How did they know Jesus was God?

[miknik5]

The HOLY SPIRIT is that witness in us who testifies and will testify that he who has seen the SON has seen THE FATHER

CHRIST is the visible image of the invisible GOD made manifest to men when HE came into the world from the FATHER to show us THE FATHER

what we shall see in heaven I do not know. But all men are called to look to and believe in THE SON for LIFE

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Translations make no difference to my point that OT scripture was not clear enough such that those knowledgeable in scripture still had doubts that Jesus was the Messiah.

TORAH was more than enough,
and ALL the NEW TESTAMENT is not enough.

Without revelation MESSIAH is not recognized EVEN IN PERSON.
With revelation from the FATHER in heaven, MESSIAH is recognized, even without TORAH for that matter.

TORAH is very specific about Y'SHUA and YHWH,
and Y'SHUA and YHWH have been edited out of most Bibles on purpose.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Further, can you explain why Jesus did not refute or correct their understanding of scripture that they would not know where the Messiah came from? Jesus elsewhere was very quick in correcting questions to him based on incorrect understandings of scripture.

All of the time,
in every WORD Y'SHUA spoke,
HE never spoke from HIMSELF, ever. Everything HE did and said came from the FATHER,
and HE spoke to those who recognized HIM and to those who rejected HIM
only what the FATHER gave HIM to speak,
not as if for any of the reasons of men.

 

[miknik5]

All of the time,
in every WORD Y'SHUA spoke,
HE never spoke from HIMSELF, ever. Everything HE did and said came from the FATHER,
and HE spoke to those who recognized HIM and to those who rejected HIM
only what the FATHER gave HIM to speak,
not as if for any of the reasons of men.

How and of who does the HOLY SPIRIT speak​

 

[pdudgeon]

The OT taught of a Messiah coming in the future. It did not list his common name, who his parents were, what year he was to come. It did not identify the specific person Jesus as the Messiah. It identified characteristics and actions of the Messiah. More than just Jesus claimed to be the Messiah. Many thought him to make an earthly kingdom from this same scripture.

I will again ask the question, how would people in Jesus day know that he was the true Messiah spoken of in the OT?

If you think the OT so exact at identifying the specific person Jesus as the Messiah, can you reconcile Jesus' lack of a refuting that people knew where he was from, but they were to not know where the Messiah comes from?

John 7:27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” 28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from.​

your last is easily answered. it's a play on words.
what Jesus ment was that the people thought they knew where He came from, meaning the town and the people. But what Jesus was refering to was that He came from heaven, and that God was His Father. and no one in the crowd knew either heaven or His Father, never having been there or having seen God.
His words in verse 28 are ment to be ironic; pointing out that what they thought they knew for sure was exactly what they didn't know.

 

[pdudgeon]

as for the answer to your OP, the only way that they could have known that Jesus was God was that this truth was revealed to them by God Himself.

God, The Truth, reveals what is true because He can do no other.
What man does with that truth when it is reveiled is what makes the difference. man chooses to either receive the truth and live by it, or else reject the truth in favor of his own version. and for this he dies, because there is no truth or life apart from God.

 

[dqhall]

Jesus was united with God, yet the Father was greater than Jesus:

John 14:28 (WEB):
"You heard how I told you, 'I go away, and I come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said 'I am going to my Father;' for the Father is greater than I."

 

[miknik5]

Jesus was united with God, yet the Father was greater than Jesus:

John 14:28 (WEB):
"You heard how I told you, 'I go away, and I come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said 'I am going to my Father;' for the Father is greater than I."

And? Who will send THE PROMISE of THE FATHER?

 

[miknik5]

And who is THE PROMISE of THE FATHER?

 

[Colter]

Christians today have the benefit of so much history to confirm our faith that the Jesus that walked the earth 2000 years ago was God. If Jesus came today instead of 2000 years ago, how would you determine that a person that claimed to be God was really God? Certainly it has to be more than just a claim to be God, because many claimed this before Jesus came and many have done so even after he came. So how did Jesus convince people that he was the Messiah? I contend that Jesus followed OT convention, that two or more are needed to testify to what is true.

Here is my simple list of those that testified that Jesus was God.
1) Scripture, OT prophesies
2) Prophets/apostles John the Baptist, John the apostle and the others
3) Jesus' miracles, resurrection
4) Jesus' words, he taught with authority, he prophesied, he claimed to be God
5) God the Father
6) Good fruit

Any other ideas on how the world was changed and convinced that Jesus was God?

John 5:31 “If I[Jesus] testify about myself, my testimony is not true.
John 5:33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth.
John 5:36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.
John 5:37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
John 5:39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
Matthew 7:20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

​

More food for thought. Is there any other religion or man that claimed to be God that has a tenth of the things that testify to their truth like that which Jesus had? Is this not proof that Christianity is the true religion of God?

After spending some time with him, Jesus asked the apostles:

"who do men say I am?"

then

"Who do you say I am?"

Jesus went on to explain that is was God in their hearts that revealed and validated the identity of Jesus. That phenomenon was to be the "rock" that our faith was to be built on.

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it."

"Then He admonished the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ."

 

[JacksBratt]

They did stone Jesus (probably anyway, before hanging HIM in crucfixion on a living tree) and also Paul the Apostle ....
why did they stone Paul ?

The bible doesn't state, anywhere, where Christ was stoned.

I highly doubt that He was due to the fact that scripture demanded that none of His bones be broken, as with any sacrifice.

None of Christs bones were broken. They didn't even break His legs, on the cross, as was customary in order to speed the death of the victim. They put a spear in His side as was told in scripture as Christ is the "one who was pierced".

 

[JacksBratt]

Christians today have the benefit of so much history to confirm our faith that the Jesus that walked the earth 2000 years ago was God. If Jesus came today instead of 2000 years ago, how would you determine that a person that claimed to be God was really God? Certainly it has to be more than just a claim to be God, because many claimed this before Jesus came and many have done so even after he came. So how did Jesus convince people that he was the Messiah? I contend that Jesus followed OT convention, that two or more are needed to testify to what is true.

Here is my simple list of those that testified that Jesus was God.
1) Scripture, OT prophesies
2) Prophets/apostles John the Baptist, John the apostle and the others
3) Jesus' miracles, resurrection
4) Jesus' words, he taught with authority, he prophesied, he claimed to be God
5) God the Father
6) Good fruit

Any other ideas on how the world was changed and convinced that Jesus was God?

John 5:31 “If I[Jesus] testify about myself, my testimony is not true.
John 5:33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth.
John 5:36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.
John 5:37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
John 5:39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
Matthew 7:20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

​

More food for thought. Is there any other religion or man that claimed to be God that has a tenth of the things that testify to their truth like that which Jesus had? Is this not proof that Christianity is the true religion of God?

I am sure that the people of the millennial age will have just as good of vision of the end times as we have of the birth, life and crucifixion of our savior, or better.
I think that the people of Jesus day were as clear on His coming as we are on the end of this time and His second coming.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

You might find an accurate description here (from Scripture (Hebrew, Aramic, or Greek) >
http://essene.com/History&Essenes/Exec.htm

The bible doesn't state, anywhere, where Christ was stoned.

 

[miknik5]

After spending some time with him, Jesus asked the apostles:

"who do men say I am?"

then

"Who do you say I am?"

Jesus went on to explain that is was God in their hearts that revealed and validated the identity of Jesus. That phenomenon was to be the "rock" that our faith was to be built on.

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it."

"Then He admonished the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ."

What phenomenon?
Do you mean HIS coming in the flesh begotten of THE FATHER?

 

[miknik5]

How and of who does the HOLY SPIRIT speak​

Since you couldn't answer the question @yeshuaslavejeff let me point you to THE WORD OF GOD (so you won't need to suggest other writings)

John 16

 

[Colter]

What phenomenon?
Do you mean HIS coming in the flesh begotten of THE FATHER?

No, that the Father validated in their hearts who this man was. Did you read the post?

 

[miknik5]

No, that the Father validated in their hearts who this man was. Did you read the post?

Peter's confession sir.
Not all of the disciples. Just Peter

The HOLY SPIRIT had not yet been given. Peter's confession of JESUS as THE CHRIST (THE ANOINTED) Son of the LIVING GOD came before he was even born again of CHRIST's LIFE-GIVING GOD BREATHED SPIRIT

Correct?

Peter made a right judgement even before CHRIST had entered into HIS GLORY (the GLORY HE had with THE FATHER before the world ever was)

 

[John Hyperspace]

We may not always know what is right, let alone be able to prove it

Religion is about faith, and faith is hope in what is unseen. This does not mean that there is none that testifies to this.

You're the one who brought up "proof" when you said "Is this not proof that Christianity is the true religion of God?" I merely responded that there is no such a thing "proof"; only "evidence" which is sufficient to some, and not to others; we being unable to objectively declare which standard of sufficiency is correct.

 

[Colter]

Peter's confession sir.
Not all of the disciples. Just Peter

The HOLY SPIRIT had not yet been given. Peter's confession of JESUS as THE CHRIST (THE ANOINTED) Son of the LIVING GOD came before he was even born again of CHRIST's LIFE-GIVING GOD BREATHED SPIRIT

Correct?

Peter made a right judgement even before CHRIST had entered into HIS GLORY (the GLORY HE had with THE FATHER before the world ever was)

Jesus asked this of all of his disciples, Peter just happened to answer him first. The point is that God bore witness to the Son.

I think you t argue for the sake of it.

 

[miknik5]

Not really John 7 confirms that the HOLY SPIRIT had not yet been given because CHRIST had not yet been glorified.

Which is why CHRIST praised Peter alone for having received this revelation from GOD

Jesus asked this of all of his disciples, Peter just happened to answer him first. The point is that God bore witness to the Son.

I think you t argue for the sake of it.