Does the Bible Say that Jesus Is God?
Throughout the Bible, there are numerous descriptions and titles for God. In the Hebrew Bible (known as the Old Testament or Tanakh), He gives Himself the covenant name, "Yahweh," which is derived from the Hebrew words for His self-described identity as "I Am," in past, present, and future tenses. For us to know and understand God, God uses specific language, performs specific functions and demonstrations, and refers to Himself with specific attributes and positions. Each description reveals a profound truth about His identity, will, and love.
In the New Testament, we discover the revelation of Yeshua (Jesus). Yeshua bears many names and titles (more on that is available here). As a Jewish man, His humanity was inherently obvious. Nevertheless, Yeshua was not just a human. He was and is God, incarnated into a human body, living a human life. The deity of Yeshua — that is, His divine nature — is the cornerstone of Biblical faith.
From Genesis through Revelation, the entire Bible presents a truth that was once considered to be shocking: There is only one true God. This truth is repeated throughout the Bible. Examples include Deuteronomy 4:35 and 6:4 and Psalm 86:10; "Yahweh is God; there is no other besides Him," "Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one," and "you alone are God," respectively. As such, Yeshua isn't to be thought of as another god or even a demigod. He isn't one of the gods, as there's only one God. Since Yeshua is God, He is the one true God, Yahweh.
Yeshua's deity is overtly stated in the Bible, but many of those statements can be missed by those unfamiliar with the Bible's descriptions of Yahweh. Here, we will outline many of the ways the Bible, especially the Old Testament, describes Yahweh and show how those same terms and functional roles were applied unreservedly to Yeshua by the writers of the Greek scriptures (the New Testament) after the human life, mortal death, and immortal resurrection of Yeshua. These declarations of Yeshua as Yahweh are exemplified by passages such as Ephesians 4:4-8:
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, 'WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE THE CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO PEOPLE.'"
The later sentence is a direct quote of Psalm 68:18, which states:
"When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious — that you, Yahweh God, might dwell there."
Clearly, the Apostle Paul, who wrote Ephesians, and the Church at Ephesus, who received and preserved this scripture, understood that Yeshua was Yahweh. They eagerly embraced the truth that the Psalm's description of Yahweh was a description of Christ.
In all of this, there's a simple truth: Yeshua is the one true God, Yahweh.
The "I Am"
Yahweh:
"God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.'" (Exodus 3:14a)
Yeshua:
"Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'" (John 8:58)
The Alpha and the Omega
Yahweh:
'"I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)
Yeshua:
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." (Revelation 22:13)
Note: The tetragrammaton, the Hebrew יהוה ("Yahweh"), was translated in the Greek Septuagint, Greek Dead Sea Scrolls, and elsewhere as "ιαω" (iota, alpha, omega) — long before the Book of Revelation was written.
The Great God
Yahweh:
"For Yahweh is a great God, and a great King above all gods." (Psalm 95:3)
Yeshua:
"... looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus." (John 1:3)
The One Who Was, Is, and Is to Come
Yahweh:
"'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)
Yeshua:
"... I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore..." (Revelation 1:18)
"Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done." (Revelation 22:12)
The One Who Comes Into the World
Yahweh:
"And Yahweh came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward." (Exodus 19:20)
"For behold, Yahweh is coming out of His place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth." (Micah 1:3)
Yeshua:
"She said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, and He who comes into the world.'" (John 11:27)
"No one has ascended into heaven except He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man." (John 3:13)
"When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, "Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." (John 6:14)
The Creator
Yahweh:
"Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, and the One who formed you from the womb, 'I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by myself and spreading out the earth all alone.'" (Isaiah 44:24)
Yeshua:
"Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made." (John 1:3)
"For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through Him and for Him." (Colossians 1:16)
The Shepherd
Yahweh:
"Yahweh is my Shepherd, I shall not want." (Psalm 23:1)
Yeshua:
"I am the Good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me." (John 10:14)
The Messianic Savior
Yahweh:
"In His days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which He will be called:
Yahweh Our Righteous Savior."
(Jeremiah 23:6)
Yeshua:
"And so the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'" (Luke 2:10-11)
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13)
The Father
Yahweh:
"But You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; You, Yahweh, are our Father, our redeemer from of old is Your name." (Isaiah 63:16)
"Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another by profaning the covenant of the fathers?" (Malachi 2:10)
Yeshua:
"For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
"And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son." (Revelation 21:6-7)
The Lord God
Yahweh:
"For Yahweh your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, Who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes." (Deuteronomy 10:17)
Yeshua:
"Thomas said to Him [Yeshua], 'My Lord and my God!'" (John 20:28)
The Lord of Lords
Yahweh:
"Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 136:3)
Yeshua:
"They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful." (Revelation 17:14)
The Judge
Yahweh:
"For Yahweh is our judge, Yahweh is our lawgiver, Yahweh is our king; it is He who will save us." (Isaiah 33:22)
Yeshua:
"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The One sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war." (Revelation 19:11)
The Forgiver of Sins
Yahweh:
"I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." (Isaiah 43:25)
The Rock
Yahweh:
"For I will proclaim the name of Yahweh; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He." (Deuteronomy 32:3-4)
Yeshua:
"They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 3-4)
The Atoner
Yahweh:
"When iniquities prevail against me, You atone for our transgressions." (Psalm 65:3)
Yeshua:
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
The Eternal King
Yahweh:
"Yahweh is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from His land." (Psalm 10:16)
Yeshua:
"Nathanael answered him, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!'" (John 1:49)
"... and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." (Luke 1:33)
The Healer
Yahweh:
"He said, 'If you listen carefully to Yahweh your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am Yahweh, who heals you.'" (Exodus 15:26)
Yeshua:
"And Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose." (Acts 9:34)
The Redeemer
Yahweh:
"I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22)
Yeshua:
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us ..." (Galatians 3:13a)
The Lamb
Yahweh:
"And Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering:' so they went both of them together." (Genesis 22:8)
Yeshua:
"And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!" (John 1:36)
The Giver of the Holy Spirit
Yahweh:
"I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Yahweh." (Ezekiel 39:29)
Yeshua:
"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about me." (John 15:26)
The Breather of the Holy Spirit
Yahweh:
"Then Yahweh God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath/Spirit of life; and the man became a living person." (Genesis 2:7)
Yeshua:
"And with that He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (John 20:22)
The Holy One
Yahweh:
"This is what Yahweh says — the Holy One of Israel and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question Me about My children, or give Me orders about the work of My hands?” (Isaiah 45:11)
Yeshua:
"'The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one Whom you handed over and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses." (Acts 3:13-15)
The Unchanging One
Yahweh:
"For I Yahweh do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." (Malachi 3:6)
Yeshua:
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
The Righteous One
Yahweh:
"Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, 'I have sinned this time; Yahweh is the Righteous One, and I and my people are the wicked ones." (Exodus 9:27)
Yeshua:
"And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear a message from His mouth. For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard.'" (Acts 22:14-15)
The Good One
Yahweh:
"And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to Yahweh, 'For He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.' And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised Yahweh, because the foundation of the house of Yahweh was laid. (Ezra 3:11).
Yeshua:
"And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.'" (Mark 10:18)
"I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me." (John 10:14)
The Light
Yahweh:
"Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
Yeshua:
"In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind.” (John 1:4)
The Resurrector
Yahweh:
"Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times, and called to Yahweh and said, 'Yahweh, my God, please, let this boy’s life return to him.' And Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah, and the life of the boy returned to him and he revived. Elijah then took the boy and brought him down from the upstairs room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, 'See, your son is alive.'" (1 Kings 17:21-23)
Yeshua:
"And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise!' And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother." (Luke 7:14-15)
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.'" (John 11:25)
The Truth
Yahweh:
"For the word of Yahweh is right and true; He is faithful in all He does." (Psalm 33:4)
Yeshua:
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6)
The Most High
Yahweh:
"For Yahweh Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth." (Psalm 47:2)
Yeshua:
"Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name." (Phillippians 2:9)
The One Greater Than the Temple
Yahweh:
"But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built." (2 Chronicles 6:18)
Yeshua:
"But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here." (Matthew 12:6)
The God With Us
Yahweh:
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
Yeshua:
"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name 'Immanuel,' which means, 'God with us.'" (Matthew 1:23)
"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20b)
The Sanctifier
Yahweh:
"Now as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You must keep My Sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you may know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.'" (Exodus 31:13)
Yeshua:
"So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood." (Hebrews 13:12)
The One on the Throne
Yahweh:
"But Yahweh sits enthroned forever; He has established His throne for justice." (Psalm 103:19)
Yeshua:
"No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him." (Revelation 22:3)
The First and Last
Yahweh:
"This is what Yahweh says — Israel’s King and Redeemer, Yahweh Almighty: I am the First and I am the Last; apart from me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)
Yeshua:
"When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.'" (Revelation 1:17)
The Death Overcomer
Yahweh:
"He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord Yahweh will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth; for Yahweh has spoken." (Isaiah 25:8)
Yeshua:
“And the Living One. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." (Revelation 1:18)
The One We Pray To
Yahweh:
"When the righteous cry for help, Yahweh hears and delivers them out of all their troubles." (Psalm 34:17)
Yeshua:
"They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!' Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them!' Having said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:59-60)
"Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)
The One Whose Name We Call Upon
Yahweh:
"And everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as Yahweh has promised, among the remnant called by Yahweh." (Joel 2:32)
Yeshua:
"To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours." (1 Corinthians 1:2)
"The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Romans 10:12b-13)
The Word
Yahweh:
"Now the Word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.' Then I said, 'Oh, Lord Yahweh!'" (Jeremiah 1:4-6a)
Yeshua:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1, 14)
The Covenant Maker
Yahweh:
"'The days are coming,' declares Yahweh, 'when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.'" (Jeremiah 31:31)
Yeshua:
"And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.'" (Luke 22:20)
The Commandment Giver
Yahweh:
"See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love Yahweh your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and Yahweh your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess." (Deuteronomy 30:15-16)
Yeshua:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
The Author of Life
Yahweh:
"But Yahweh said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.'" (Exodus 32:33)
Yeshua:
"And you killed the Author of Life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses." (Acts 3:15)
The Teacher
Yahweh:
"Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day long.” (Psalm 25:5)
Yeshua:
"You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am." (John 13:13)
The Sight Giver
Yahweh:
"Yahweh opens the eyes of those who are blind; Yahweh raises up those who are bowed down; Yahweh loves the righteous." (Psalm 146:8)
Yeshua:
"'What do you want Me to do for you?' 'Lord,' he said, 'let me see again.' 'Receive your sight!' Yeshua replied. 'Your faith has healed you.'" (Luke 18:42)
The Worshipped One
Yahweh:
"O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before Yahweh, our maker." (Psalm 95:6)
Yeshua:
"And behold, Jesus met them and said, 'Greetings!' And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him." (Matthew 28:9)
"Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.'" (Revelation 5:11-12)
The Giver of Hearing and Speech
Yahweh:
"But Yahweh said to him, 'Who has made the human mouth? Or who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?'" (Exodus 4:11)
Yeshua:
"And looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.' And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly." (Mark 7:34-35)
The Highest Authority in Heaven and Earth
Yahweh:
"By Myself I have sworn; from My mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance." (Isaiah 45:23)
Yeshua:
"For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phillippians 2:9-10)
The Angel of the Lord
Yahweh:
"Then the Angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not being consumed. ... When Yahweh saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.' (Genesis 3:2, 4)
Yeshua:
"I will send my Messenger [Angel], who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the Messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says Yahweh Almighty.'" (Malachi 3:1)
The Angel of the Lord
Yahweh:
"Then the Angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not being consumed. ... When Yahweh saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.' (Genesis 3:2, 4)
Yeshua:
"I will send my Messenger [Angel], who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the Messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says Yahweh Almighty.'" (Malachi 3:1)
The Husband
Yahweh:
"For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth He is called." (Isaiah 54:5)
Yeshua:
"For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:2)
"Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready." (Revelation 19:7)
We see here that the Old Testament's Yahweh and the New Testament's Yeshua share the same identities, attributes, accolades, and abilities. They are the same Being.
Due to the "Son of God" title being assigned to God's incarnate, human person (Yeshua) and God's heavenly title and co-existant identity as the "Father" of creation, some mistakenly assume that Yahweh and Yeshua are the names of two different dieties. Consequently, many have mistakenly believed that Yeshua is either a separate diety, merely a human, or an angelic being. Such beliefs are errantly unscriptural. There is only one God, one Creator, one Savior, one Lord, and one King. He is Yahweh. And Yeshua is Yahweh incarnate.
The Bible describes Yeshua plainly: He is the fullness of God, Yahweh, in human form (Colossians 2:9). Yeshua — Jesus Christ, to be clear — is the very same God that walked with Adam in Eden, befriended Abraham, gave Moses the Ten Commandments, made a covenant with King David, and told the prophets of His plans to redeem His people. He is the God who died, conquored death, and ascended to heaven.