10-11; 26:24). Two examples are Abraham and Moses.

Genesis 12:7: Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Exodus 33:11: So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.

But who is this God whom they saw? Is it God the Father or the one who would later become Jesus Christ?

Exodus 33:20: But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

John 1:18: No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

In these verses, it is clear that no man can see God the Father and live. So how can we reconcile the verses that tell us Moses and the whole congregation saw God?

The simple answer is this: They did not see God the Father but JESUS CHRIST. Jesus can appear to man, not in His full glory. Since Jesus is the Mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5), He is able to directly communicate with men.

Final words

With all these being said, we have proven that Jesus Christ is indeed the God revealed in the Old Testament. So what is the role of God the Father then? This would be another good topic but for now, we must be willing to accept the clear fact that Jesus is more than a man.

For us, Christians, knowing more about Jesus will help us to be closer to Him and God the Father. This gives us more ideas on how to appreciate the power and glory of God. I hope this knowledge and the recognition of Christ’s divinity will motivate us to really serve and love them will all our hearts, mind, and strength.