The Deity and Greatness of Jesus

2. The DeityandGreatnessof Jesus

3. Jesus: Eternal God

4. The ChallengesWe Face • RessurgenceofGnosticism • AttractionofConspiracyTheories • The DesiretoPresent a Sanitized, PoliticallyCorrect Jesus • Subtleinfluencesof Hollywood • Selfishdesirestobefreeof Jesus´ rule

5. WeNeedtoSeethe Real Jesus • His Eternity • His Power • His Position

6. Jesus, theUncreatedCreator • The fundamental distinction (Romans 1:25) • If Jesus is a creature, He isdistinctfromGod • If He istheCreator, He isdistinctfromus • The Biblepresents Jesus as existingbeforethecreationand as Creatorofallthatexists

7. Jesus, theUncreatedCreator • ClearclaimsofScripture • John 1:1-3 • Colossians 1:15-17 • Implications are sostrongthatopponentshaveworked hard tostripthesetextsoftheirimportance

8. Jesus, theUncreatedCreator • John 1:1 – Is Jesus God, or a god? • NWT andargumentsbasedontheabsenceofthearticle (God vs. The God) • GodisGod, withorwithoutthearticle • GodisGodwithoutthearticle in 1:6,12,13,18

9. Jesus, theUncreatedCreator • Colossians 1:15 – Is Jesus thefirstcreature, orfirst over allthecreatures? • EversincetheArians (4th century) • Firstborncouldmeanfirsttobemade • ArgumentofJehovah´sWitnesses • Or it couldmean principal heirwithauthority over thecreation (Exodus 4:22) • Whichfitsthecontext?

10. Jesus, theUncreatedCreator • Colossians 1:15 – Is Jesus thefirstcreature, orfirst over allthecreatures? • He istheimageoftheinvisibleGod, thefirstonecreated, for [because] He createdallthings . . . ?? • Somethingmissing? Allotherthings? • Look atcommentfromthepublishersofthe NWT

11. Publishersof NWT commentabouttheirrenderingofColossians 1:15-20 “ButnowtrinitariansconfrontyouwithPaul´swordsatColossians 1:15-20 accordingtotheKing James Version. Theyarguethat, if Jesus Christwasbeforeallthingsandallthingsconsistbyhimandwerecreatedbyhimand for him, thenhe must betheverysame as theAlmighty, Most High God, orbeonepersonwithGod. Butwe must harmonize these verses withallotherscripturesthat Jesus ChristwasGod´sSonand a creationof His. SotheGreekwordhere must berendered in thesenseof “allother.” Note, then, howtheNew World Translationblaststhetrinitarianargument!” [Source: “FurtherEnrichmentofUnderstanding,” Watchtower, October 15, 1950, page 396]

12. Jesus, theUncreatedCreator • Colossians 1:15 – Is Jesus thefirstcreature, orfirst over allthecreatures? • He istheimageoftheinvisibleGod, thefirstonecreated, for [because] He createdallthings . . . ?? • He istheimageoftheinvisibleGod, the principal heir over allcreation, for [because] He createdallthings . . .

13. Jesus, theUncreatedCreator • Colossians 1:15-17 – Principal heir over all creation, because He made it all • This is the the argument of Hebrews 3:3-6 • Exodus 4:22 – Israel as firstborn • Revelation 3:14 • Origin, source, ruler – same word used of God in Revelation 21:6; 22:13 • Ruler fits context – see Revelation 3:14,21

14. Jesus, theUncreatedCreator • Colossians 1:15-17 – Principal heir over all creation, because He made it all • This is the the argument of Hebrews 3:3-6 • Exodus 4:22 – Israel as firstborn • Revelation 3:14

15. Jesus, theUncreatedCreator • Colossians 1:15-17 – Principal heir over all creation, because He made it all • This is the the argument of Hebrews 3:3-6 • Exodus 4:22 – Israel as firstborn • Revelation 3:14 • Psalm 89:27; cf. Psalm 2:6-8 – set as King, receives nations as inheritance – Hebrews 1:2

16. Jesus, the Eternal God • Jesus existed before Abraham came into existence • John 8:24; 56-59, especially 58 – before Abraham came into existence, I AM (two different verbs) • Psalm 90:2 – before the mountains came into existence, You Are (same grammatical structure and same two verbs in the LXX) • They did not want to stone Him because he thought he was 2,000 years old, but because His claim was to be God (John 8:59)

17. Jesus, the Eternal God • Jesus existed before creation (John 17:5) • Think of how slowly the universe ages • Scientists suggest 500 million years for the earth and 5 billion for the sun • Trees, rocks, etc. last a long time • These things are like a change of clothes in comparison to Jesus´ eternity (Hebrews 1:10-12 – Psalm 102:25-27) • Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; John 1:1

18. Jesus was Active in HistoryBeforetheIncarnation • 1 Corinthians 10:4,9 – Paul says Christ was with the Israelites in the wilderness, and was tested by them • God was tested (Numbers 14:22; 21:5-6; Psalms 78:18-20; 95:6-11 (compare Hebrews 3:7-15 – living God – 12, Christ – 14, Holy Spirit – 7)

19. Jesus was Active in HistoryBeforetheIncarnation • Isaiah saw His glory (John 12:37-41) • But whose glory did Isaiah see? (Isaiah 6:1-5)

20. Jesus was Active in HistoryBeforetheIncarnation • Matthew 23:37 • Tendency to think only in terms of His earthly ministry • However, Matthew does not record any of Jesus´ prior visits to Jerusalem (John does – John 2:13; 5:1; 7:10)

21. Jesus was Active in HistoryBeforetheIncarnation • Matthew 23:37 • 23:34 – Jesus would send prophets, etc. • 23:37 – but prophets had already been sent, evidently by the same one who often wanted to save them • Compare to 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 – practically the same language to speak of what God had done in the OT • Language of refuge under the wings is common of God´s protection of His people (Psalm 36:7 and several others)

22. Jesus is . . . • The uncreatedCreator, distinctfromallcreatures • The eternal God, whohasalwaysexisted • The sameGodwhowasactive in thehistoryoftheOldTestament

23. “For unto us a Childisborn, Unto us a Sonisgiven; Andthegovernmentwillbeupon His shoulder. And His namewillbecalled Wonderful, Counselor, MightyGod, EverlastingFather, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)