Jesus Never Claimed to be God, Part 3 || John Pesebre || Kaliwanagan Kay Kristo (Aug 29, 2017)

Listen to 702 DZAS Kaliwanagan Kay Kristo (a segment of Tanglaw sa Landas ng Buhay of Back to the Bible Philippines) every Tuesday and Thursday 7:00PM. 

Tuloy pa rin natin ngayon ang tugon sa argument na "Jesus is not God, because he never claimed He is God."

Observation ni Alisa Childers ng Mama Bear Apologetics,

• One of the most common objections skeptics raise to the deity of Christ is the idea that Jesus never actually claimed to be God. Sure the church ended up worshiping Him as such, but this was a later development that was projected onto Jesus but wasn't something He intended to claim for Himself....or so the argument goes.*

Childers adds,

• If you are expecting to find a Bible verse in which Jesus stands on the Mount of Olives and proclaims in English, and every other known language, "I am God!" You won't find it. He actually did one better

One of those "He actually did one better" is John 8:58 "before Abraham was, I am" -- not I was, but "I AM."

While having a heated argument with some Judeans about their relationship to Abraham, they asked Jesus in verse 53 of chapter 8, "Who do you think you are?"

Jesus was engaged sa isang pagtatalo sa mga Hudyo na sinasabihan Siyang sinaniban ng demonyo. Tugon dito ni Kristo,

• I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.

Kinamuhian ito lalo ng mga Hudyo at nakapagsabi sila na na itong last na sinabi ni Kristo ay patunay na may sanib talaga siya kasi itong pangako ni Kristo na hindi makakatikim ng kamatayan yung mga sumusunod sa kanya ay nagmamataas Siya kay Abraham at mga propeta na namatay din nga.

Alam ng Panginoon na inaantay lamang ng mga Hudyo na siya ay magbitiw ng pananalita na magmamataas siya kay Abraham at mga propeta. Hindi daw ito gagawin ni Kristo kasi hindi niya gino-glorify ang sarili niya dahil ang maggo-glorify sa Kanya ay ang Ama.

• If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.

At dahil siguro sa hindi na makapagpigil ang mga Hudyo sa ngitngit sa sagot na ito ni Kristo na tila baga hindi lang siya mataas kay Abraham at sa propeta, but tila baga pati ang Ama sa langit ay luluwalhatiin Siya, the Jews went for the kill question: "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”

This they ask kasi ina-isolate nila yung idea ng humanity ng Panginoon sa kanyang tila baga napakataas na mala-diyos na claim sa sarili niya. "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”

Kaya naman binanggit sa kanila ng Panginoon ang isang pangungusap na naging dahilan para dumampot sila ng bato para patayin si Kristo --

Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. 

This is Jesus' most explicit claim to deity. 

Had Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I WAS" the idea of a deity would still be there and I think the Jews would still mug him kasi nagmamataas siya kay Abraham. At dahil na rin sa mga naunang sinabi ni Kristo, the idea of deity sa Kanya is already building up. Pero sabi niya I AM.

Rewind over a thousand years to Exodus 3, where we find Moses standing face to face with a bush engulfed in flames. From within the bush, God calls Moses and unmistakably identifies Himself: "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses asks for God's actual name, God answers, "Say this to the people of Israel: ‘ I AM has sent me to you.'"

Jesus identified Himself as "I AM," He was not only claiming to be God, but the very God of the Old Testament: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Of course, the Jews understood exactly what He was claiming, and once again, picked up stones to execute Him for blasphemy. 

Jesus was an intentional and articulate communicator and there was no ambiguous language in His claims to deity. The people to whom he was speaking were not confused—they got the message.

(C) Photo Credit. The highlighted portion ng Hebrew text sa taas ay galing sa Exodus 3:14 nag nagsasabi na "I AM WHO I AM"

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* Alisa Childers, "But Jesus Never CLAIMED to be God? Actually, He Did—3 Times"