“Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!” Jesus said to him, “It is as you said”. Matthew 26:63, 64

I have heard it said that Jesus Christ never claimed to be God. If that is true, why was He crucified? All the evidence from the Bible and history is that this was the only legitimate accusation against Jesus. On a number of occasions the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, chief priests and elders in Israel all tried to make other accusations against Jesus, but their lying witnesses’ testimony couldn’t stand scrutiny.

The only legitimate accusation ever made against Jesus that would stand scrutiny was that He claimed to be “equal with God” (John 5:18; 19:7). For the Jew this was blasphemy to call oneself God and so it would have been for Jesus – unless He really is God! This is the reason they give for seeking Jesus’ death.

When you read John’s Gospel (the whole New Testament testifies of Jesus’ deity) you cannot miss the fact that Jesus, when asked, always affirmed that He is God come clothed in humanity – Emmanuel = God with us.

The question of Jesus’ deity is still the critical question for people to answer. Was Jesus a liar, deceiver, absolutely mad or is He God who has taken on humanity?

In order to respond to this question it is reasonable that a person have the evidence at hand. No one is expected to buy a house without being able to test that it will stand and provide what they expect from it. It is our privilege to share that evidence verbally and also from the Scriptures so that people can make a free-will choice to receive or reject God’s Gift in Jesus Christ. Their eternal soul depends on their decision.