People ask, “Why doesn’t Jesus spell out more plainly the fact that He is God?” While He does express His divinity plainly enough (e.g., John 8:58; 10:30), we often forget that Jesus carried out His ministry in constant threat of death (e.g., Matthew 12:14; John 5:18; John 8:59; 10:33). The authorities were looking for a sound bite they could use as evidence to prematurely end His ministry. And after just a few years, they succeeded.

While Jesus’ own words provide more than breadcrumbs that lead to the conclusion that He is God, the most definitive passage describing His divinity was written by His closest disciple in John 1:1-18. Consider what John writes about Him.

Jesus is the Word

Four times in this short passage, Jesus is called “the Word” (John 1:1, 14). The Jews treasured the Word of God above everything because their God spoke to them through the prophets and the Scriptures they recorded. But Jesus didn’t just bring a word from God the way a prophet would; He is the Word of God in that His life, death, and resurrection speak to humanity. When John says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), he’s saying that Jesus is God bringing us His message embodied in human form.

Jesus is God

People might still want to separate the words from the person, though. They might draw the conclusion that Jesus is some kind of living billboard but still less than God. So, John gets more explicit saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Word is somehow distinct from God while at the same time God Himself. This represents two-thirds of the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus isn’t just a word from God; He is God, the Word.

Jesus is the Creator

But even calling Jesus God might still leave some questions. Are we talking “God god” or just god? Is Jesus just some kind of junior deity like a super angel? Again, John doesn’t want us to have any doubt in our minds, so he says in v. 3: “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Jesus is the Creator. In perfect harmony with the Father, everything was made by Jesus (John 1:10; Colossians 1:16).

Jesus is the Saviour

As complete as this description seems, John won’t leave it without adding something essential. In John 1:4, he gives this statement of hope: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” When he says that Jesus has “life” in Him, he’s not just saying that Jesus has a pulse. Jesus possesses what makes life full and meaningful, and He offers it to us. It’s what Jesus often calls “eternal life” (e.g., Matthew 19:29; John 3:15-16; 4:14; 6:27). It’s that life that gives us light. Jesus can shine light into our darkness (John 8:12). And it all hinges on our response to Him. That’s John’s point in v. 12: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Prophets before Him told people to trust in God. Jesus told people to trust in Him. It’s through faith in Jesus that we become children of God and experience the life that we were created to enjoy.

If there’s any doubt in your mind that the Bible teaches that Jesus is God, give John 1:1-18 another read. And if there’s any doubt in your mind whether you believe the Bible’s message that Jesus is God, read John’s Gospel. He wrote it to convince you (John 20:31). He wrote it so that you might receive the life that Jesus came to give.

In awe of Him,

Paul