Jesus is The First and The Last

 

A central question in discussions with Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and Muslims is whether Jesus is God.  Here is some evidence that he is.

JESUS IS THE FIRST AND THE LAST

In the book of Isaiah, Yahweh/Jehovah says he is "the First and the Last":

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel

and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:

“I AM THE FIRST and I AM THE LAST;

besides me there is no god. 

Isaiah 44:6

Christ says the same of himself:

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am THE FIRST and THE LAST, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 

Revelation 1:17-18

(See also Revelation 2:8, 22:12-16.)

The person here speaking is Jesus. The speaker say he was dead and is alive forevermore.  Now, though some have been raised from the dead, Jesus is the ONLY ONE who was raised and is alive FOREVERMORE.  

Another way we know it is Jesus talking here, is in Revelation 1:12-16.  Here, as John turns around to see who is speaking, he sees the "Son of Man".  Jesus identifies as the Son of Man all throughout the gospels. E.g. in Mark 13:26 and Mark 14:62, where Jesus identifies as the one spoken of in Daniel 7:13-14.

(Note: God's name is not "Jehovah God" as the Jehovah's Witnesses like to insist but Yahweh.  "Jehovah" is an imperfect anglicization.)

THERE IS ONLY ONE "FIRST AND THE LAST"

Since "the First and the Last" is the LORD himself, there is only one such being.   God does not share his glory with anybody:

I am the Lord; that is my name;

MY GLORY I GIVE TO NO OTHER,

nor my praise to carved idols. 

Isaiah 42:8

If Jesus is this "First and the Last", he can be no other than God himself.  

THE FIRST AND THE LAST IS CREATOR

Some claim that Jesus is only the first of creation.  Is it possible for the term "the First and the Last" in Revelation 1 to refer to a creation?   No.  The term means that none is formed before Him nor none exist after Him:

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,

“and my servant whom I have chosen,

that you may know and believe me

and understand that I am he.

BEFORE ME NO GOD WAS FORMED,

NORE SHALL THERE BE ANY AFTER ME.

11 I, I am the Lord,

and besides me there is no savior. 

Isaiah 43:10-11

Isaiah 41:4 explains further who "the First and the Last" is:

Who has performed and done this,

calling the generations from the beginning?

I, the Lord, THE FIRST,

and with THE LAST; I am he. 

Isaiah 41:4

The LORD called the first of generations, and he will be there until the last of generations.  He must have pre-existed the first of generations in order to be able to call them.  

Nowhere in scripture is the title bearer of "the First and the Last" a creation.  Instead, the title bearer is uncreated.  He is the creator, the being who created the heavens and the earth:

“Listen to me, O Jacob,

and Israel, whom I called!

I am he; I AM THE FIRST,

and I AM THE LAST.

13 My hand LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH,

and my right hand SPREAD OUT THE HEAVENS;

when I call to them,

they stand forth together. 

Isaiah 48:12-13

Sometimes in the Bible, demons or angels are referred to as gods.  E.g. Satan is the god of this world.  The above verses make it clear that we are talking about not a god but God the creator.

JESUS IS MIGHTY GOD AND ETERNAL FATHER

In the famous prophecy of Jesus' birth, Isaiah 9:6 uses the Hebrew El Gibor for Mighty God.  Is this the Almighty God, or just a mighty God?:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Isaiah 9:6

That the term Mighty God refers to Yahweh is seen in the next chapter of Isaiah.  Here it says Yahweh is the Mighty God, using the same term El Gibor in the Hebrew.  That the one that a remnant of Israel will lean on is the one that they will return to:

In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on THE LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the MIGHTY GOD. 

Isaiah 10:20-21

"Eternal Father" is a divine title; it is a reference to our Eternal Father.  Wonderful Counsellor is another divine title in Isaiah 9:6, for only God is called Wonderful.

JESUS IS GOD REVEALED

God revealed himself in the Old Testament through theophanies.   

Now, 1 Timothy 1:17 says God is invisible.   John 4:24 says that God is Spirit; spirit is invisible.  Exodus 33:20 says you cannot see God and live.  But God has revealed himself to man in a human way.  Examples:

• Genesis 17:1 says God showed himself to Abraham.  
• Genesis 18:1 says Yahweh appeared to Abraham, as three men (c.f. Genesis 18:1-4).  Jacob bowed before them and referred to them as My Lord ("Adon" in the Hebrew).
• In Genesis 32:24, God wrestled with Jacob as a man.  
• In Genesis 32:30, Jacob saw God face-to-face.
• In Exodus 34, Yahweh came down in the cloud.  

The most significant theophany is Jesus.  In John 1:18 it says, "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known".

JESUS IS THE "I AM"

Jesus declared himself as God, in a way that was very clear to the Jews.

In John 8:56, "Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. HE SAW IT AND WAS GLAD." Abraham saw Jesus.  In John 8:58, Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (in the Greek, "eigo eimi"), identifying himself in the way God revealed himself in Exodus 3:13-14.  Jesus identified himself as God title "I am" and the Jews went to stone him.  

(Jehovah's Witnesses might not see the clear identification as God here. Their New World Translation obscures it; it says instead "I Will Become What I Choose to Become".)

IS THE FATHER GREATER THAN THE SON?

In John 5:22-23, 27, the Father judges no-one but has given all judgment to the Son.  A Jehovah's Witness might say that since the Father had the authority originally, he is greater.  The Father IS greater than the Son, though not in essence but in rank or position.  

This point can be illustrated by the example of marriage.  Here, husband and wife are equal in value and essence.  However in 1 Corinthians 11:3 and Ephesians 5:23, the husband is the head of the wife.  In a Christian marriage, one is leader, the other a follower.  One has greater authority in a Christian marriage.  The Father is equal in essence to the Son but greater in authority.

TRINITY IS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: THE WORD OF THE LORD

John 1:1 has been famously mis-translated in the Jehovah's Witness New World translation.  Their translation does not say "the Word was God" but "the Word was a God".  The indefinite article "a" has been artificially added.  The Greek here says "theos en ho logos" (literally, God was the Word).  This can even be seen in the Interlinear on the Jehovah's Witnesses website HERE.  

Jesus is identified as the Word in John 1:14.

The Word or Logos is not a Greek New Testament innovation.  All over the Old Testament, the word of the Lord is mentioned.  It refers to Yahweh.  In Genesis 15:1-3, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision.  (That is, Abram saw the word of the LORD.)  In verses 4-7, the word of the LORD identifies as the LORD.  The word of the Lord and the Lord are used interchangeably.  Other examples:

• 1 Samuel 3:1-7, the word of the Lord was revealed to Samuel; the word of the Lord not yet revealed to Him before this time
• 1 Samuel 3:10, the Lord came and stood in front of Samuel
• 1 Samuel 3:21, "The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word."
• In 2 Samuel 12:9, "Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes?".
• In 1 Kings 13:9, "For I was commanded by the word of the Lord".
• In Jeremiah 1:4-7, "The word of the Lord came to him".  
• In Jeremiah 1:9, "the Lord reached out his hand and touched [Jeremiah's] mouth".
• In the same chapter, "The word of the Lord came to me" is mentioned twice (in Jeremiah 1:11,13).

The Word becoming flesh is such an important theophany.  It is an appearing of Yahweh as God the Son, our Savior who bled for us.

(The above teaching is based on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJPxuEXvkmk)

Is Jesus God in the Bible?

The biggest Muslim objection to Christianity is over whether Jesus is God.  Muslims may object with the challenge: 'where does Jesus says, "I am God, worship me"?'  How do we answer this?

Jesus is portrayed differently in the Bible to that in the Qur'an.  In John 17:1, Jesus calls God the Father, yet the Qur'an denies bother the sonship of Jesus and the fatherhood of God.  In the gospels, Jesus is sent by God:

"And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John 17:3 ESV

In the Qur'an, Jesus too is sent as a messenger.  Yet the Qur'an denies Jesus as the source of eternal life.

Say the Words "I am God"

If you are ever asked show where Jesus says "I am God, worship me", you are not being asked what you think.  The question is actually a trap, designed to show that you lack logical reasoning skills.  If you give an answer without quoting the exact words, a Muslim will say that you haven't answer the question. Throw the same question back to the Muslim.  Muslims believe that Jesus is a Messiah, that he is the virgin-born son of Mary, that he is a word from Allah and a spirit from Him.  This is taught in Qur'an 4:171.  But Jesus is never quoted as saying these things in the exact words.  Nowhere in the Qur'an is Jesus quoted as saying "I am the Messiah" nor "I am a Word from Allah directed to Mary" nor "I am a Spirit from Allah".  You can safely promise to the Muslim shows you in the Qur'an where Jesus says these things in exact words, that you will convert to Islam!  The facts are taught in the Qur'an, but nowhere is there an exact quote of Jesus saying them.
Why didn't Jesus simply say that he was God?  His words on this may not have been recorded, for Jesus said and did many things that are not written down (John 20:31-32, John 21:24-25).  More likely, Jesus did say it, but not in the way a Muslim would expect.  Since his main audience was Jews, he probably communicated in a manner that Jews would understand.

How Not to Prove His Divinity

There are many arguments for Christ's divinity that are not adequate.  One may be tempted to quote the Bible where Jesus says, "I and the Father are one", or "whoever sees me sees the Father", or "before Abraham was born, I am" (a reference to the Old Testament "I am").  There are many arguments that seem persuasive but can easily be shot down.  Several arguments not to use:

Jesus was worshipped, but this does not prove his divinity.   In John 9:35-38, a man worshipped Jesus after being healed from blindness, but not as God but 'Son of God'. This is not good enough, since King David was worshipped as a god in 1 Chronicles 29:20. 

Jesus performed many miracles, but this does not prove his divinity.  In the Old Testament, Elijah and Elisha performed miracles of raising the dead and multiplying food, just as Jesus did.  Many unitarians will bring up this point.

In the revelation of Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:8, the speaker claims to be the Alpha and Omega.  This does not mean it was Jesus who was speaking in this verse. It may have been God the Father.

Jesus is given a seat at God's right hand in Mark 14:62:

"And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." " Mark 14:62 ESV

This is an important passage, so it will be picked up again below.  Yet, on its own, this passage does not show that Jesus is God.  That Jesus 'was given' a seat in heaven may imply he was inferior in authority to God, and possibly a subordinate deity.  The true God should have the authority to choose his own seat in heaven.

A Seat at God's Right Hand

In Psalm 110 and Daniel 7 are prophecies about the Messiah being exalted to God's right hand.  In Daniel 7:13-14, the Son of Man is described as approaching the 'Ancient of Days' (a name for God). The Son of Man is given dominion, glory and a kingdom in which all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.  In Psalm 110:1, David's Lord is asked to sit at God's right hand of power, having been enthroned to rule.  This Lord is identified as Jesus:

"The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." " Psalms 110:1 ESV

These prophecies describe Jesus' exaltation after he was humbled on the cross.  In one of the most the famous prophecies about Jesus, Isaiah 52:13-53:12, the servant is lifted up and exalted in status:

"Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted." Isaiah 52:13 ESV

 For what reason did Jesus have to be exalted?  He had humbled himself, taking the role of a servant.

Jesus Humbled as a Servant

Jesus voluntarily humbled himself to assume the status as a servant.  It says that Jesus lowered his status in the gospels.  

Matthew 12:17-21 says that Jesus is a servant to the Father.  In Luke, Jesus describes himself as one who lowers himself as a servant to men, through washing the feet of his disciples:

"For who is greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves." Luke 22:27 ESV

In Mark, Jesus, referring to himself as the Son of Man, identifies himself as a servant:

" "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." " Mark 10:45 ESV

So according to Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus is a servant to both the Father and mankind.  This picture of Jesus is corroborated in the gospel of John.  In John 13:3-17, Jesus assumed the lowly status of a household servant by washing dirty feet of his disciples, and he said:

"If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet ...Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him." John 13:14,16 ESV

If Jesus had the status of a servant, how could he be king?  For the gospels say he was a king. Jesus' Kingdom is God's Kingdom

Jesus tells us he is a king, but that his kingdom is not one of this world:

"Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." " John 18:36 ESV

Jesus' kingdom must be heaven.  Yet how could this be?  Yahweh is the only king of heaven. Jesus' Right to Rule with God

The only one way Jesus could be sitting with Yahweh, is if he is worthy for the position.  All the host of heaven stand to the right and to the left of Yahweh, and are not worthy to sit on his throne:

"And Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; " 1 Kings 22:19 ESV

If Jesus was merely a creature, why would he be allowed to sit on the throne with God?  Yet in the book of Psalms, David's Lord, Jesus, sits with Yahweh on high at His right side (Psalm 110:1).

Now, there is no one like our God Yahweh.  Mistaking anyone for Him is out of the question, for His identity is undeniable as shown in the following rhetorical question:

"Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high," Psalms 113:5 ESV

Yahweh is sitting on his throne is in heaven, and he sees the actions of men:

"The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord 's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man." Psalms 11:4 ESV

"He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision." Psalms 2:4 ESV

Summarizing, there is only one Lord, he is in heaven, and only he sits on the throne.  All the heavenly host are standing.  Further, the entire heavens belong to Yahweh:

"The heavens are the Lord 's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man." Psalms 115:16 ESV

"The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all." Psalms 103:19 ESV

How can a creature be allowed to share the throne with Yahweh in heaven, when the Bible is clear that the heavens belongs to Yahweh and there is no one like him who sits on heaven's throne?  How is it possible for him to do all this if he is not in fact God? Jesus, the Son of Man, is the Son of God

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John show that Jesus set aside His kingdom and kingdom prerogatives, privileges and honour.  The same Jesus testifies that he is the Son of God who is the heir of the Father and whose heavenly kingdom also belongs to Him. It is written that the Son of Man has a kingdom and angels and authority over them.  The kingdom is also the Father's kingdom, and will be shared with the righteous believers:

"The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, ... Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." Matthew 13:41‭,43 ESV 

But who is the Son of Man?  It says in the next passage that He comes in the glory of his Father.  That is to say, the Son of Man is the Son of God:

"For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.  Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." " Matthew 16:27‭-‬28 ESV

Jesus the Son of Man is coming back to judge.  He will reward each of us according to our works.  When Christ comes, God's kingdom will be established. Addressing Unitarians, Showing Islam is False

If Jesus is God, why did he need to be given kingly power and authority?  Why did Jesus need to receive kingly authority?  If he is God, didn't he already possess it?  The answer is that he became a servant on earth and set aside his kingly title, privilege and glory to accomplish God's will. To fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 42:1-4, Jesus became a servant of the Father:  

"Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased..." Matthew 12:18 ESV

How can God entrust his sovereignty to a creature?  How can a creature oversee the entire creation?  Why would God share his authority over His creation with a creature?  The entire creation was made subject to him including Mohammad and all Muslims:

"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." " Matthew 28:18‭-‬20 ESV

The answer from this passage is that Jesus is no creature but God.  Since Jesus is personally present with all of his believers, he is omnipresent.  Since he knows where they are and where they are going, he is omniscient.  Since he guarantees the inevitable success of the Great Commission, he is omnipotent.  Critically, Matthew 28:19 says the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit all possess the same name.  This is a big statement.  Biblically, a "name" refers not only to the name of a person and but also his character.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit then share the same character.  When baptized, we come equally under the headship of all three.  This verse is a powerful witness to the essential equality of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A challenge the Muslim to prove the truth of their equality is to say "in the name of Allah, the messenger of Allah and the angel Gabriel".  No creature can claim to be united with God. Matthew 28:19 directly contradicts the Qur'an:

"the One to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and who did neither have a son, nor is there any partner to him in the Kingdom, and who has created everything and designed it in a perfect measure."  Qur'an 25:2, Mufti Taqi Usmani

This verse claims that Allah, who has the authority of heavens and earth, has no son.  The gospels instead show us that Jesus is the Son of God, and shares God's authority over heaven and earth.   Yet Jesus is Not the Father As said in the gospel of John, Jesus said many things that are not recorded in the gospels.  He may have said "I am God" and it simply was not recorded. Yet to a first century Jew, the term "God" would refer to the Father in Heaven.  To claim "I am God" then equates you to the Father.  If Jesus was precise in his communication this is something that he would not have wanted, for it is not accurate.   Unitarians should understand this concept.  To the Jehovah's Witness, to say "Jesus is God" equates Jesus with Jehovah.  To say "Jesus is Allah" is confusing to the Muslim, since Jesus was sent by Allah.  If Jesus is Allah, then Jesus sent himself.   Jesus is not the Father, he is the Son of God. (Credit for the above argument goes to Sam Shamoun.  It was taken from his video "The Question Christian Prince Cannot Answer".)