Did Jesus Ever Claim to be God?

Though the Bible affirms the divinity of Jesus, some people say that Jesus never claimed to be God. Let’s see what is actually recorded in the Gospels.

When people were calling Jesus a teacher or even a prophet, Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was. Jesus immediately confirms Peter’s answer:

Matthew 16:15-17 NIV

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 

Jesus never discouraged anyone who called Him God; in fact, you see Him affirm them again and again.

Jesus often called Himself Son of God. We see in John 5:17 and 18 that the Jewish leaders understood He wasn’t saying He was less than God: ...Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

In John 10 we hear Jesus say “I and the Father are one” and the Jewish leaders get it immediately; again they pick up stones to kill Him for blasphemy. 

The last scripture we’ll look at is John 20:28 and 29. When Thomas finally saw Jesus after his death and resurrection, he proclaimed “My Lord and my God!” Rather than object to this, Jesus responds "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." That blessing is for us today, who have not seen Jesus but can call Him our Lord and our God.