Did Jesus claim equality with his Father?

[placebofactor]

Did Jesus claim equality with his Father?

It was the day before the cross. In Matthew 26, Jesus is confronted by the Chief priests and elders of the temple. Jesus asserted that he was the “Son of man” that is, literally man; and that he was the Son of God, that is, literally God, as the Jews understood it; and that he would be seen sitting on the right hand of power.” The phrase “Son of God” can be understood in three ways. First, by simple origin, secondly by general likeness, and thirdly, by identity of nature with the Father?

In the Jewish court of law, the Jews understood Jesus to mean “Identity of nature with the Father.” In this sense, for a man to call himself the Son of God would be gross blasphemy. He confirmed to them in the belief that he claimed identity of nature with his Father. It is also evident that he meant to assert his own Supreme Godhead.

On another occasion, Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” Two important questions need to be asked: what impression did his comments make upon the Jewish hearers? and what idea did he convey to them?

Their indignation was so aroused that they “took up stones to stone him.” Jesus understood what was meant by their action; for the blasphemer, according to law, was to be stoned; yet he asked them why. They said, “Because you being a man make yourself God.” This was the impression Jesus words had made on the high priest and elders of the temple.

Did Jesus correct them? No, he did not. In John 5:18, “The Jews sought the more to kill him, because he had not only broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” Jesus never denied this. He said in John 5:23, “that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father which hath sent him.”

Jesus denied none of these things. He left upon their minds the burning impression that he claimed to be the eternal God. He could have denied it but did not. They announced to him, that he would be stoned for his blasphemous claims, yet he said nothing.

[placebofactor]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #7]

1. Nowhere in the synoptic Gospels (the first Gospels to be written: Matthew, Mark, and Luke) do the family, friends, disciples (or enemies) of Jesus say anything even hinting that they thought he was God (or that he was teaching or claiming that he was God). That such essential new information (if true) should be ignored completely is impossible to believe. Compare all the times Jesus is called the Christ or Messiah. Since these were written many years before the fourth Gospel, they should show the most important news about Jesus: information which is essential for his followers to know.

2. Those Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus dead could have merely said that he claimed to be God (an automatic death sentence). But, although they condemned him to death because he claimed to be the Messiah, they never accused him of being God in the Synoptic Gospels. They even hired false witnesses to lie about him, but even those false witnesses did not accuse Jesus of claiming to be God. - Matthew 26:59 -63.

Sure, they did, that's why they wanted to stone him to death. Your problem is that you bring this whole incident into today's thinking; you cannot do that. You need to take yourself back 2000 years when the government of Israel was religious, temple sacrifices were taking place, and the Jews, including Jesus, were under the law. As far as the priests were concerned, Jesus, by not denying he was the Son of God, put himself in the position of claiming to be equal with his Father. This was blasphemy according to the law, and his sentence was death. If this was not what Jesus was claiming, he would have corrected them, but he said nothing. Why? because they knew who he was, and they feared him.

The High Priest of the Temple, Caiaphas, knew who Jesus was; he witnessed his miraculous works. John 18:14, "Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man (Jesus) should die for the people." Caiaphas was as bad as Judas, he betrayed his own Savior, King, and high Priest.

[tygger2]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #11]

Jesus before the High Priest

57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end. 59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ” 62 The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 63 But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,

From now on you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of Power
and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
NRSV

[placebofactor]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #11]

Jesus before the High Priest

57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end. 59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ” 62 The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 63 But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,

From now on you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of Power
and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
NRSV

There you go changing the subject and those involved. We're not talking about Peter, or false witnesses, we're speaking to the accusations the High Priest directed against the Lord, and that the Lord did not correct him and say, "Oh no, Mr. High Priest, I didn't mean that!" Jesus revealed the Father's will to the Jews, and they didn't like it. The Father's will was, tell these Jewish leaders that you are the Son of God. In their law, to claim to be the Son of God makes you equal in authority to me. They won't like it, and they will bring you to trial and kill you." And Jesus came to do the Father's will, and he fulfilled his mission. Also, Jesus said to the Jews, "When you see me, you have seen the Father." I and the Father are One." This was the Father's will, not the Watchtowers, yours or mine.

Jesus said, Now please read carefully: Don't change the subject, and don't add any words like '(all other things)'. "ALL THINGS THAT THE FATHER HAS ARE MINE: THEREFORE SAID I, THAT HE (THE FATHER) SHALL TAKE OF MINE, AND SHALL SHOW IT UNTO YOU." How did the Father accomplish that?

John 14:26, Jesus said, 'But when the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, HE shall teach you all things,"

[Capbook]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #7]

1. Nowhere in the synoptic Gospels (the first Gospels to be written: Matthew, Mark, and Luke) do the family, friends, disciples (or enemies) of Jesus say anything even hinting that they thought he was God (or that he was teaching or claiming that he was God). That such essential new information (if true) should be ignored completely is impossible to believe. Compare all the times Jesus is called the Christ or Messiah. Since these were written many years before the fourth Gospel, they should show the most important news about Jesus: information which is essential for his followers to know.

2. Those Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus dead could have merely said that he claimed to be God (an automatic death sentence). But, although they condemned him to death because he claimed to be the Messiah, they never accused him of being God in the Synoptic Gospels. They even hired false witnesses to lie about him, but even those false witnesses did not accuse Jesus of claiming to be God. - Matthew 26:59 -63.

Why exclude the fourth Gospel?
The synoptic Gospels though did not described Jesus as God but they do contain verses and narratives that imply Jesus' divinity through His actions, claims, and the way others respond to Him. One include His authority to forgive sins.
Where Jewish leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy as God alone can forgive sins.

Mrk 2:5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, *said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mrk 2:6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts,
Mrk 2:7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?”

[placebofactor]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #7]

1. Nowhere in the synoptic Gospels (the first Gospels to be written: Matthew, Mark, and Luke) do the family, friends, disciples (or enemies) of Jesus say anything even hinting that they thought he was God (or that he was teaching or claiming that he was God). That such essential new information (if true) should be ignored completely is impossible to believe. Compare all the times Jesus is called the Christ or Messiah. Since these were written many years before the fourth Gospel, they should show the most important news about Jesus: information which is essential for his followers to know.

2. Those Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus dead could have merely said that he claimed to be God (an automatic death sentence). But, although they condemned him to death because he claimed to be the Messiah, they never accused him of being God in the Synoptic Gospels. They even hired false witnesses to lie about him, but even those false witnesses did not accuse Jesus of claiming to be God. - Matthew 26:59 -63.

Why exclude the fourth Gospel?
The synoptic Gospels though did not described Jesus as God but they do contain verses and narratives that imply Jesus' divinity through His actions, claims, and the way others respond to Him. One include His authority to forgive sins.
Where Jewish leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy as God alone can forgive sins.

Mrk 2:5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, *said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mrk 2:6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts,
Mrk 2:7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?”

Matthew was written in 60 A.D. Mark was written in 65 or 70 A.D., and Luke was written before the time of Nero's persecution in 64 A.D. The book of John was written after the book of Revelation in 96 A.D. What John revealed in his book was from his being a witness to the book of Revelation. He saw things no other man had ever seen. When he reported in his gospel what he saw in Revelation, it was unknown to the world.

Revelation 19:12, He sees Jesus , his "eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. --- and his name is called "THE WORD OF GOD."

A few years later, John reports in his gospel what he witnessed in the book of Revelation. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John saw things in heaven, then reported them in the gospel of John. Only now did the world know the true identity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And because the Watchtower follows the Arian heresy, they changed John 1:1, just like they changed Colossians 1:16, Revelation 1:1, and Hebrews 1:8. Shame on the Watchtower for deceiving and causing confusion in the body of believers.

Revelation 22:18-19, "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life,"

[onewithhim]

[Replying to placebofactor in post #7]

1. Nowhere in the synoptic Gospels (the first Gospels to be written: Matthew, Mark, and Luke) do the family, friends, disciples (or enemies) of Jesus say anything even hinting that they thought he was God (or that he was teaching or claiming that he was God). That such essential new information (if true) should be ignored completely is impossible to believe. Compare all the times Jesus is called the Christ or Messiah. Since these were written many years before the fourth Gospel, they should show the most important news about Jesus: information which is essential for his followers to know.

2. Those Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus dead could have merely said that he claimed to be God (an automatic death sentence). But, although they condemned him to death because he claimed to be the Messiah, they never accused him of being God in the Synoptic Gospels. They even hired false witnesses to lie about him, but even those false witnesses did not accuse Jesus of claiming to be God. - Matthew 26:59 -63.

Why exclude the fourth Gospel?
The synoptic Gospels though did not described Jesus as God but they do contain verses and narratives that imply Jesus' divinity through His actions, claims, and the way others respond to Him. One include His authority to forgive sins.
Where Jewish leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy as God alone can forgive sins.

Mrk 2:5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, *said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mrk 2:6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts,
Mrk 2:7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?”

Simply, God GAVE Jesus the power and authority that Jesus had. Jesus' actions, claims and the way others respond to him show that he was sent from God and God had given him the power to do many things. Why would you conclude that Jesus is God when he gave all the glory to his Father, and thanked Him for sending him and for giving him power to show that God is the one who is behind all the power that Jesus had demonstrated?

When they removed the stone where Lazarus was laid, Jesus said to his Father: "Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that you sent me.'" (John 11:41,42, NASB) Then he proceeded to use Jehovah's power to raise Lazarus, demonstrating what Jehovah had given him the ability to do.

Jesus said, showing his subservience to the Father: ..."The Son can do nothing of himself, unless it is something he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner."

[tygger2]

[Replying to onewithhim in post #16]

Capbook wrote: "Why exclude the fourth Gospel?"
..........................................................................
Because for many years the Synoptics were the Gospel teachings for Christians before the 4th Gospel was written. How could we possibly believe that this most important knowledge (if true) was not being clearly and loudly and repeatedly taught from the beginning?