title: Jesus is our Lord published: true
Psalm 2
I will tell of the decree:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”
Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.-- Psalm 2:7-12 (ESV)
Many people quote this Psalm to proof Jesus is God.
Psalm 24
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory.
-- Psalms 24:9-10 (NKJV)
Because Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem and was glorified by God, some assume that this Psalm refers to Jerusalem and Jesus.
Psalm 47
Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.
...
For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.
-- Psalms 47:1-2,9 (NKJV)
Because Jesus was considered the "great King" and Jesus was "exalted" by God, some quote this Psalm to proof that Jesus is God.
Quotes from Isaiah 45:22-23
For thus says the LORD,
Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited:
“I am the LORD, and there is no other.
...
For I am God, and there is no other.
I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return,
That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.-- Isaiah 45:18, 22-23 (NKJV)
Romans 14:11 context
For it is written, “As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” -- Romans 14:11 (ESV)
This scripture is often quoted out of context to "proof" that Jesus is God. However, in this context Paul to does refer to Jesus, but instead to YHVH as God.
Philippians 2:9-11
At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord -- Philippians 2:10-11 (ESV)
Out of context, this scripture seems to imply that Jesus is the LORD God, because everyone who worship Jesus, supposedly "confess that Jesus Christ is the LORD God". However, the previous verse reads:
Therefore God (the Father) has highly exalted him (the Son) and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. -- Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV)
Paul specifically addressed "the name" of Jesus. The word "name" in both Greek and Hebrew means authority. For example:
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” -- Matthew 21:9 (ESV)
This is more clear in John 17:2 when Jesus prayed:
"You (God) have given him (Jesus) authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him."
God the Father gave Jesus authority over every human, everywhere, so that everyone would give obeisance to the Lord Jesus. This does not mean that Jesus is now the new god or that God the Father had retired. Instead, God the Father calls Jesus to be His servant or steward (Isaiah 42:1; Acts 3:13 (ESV)) who was called to obedience (John 4:34, 6:38, 10:37, 14:24, 14:31) so that all authority could be given to Jesus so that we may glorify God the Father.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that He Himself is doing. And greater works than these will He show him, so that you may marvel.” -- John 5:19-20 (ESV)
The LORD is my Righteousness
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD,
"That I will raise to David a branch of righteousness; A king shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is his name by which he will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."-- Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NKJV)
Some argue that this prophecy refers to Jesus, and therefore he is considered "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS". Therefore, they make a bad correlation between "the LORD" which refers throughout the Old Testament to the Almighty God and "the Lord" which often refers to Jesus in the New Testament to proof that Jesus is the Almighty God. However, this same name is given to Jerusalem which no one consider to be God:
In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
-- Jeremiah 33:16 (NKJV)
In the ancient cultures names often have a meaning associated with them. Jeremiah did not say that "the branch" or "the king" will be "The LORD our righteousness", but instead he said that he will be called "The LORD our righteousness".
Jesus got all authority
Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” -- Matthew 28:18 (ESV)
and
All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you. -- John 16:15 (ESV)
and
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given him. -- John 17:1-2 (ESV)
Some would reason that because God gave everything to Jesus, that it proof that Jesus is our "new" God.
Out of context, it seems like Jesus says that God handed over all his authority to him so that he could become the "new" God.
The fact that Jesus authority was given by a greater God and did not come from himself, proofs that Jesus is not the Almighty God.
According to NAS Exhaustive Concordance, the Greek word didómi which has been translated to "given" in the ESV could also mean: granted, allow or permitted.
Nothing in the context suggest any kind of handover or giving up such that the old God, no longer have any authority because it was "given" to the new God. Neither is Jesus competing with another God.
Jesus rightfully inherited God's creation as "the Son of God", not "the Son as God".
Neither did God the Father retire, nor did Jesus took over the Father's role. Instead, Jesus is God the Father's servant or steward (Isaiah 42:1; Acts 3:13 (ESV); John 4:34, 5:19, 6:38, 10:37, 14:24, 14:31) who has been given all authority so that he may glorify God the Father (Philippians 2:10). This implies God the Father is still in control and Jesus still need to submit to his God.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that He Himself is doing. And greater works than these will He show him, so that you may marvel.” -- John 5:19-20 (ESV)
Nebuchadnezzar received the following revelation:
And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?”
At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.
-- Daniel 4:34-37
Daniel would not have written down Nebuchadnezzar's revelation if he did not agree. The Most High God reigns forever. There is no hand over.
Paul teaches:
So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future —
all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. -- 1 Corinthians 3:23 (ESV)
Paul has never suggested that we too are gods, because "all things" are ours, just like they are Christ's.
According to Paul, when Christ had submitted himself under God's authority, he had received all that is God's. If we submit ourselves under Christ's authority, we too will have authority over all that Christ has authority.
King of Kings
... which he will display at the proper time — he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords -- 1 Timothy 6:15 (ESV)
They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful. -- Revelation 17:14 (ESV)
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. -- Revelation 19:16 (ESV)
Some assume that only God can be in higher authority than the king, therefore they come to the wrong conclusion that Jesus should be God.
However, this reasoning is flawed because:
- Both Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:37) and Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:12) also held this titles and neither one is considered to be the Almighty God nor a member of the Godhead.
- Nothing prevent God to delegate His authority (name) to another "King of kings" or "Lord or lords" to acts as an agent of God by ruling over mankind on behalf of Himself, especially if this delegate is His Own begotten Son in whom He is "well pleased" (Mark 1:11), namely Jesus the Christ.
Even Jesus himself said that he does not possess the highest authority:
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. -- Matthew 20:23 (KJV)