Is Jesus God? Part 7: Scripture in Context- Matthew, Mark, and Luke

The Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke

I lump these gospels together in examining Jesus’ deity because of their many similarities, giving some of the same evidences against Jesus’ deity and raising similar questions regarding his potential deity.  

So: did Matthew, Mark, and Luke think that Jesus was God?

Matthew

1.     Matthew 1:23

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” 

If Jesus isn’t God, how can his name be “Immanuel”, “God with us”?

Jesus certainly represented and was God’s presence among the people of that time. He was filled with all the fullness of God (Colossians 2:9) and literally brought God’s presence from heaven to earth.  The Church now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ in us, brings the presence of God on earth, and will one day perfectly do that.  Jesus’ life and who he is proves that “God is with us”. But is this proof that he is God?

Scriptures shows that God was in Christ. God was not Christ. “Immanuel” pointed to this reality. (Common Verses, 2010)

This was a prophecy that was doubly fulfilled, first by a baby during Isaiah’s time who was also called Immanuel. Given this, simply calling Jesus “Immanuel” cannot mean he is God. If it did, this other baby would have been God too. “Virgin” in the Hebrew, as the verse is a quotation from Isaiah, can mean “young woman”.  This other baby that was called “Immanuel” was not born of a virgin but was still “Immanuel”, “God with us”, according to Isaiah 7, (Common Verses, 2010), (Immanuel, God with us: an examination is Isaiah 7:14, 2021).

2.     Matthew 3:13-17 The Baptism of Jesus

^“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’

¹⁵ Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented.

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”

The Trinity Doctrine states that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are co-eternal and one. These verses show this is not true. Jesus was not one and co-eternal with the Holy Spirit. Until Jesus was 30 on the day of his baptism, he was not anointed with the Holy Spirit. 

Further, God calls Jesus “my beloved Son”. Jesus is not God the Son. He is God’s Son, the same title all God’s male children receive. The term “eternally begotten” used by Trinitarians to describe Jesus’ relationship with God is not in the Bible. Jesus was begotten, which simply means he was born.

3.     Matthew 4:1-11

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴ But he answered, “It is written,

‘Man shall not live by bread alone,    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple ⁶ and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God    and him only shall you serve.’”

¹¹ Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”

I explain this more later, but Jesus cannot be God if he was tempted. James 1:13 says God cannot be tempted, so Jesus cannot be God.

Jesus does not interact with the devil in his temptations like he is God. He responds saying he lives by eating the words of God, which does not make sense if he is God (v.4). He also says to Satan that he should not put God to the test, talking about God again in the third person (v. 7). Jesus gives no indication that he is the Lord God. Finally, he tells Satan he should worship God and only serve God, describing God as someone distinct from himself that he intends to worship and serve (v. 10). Verse 11 also does not make sense if he is God – he has angels ministering to him. God does not need to be ministered to. He does not need anything. He is completely autonomous as God (Acts 27:25).

4.     Matthew 5:48 “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The Father, God, is perfect. Jesus is not, and he knows that he is not. He was made perfect by what he suffered according to Hebrews 5:8-9. This is one of the many, many qualities God and Jesus do not share. God never changes (Malachi 3:6), Jesus does, and one of the ways he changes was he was made perfect. Christ had to be made perfect by suffering just like every Christian as we finish the races God has given us (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12:1-2). So, how can Christ be God?

5.     Matthew 6:5-14

⁵ “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷ “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹ Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done,  on earth as it is in heaven.¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread,^[c]12 and forgive us our debts,    as we also have forgiven our debtors.¹³ And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from evil.

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

Jesus prays, and he teaches the disciples to pray. God is the One prayed to. God does not need anyone. Jesus needs God. Jesus calls God “God”. Jesus has a God. His Father is God. God does not have a God, so Jesus cannot be God.

6.     Matthew 8:23-27 Jesus Calms a Storm

^23 “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵ And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

This is amazing, but how did he do it? Through his own strength or the Father’s? According to John 5:19, “apart from the Father he can do nothing”, so he did this by the Father’s strength. Further, verse 27 says the disciples thought he was a man – “what sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” They did not think he was God, and as Jews, they did not believe that God was a man. God told them repeatedly in the Old Testament that He was not.

This is not proof of Jesus’ deity.

7.     Matthew 8:28-34 The Demons knows he is the “Son of God”

 ^“And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,^[a] two demon-possessed^[b] men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰ Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. ³¹ And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” ³² And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.”

The demons know he is the Son of God. “Son of God” is not a title for God. Moreover, “Son of God” is used by God to describe Adam (Luke 3:38), David (Psalm 2), Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:9), and the Israelites (Exodus 4:22). They do not think he is God, and they do not say so.

8.     Matthew 9:1-8 Jesus Heals a Paralytic

“And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. ² And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” ³ And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” ⁴ But Jesus, knowing^[a] their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ⁷ And he rose and went home. ⁸ When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”

Jesus healed a paralytic. The crowds did not think that he was God. Instead “they glorified God, who had given such authority to men” (v. 8). This is Matthew’s commentary on the event. He also must think God had given authority to Jesus in this unique way, or he would not have written it the way he did. Jewish thinking, as shown in the Old Testament, held that God and man are separate – that God cannot be a man as He is not a man. Them glorifying God who had given authority to men (Jesus) speaks to the Jewish thinking at the time, and even now, that God is not man.

What is more, Jesus forgiving sins is not proof of deity, as in John 20:23, Jesus gives the disciples authority to forgive sins, and they are not God.

9.  Matthew 11:25-27 “At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Jesus is not the Lord of heaven and earth. The Father is. Jesus had to be made Lord by God; he was not always Lord (Acts 2:36). This is further proof that Jesus is not God. What is more, all things have been handed over to him by his Father. If Jesus was God, nothing would need to be handed over to him – it would already be his, because God owns everything. Jesus is not God, and as a devout Jew, Jesus worships the Father – the one God from the Old Testament. He would not call the Father “Lord of heaven and earth” and at the same time think he also is God. This is also a prayer from Jesus to God. God does not pray to God.  There is no Old Testament precedent for God praying to God or for God being 3 persons.

10.  Matthew 12:8

^8 “For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

This does not mean he is God. This is stated right after Jesus declares the Father is Lord of heaven and earth, and that everything has been handed over to him by the Father. In context, which is how the Bible should always be read, Jesus is not God. Matthew is showing that the Father has given Jesus authority, lordship, over the Sabbath. This is not inherently his, this was authority given by God the Father to Jesus.

11.  Matthew 12:15-21

^15 “Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all ¹⁶ and ordered them not to make him known. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸ “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,    my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.I will put my Spirit upon him,    and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.¹⁹ He will not quarrel or cry aloud,    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;²⁰ a bruised reed he will not break,    and a smoldering wick he will not quench,until he brings justice to victory;²¹     and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Point 11 is further highlighted here. Matthew does not appear to believe that Jesus is God. He quotes Isaiah 42:1-3 speaking about Jesus.  Yahweh is the one speaking in Isaiah. The servant of Yahweh is Jesus. Verse 18 says, “I will put my Spirit upon him”. According to the Trinity Doctrine, The Spirit and Jesus are co-eternal. Here, the Spirit is put in Jesus, meaning there was a time when Jesus and the Holy Spirit were not one. This contradicts the Trinity Doctrine, showing again that the Trinity Doctrine is not true.

Further, God is not a servant. God has servants. Jesus is Yahweh’s servant, whom he has “chosen” and with whom Yahweh is “well pleased”, so he is decidedly not Yahweh.

12.  Matthew 13:57 “And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.’” 

According to Jesus, he is a prophet. Of course, he is more than a prophet, but is he less? A prophet is a messenger from God. Jesus communicates he came from God – he is a prophet. Prophets are not God. They are messengers from God. Jesus is not God, and he does not think he is.

13.  Matthew 14:19

^19 “Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.”

Jesus prays a blessing over the bread before feeding the 5000. It is from heaven, from God, that his power comes. He is not God. He is from God.

15.  Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus Walks on Water

^“22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. ²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

²⁸ And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus “worship” has already been addressed (v.33). This does not mean he is God. This is also not the conclusion of the disciples. They believe he is the Son of God, not God Himself. Not God the Son. “Son of God” is not a title for God – rather, it is a title all the disciples receive after they receive the Holy Spirit, and a title for certain people in the Old Testament who are also not God like Adam (Luke 3:38). Jesus himself said the disciples would do greater works than him (John 14:12).

16.  Matthew 15:3-9

^3”He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ⁵ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God," ⁶ he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. ⁷ You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

⁸ “‘This people honors me with their lips,    but their heart is far from me;⁹ in vain do they worship me,    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Jesus speaks to the Pharisees about honoring father and mother, as that is a command from God. He speaks throughout these verses about God as if he himself is not God.

Perhaps this is because he is not God.

17.  Matthew 15:31

“…so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame waking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.”

Matthew does not call Jesus the God of Israel. He does not think Jesus is the God of Israel. The crowds do not either. Their response of Jesus’ actions is to glorify the God of Israel, not to conclude that Jesus himself is God.

18.  Matthew 16:16

^16” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Peter’s declaration to Jesus about who he is is NOT that he is God. His declaration is actually PROOF that Jesus is NOT God. Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus agrees. He is NOT the living God. He is God’s Son, a title given to other men who are also not God.

19.  Matthew 16:23

^23 “But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Jesus tells Peter to set his mind on the things of God, not man. Jesus speaks of God in 3^rd person as if he is not God - perhaps because he does not think he is God. Notably: does God ever speak of Himself in the 3^rd person in the Old Testament? If He did not then, why would He now?

20.  Matthew 19:4-9

^4 “He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, ⁵ and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” ⁷ They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” ⁸ He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹ And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

Jesus talks about divorce with the Pharisees, telling them what God joined together, what God created, etc., referring to God in 3^rd person, as if he is not God. While Jesus talking about God in third person is not proof that he is not God himself, why wouldn’t he simply say “I created”, “I joined together”, etc.?

Jesus only talks about God in the gospels in 3^rd person, as I will continue to show, never using the 1^st person. This is a good indicator that he is not God and does not think he is. Certainly, the plainest reading, given he talks about God in the 3^rd person, is that he does not think he is God himself and is not God.

21.  Matthew 19:17

“Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.”

Jesus is not God. He states this, about God. “Only one” in the English language means “no other, none exclusively” is good – besides God alone. Jesus only thinks there is one that is good, and he is not referring to himself. Why don’t we simply take Jesus at his word? He could have easily said, "I am good" or affirmed his goodness in some way. Instead, he points to God, who from Jesus' perspective is the "only one who is good", and he continues to speak of God in the 3rd person.

22.  Matthew 19:26

^26” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Jesus says with God all things are possible, not with him, and Jesus identifies as a man not a Spirit. This is significant as the Jews did, and still do now, believe God is Spirit, not man because of Scripture. Men being able to be God is a Roman and Greek pagan idea, not a Jewish idea. The plainest reading of Matthew thus far is that Jesus does not think he is God.

23.  Matthew 21:11

^11 “And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

The crowds believe Jesus is a prophet. They do not believe he is God. Jesus also thinks he is a prophet (addressed earlier). Prophets are not God. They are servants and messengers of God.

24.  Matthew 22:16

^16”And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.”

The Pharisees, right before they are going to arrest him, show they do not believe that he is God, and they do not think Jesus is saying that he is God. They say that he teaches the way of God truthfully. As will be shown in a few points, Jesus was not crucified for claiming to be God as some think, and the Scriptures do not show that. He was crucified because he claimed to be God’s Son and the Messiah.

25.  Matthew 22:29-32

^29 “But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. ³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ³¹ And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”

Jesus continues to speak of God in the 3^rd person. The plainest reading of the text is that Jesus does not believe he is God. Verse 32 is especially evident: Jesus says that this God, “HE is…” Jesus does not appear to be not talking about himself.

26.  Matthew 22:34-40 The Greatest Commandment

^34 “But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus thinks the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. He doesn’t say the greatest commandment is to love him in that way. Further, Jesus HAS a God – the Father. He believes this is his commandment to keep.  Jesus is a devout Jew. His “Lord God” is the Father.

27.  Matthew 24:36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

God knows everything – He is omniscient. Jesus does not know when he is coming back. Jesus cannot be God.

28.  Matthew 26:36-46

^36 “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” ³⁹ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” ⁴⁰ And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? ⁴¹ Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ⁴² Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” ⁴³ And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. ⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Jesus has a different will than God’s. He does not want to sacrifice himself. God wants him to. Jesus is not God as he has a different will.  Orthodox Christianity states that Jesus has two wills, a divine and human. Jesus’ divine will was the same as God’s, and only his human will was different, according to the Trinity doctrine.

It is irrational for Jesus to have two wills. The Bible never says Jesus has two wills. He has one, and that is not to die, but he courageously surrenders to the will of his Father for everyone to be saved. The orthodox Christian view that Jesus has two wills is completely unbiblical and not found in Scripture or in reason, which God has given us to know Him and His world.

29.  Matthew 26:63

“’I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’”

Jesus’ trial was not over him claiming to be God. His accusers did not think he was God, as they adjured him by the living God to tell them if he was the Son of God. When Jesus said he was, they said it was blasphemy, and he was condemned to death. The orthodox Christian view that Jesus was condemned to death because he was claiming to be God is not true, and an honest reading of any of the trials at the end of the gospels attests to this. Jesus did not claim to be God, and his accusers did not think he was claiming to be God. Jesus was put to death for claiming to be exactly who he is: the Son of God, who was then seated at the right hand of God – distinct from and decidedly not God. Again, "son of God" is not a divine title and was given to others in the Old Testament before Jesus.

30.  Matthew 27:32-56

The description of Jesus’ crucifixion affirms point 29. The emphasis is on Jesus’ crucifixion happening because he claimed to be the Son of God (v. 40-44). His accusers contrasted him with God (v. 43), “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now if he desires him.” Matthew does not indicate in any way that Jesus claimed to be God or anyone else thought he did.

On Jesus’ part, he cries out to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (verse 46) This is a sincere cry that shows Jesus does not in any way believe himself to be God. Would the God of the Old Testament, the only God there is, say, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Such a cry would be nonsensical as God does not have a God. Jesus is crying out to the one God of the Old Testament.

Matthew’s gospel points to Jesus being the Son of God, our Lord, who worships and prays to the one true God with us and was willing to die to save us.

31.  Matthew 28:18-20

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  

Some people use this verse as a proof text for the Trinity. Consider:

A.    First, if all authority on heaven and on earth had to be GIVEN to Jesus, he cannot be God. God inherently has the authority already since the beginning of time as the Creator. Jesus received it from God and therefore cannot be God.

(Common Verses, 2010)

B.    Yet, if Jesus isn’t God, how could he be with the disciples always to the end of the age?

Does this refer to omnipresence? No. Jesus is referring to being one in spirit with his disciples though he is physically going to be apart from them (Common Verses, 2010).  Omnipresence is being everywhere at once. Jesus never claims to be everywhere at once. Jesus is not omnipresent, which is further evidence that he is not God.

Even Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:3, “For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.” Paul is present with the Corinthian church in spirit. Jesus being present with us in a similar way cannot be proof that he is God, as Paul is not God. Even if Jesus was the only individual who could be with the Church "in spirit", this is still not proof of his divinity. Jesus could do nothing apart from God (John 5:19). God has the ability to empower Jesus to be present with his Church.

C.    Another argument for the Trinity from this passage is that people are baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Since “name” is singular, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit must all be one God, three persons. Certainly the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one in purpose and close in relationship, but does this verse prove in any way that God is 3 persons – each of the persons in this baptismal formula? Especially given there is no prior evidence in Matthew suggesting this?

Just because “name” is singular does not mean that those mentioned are one God together – one identity. During Jesus’ time, doing something in someone’s name was equated with doing something under another person’s authority, plan, and purpose. This is shown in other parts of the Bible. For example, in Genesis 48:16, Joseph says, “…the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac…” Name is singular here referring to Abraham and Isaac, but they do not have the same identity – Joseph is referring to the same one reputation and character of Abraham and Isaac (“The Trinity Delusion: Matthew 28:19”).

Jesus also said in Luke 9:26, “For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the son of man will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of him and of the Father and of the holy angels.” “Glory” is singular – is this because the Son, Father, and holy angels are one being, identity, or God? Of course, this is not what that verse means, and we should be consistent with the way grammar is interpreted, doing our best to not have our bias interpret the text (“The Trinity Delusion: Matthew 28:19”).

A last example from 1 John 5:8, “For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.” The Spirit, the water, and the blood are all different. Water and blood are not living like the Spirit. Simply putting three things in order does not mean they are one God in three persons (“The Trinity Delusion: Matthew 28:19”).

God, Jesus, and the Spirit are put together not to show that they make up a 3 person God but to highlight their unity of purpose. Seeing this as proof of a triune God is adding to the biblical text and certainly not Matthew’s intent, who never suggested such an idea in his entire gospel.

Conclusion: There is 0 evidence in Matthew’s gospel that Jesus is God.

Mark

1.     Mark 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” 

Mark begins his gospel with what it is about: Jesus, God’s Son. Not God Himself. The two are distinct. Not God the Son. Jesus, God’s Son. The same title as all male Christians, none of whom are God.

2.     Mark 1:9-11 Jesus’ Baptism

See my commentary on Jesus’ baptism in the Matthew section.

3.     Mark 1:12-13

See my commentary on Jesus’ temptation in the Matthew section. James 1:13 is clear: God cannot be tempted, so Jesus, who was tempted, cannot be God.

4.     Mark 1:23-24, “And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.” 

Jesus is the Holy One of God. This is confirmed elsewhere. Jesus does not deny this here. If he is the “Holy One of God”, he is decidedly not God. Another way to phrase this would be “God’s Holy One”. He is God’s Holy One. He belongs to God. He is not God himself. The demons do not think so, Mark does not think so, and Jesus knows so.

5.                 Mark 2:5-12

^5 "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

⁶ Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ⁷ “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

⁸ Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? ⁹ Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, ¹¹ “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹² He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

If Jesus isn’t God, how could he forgive sins?

While the scribes may say only God forgives sin in verse 7, no Spirit-filled person in the Bible states that only God can forgive sins. Moreover, the scribes, religious leaders at the time, were consistently criticized by Jesus for their inaccurate and legalistic theology. As stated earlier, in John 20:23 even the apostles are given the power to forgive sins. The apostles are not God. If forgiving sins meant that someone is God, the apostles would be God.

Further, Mark’s conclusion in context to this story is for those who saw Jesus heal this man and forgive his sin to be “amazed” and praise God (v.12). The crowd’s conclusion is NOT that Jesus is God. They praise God because of him.

(Common Verses, 2010)

6.     Mark 3:11-12 “And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him an cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’ And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.”

The demons are correct in saying he is the Son of God, and Jesus tells them not to tell who he is. Mark continues Matthew’s theme: Jesus is God’s Son, NOT God Himself.

7.     Mark 3:35 “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus makes a distinction between himself and God. He knows he is God’s Son. He does not say “whoever does my will, he is my brother….” No. Whoever does God’s will, which before he went to the cross, Jesus deeply agonized over choosing.

8.     Mark 5:7, “And crying out with a loud voice, he said, ‘What do you have to do with me, ‘Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”

This demon’s conversation with Jesus makes 0 sense if he thinks Jesus is God or if Jesus thinks he is God. Jesus is the Son of the Most High God, which is not a divine title (for example, Adam is God’s son, Luke 3:38), distinct from the Most High God. The demons adjure Jesus “by God” to not be tormented by him. The demons do not think Jesus is God – they are literally appealing to God to not let Jesus torment them. This shows that the demons think that God is greater than Jesus, which contradicts the Trinity Doctrine that God the Father and Jesus are co-equal. This theme of the Father being greater than Jesus is repeated throughout the gospels, especially in John’s gospel. How can Jesus be God?

9.     Mark 7:6-13

^6 “He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,    but their hearts are far from me.⁷ They worship me in vain;    their teachings are merely human rules.’

⁸ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

⁹ And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— ¹² then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. ¹³ Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

In this passage, Jesus calls the Pharisees out on their traditions and commandments in the context of what God’s Word, the Bible says. Jesus never calls Scripture his Word. He always calls it God’s Word. This is further evidence he is not God and does not think he is.

Note: for the most part, I am not repeating stories from Matthew that I already explained demonstrate Jesus is not God, but many of the same stories are in Mark and Luke, reinforcing there is 0 evidence that Matthew, Mark, and Luke believed that Jesus was God. I do repeat some for emphasis.

10.  Mark 10:18

“And Jesus sad to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.’”

If Jesus is God, why does he distinguish himself from God in Mark 10:18 and say only God is good?

The plainest reading of the text is that Jesus thinks he is not God and that only God is good.

11.  Mark 12:28-34

This is a repeat story from Matthew. Jesus affirms the great commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The scribe discussing this with him says to Jesus, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him…” (v.32).

Jesus sees that he had answered wisely (v.34). The scribe is quoting “no other besides him” from Isaiah 44:6, when Yahweh says there is no God besides him.

This story shows Mark does not believe Jesus is God, Jesus does not believe he is God, and this scribe does not believe Jesus is God. The scribe is NOT talking about Jesus when he says “there is no other besides him”, referring to the Lord God.  Jesus thinks he has responded wisely. Jesus is a devout Jew who follows the greatest commandment. Jesus adds nothing here to the scribe’s words: for example, he could have added, “Well, there is another – me, actually.” If Jesus really cared that this man followed the greatest commandment to love the Lord your God in this way, which of course he does, he would be clear that Jesus himself should also be loved in that way. But he is not clear about this, because he does not believe himself to be the Lord God.

The scribe’s answer would not be a wise one if Jesus is God. The scribe is only acknowledging that God, distinct from Jesus, should be loved in this way. Nothing in the text remotely suggests that the scribe thinks this is referring to Jesus to be loved in this way too.

But Jesus affirms it is a wise response – love God – there is no other besides God.

12.  Mark 12:35-37

^35 “And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,    until I put your enemies under your feet.”’

³⁷ David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.”

Directly after this incident, Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1, where the Lord, in the Hebrew, “adonai”, a Hebrew word for “God” or “Yahweh”, says to another lord, “adoni” in the Hebrew, “Sit at my right hand.” Jesus quotes this as referring to himself.

Theses verses, often used as proof for Jesus’ deity, prove the opposite, as in the original Hebrew, “Adonai” and “adoni” are 2 different words that translate in the English as “lord”. The first “Lord”, “adonai”, means “Yahweh” in the Hebrew and is clearly referring to God. The second “lord” is “adoni” in the Hebrew and is a word used to describe human lords and masters but never God. “Adoni” is used 195 times in the Old Testament in this way.

(Common Verses, 2010)

13.  Mark 13:19

^“…because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.”

Jesus describes creation as though God, not him, created it – in the 3^rd person. This is shown throughout the entire New Testament, as Jesus is PART of creation, NOT the Creator. This is explicitly stated by Jesus himself in Revelation 3:14, when Jesus says that he is the "beginning of God's creation".

14.  Mark 13:32

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Jesus does not know when he is returning – only the Father does. Only God. God does not contradict Himself – He knows everything. His children, including Jesus, do not. Jesus cannot be God if he does not know everything, and the Trinitarian Doctrine’s explanation of this is nonsensical: his “divine nature” knows; his “human nature” does not know. . Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Jesus has two natures, an explanation that defies God-given logic. Jesus cannot at the same time know everything and not know everything. That is added to the Bible, which is a doorway for deception. Eve added words to God’s in Genesis and was deceived herself (Genesis 3). I’m afraid many Christians, myself among them, repeated her error.

15.   Mark 14:36

³⁶ “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Jesus and the Father have two different wills in the garden – Jesus does not want to be crucified. Jesus is not God. They are two different people with two different wills. Trinitarians believe Jesus has two wills, a divine and human will. There is 0 biblical evidence for that. In every garden of Gethsemane scene, Jesus is described as having 1 will, and that will is completely distinct from God's. Moreover, Jesus thinks he only has 1 will.

16.  Mark 14:61-65

 ^“But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶² “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶³ The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. ⁶⁴ “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death. ⁶⁵ Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.”

Just as Matthew’s account of Jesus’ trial, Mark’s account shows that Jesus claimed to be God’s Son, “the Son of the Blessed”, but never God Himself.  He was not crucified for claiming to be God. His “blasphemy” that led to his crucifixion was for claiming to be God’s Son.

17.  Mark 15:34

 ^“And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)

Again, as Matthew’s gospel testifies, Jesus’ cry on the cross was “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” If Jesus believes God has forsaken him, Jesus did not believe he himself was God. How would that be logical? Those who watched this happen at the time concluded that Jesus must have been the Son of God (Mark 15:39) and that he was calling out to his God.

18.  Mark 16:19

 ^“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.”

Mark concludes his gospel by saying that Jesus sat down at the right hand of God. He in no way shape or form believes that Jesus is God. It is nonsensical to say that Jesus sat down at the right hand of himself.

Conclusion: there is 0 evidence in Mark’s gospel that Jesus is God, and abundant evidence that Jesus is God’s Son, fully human and not God Almighty. Mark believed this and Jesus believed it.

Luke

1.     Luke 1:31-33 The angel Gabriel appears to Mary

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

These verses show that Jesus is not God, he is God’s Son. He is the son of the “Lord God”, who Mary, a Jew, knows to be the God of Israel. This God will GIVE him the throne of his father David, meaning he does not have it until God gives it to him.

Yet, God, as God, owns everything. If Jesus is being given something by the Lord God, he is certainly not God himself. He will reign forever, and his kingdom will not have an end. The “Lord God” is “Yahweh”. Mary knows what the angel is saying. Gabriel knows what he is saying – he is an angel of God and only speaks truth. Gabriel is communicating that the child is God’s Son, not God Himself, and He will be given a kingdom by God.

How can Jesus be God?

2.     Luke 1:46-55 Mary’s Response to Gabriel

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,⁴⁸ for he has been mindful    of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—    holy is his name.⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,    from generation to generation.⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones    but has lifted up the humble.⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things    but has sent the rich away empty.⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,    remembering to be merciful⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,    just as he promised our ancestors.”

Mary’s response to Gabriel is to sing and magnify the Lord, rejoicing in “God her Savior”. Why? Because God sees her and gave her the gift of being the mother of God’s son. She knows Yahweh to be the God who had done great things of old in Israel, helping His servant Israel and Who spoke to the descendants of Abraham – to her (v. 54-55).

Does Mary have any concept of a Trinitarian God? She is praising God, the One who is blessing her with Jesus. She is not praising Jesus. She does not think the one in her womb is God. She considers the One who spoke to her through Gabriel, blessing her with Jesus, to be worthy of all her worship.

3.     Luke 2:11-20 Angels appear to shepherds, who report to Mary and Joseph

^11 “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

Jesus is called the “Savior”, the “Lord”. God is praised by angels. The shepherds report to Mary and Joseph, and Mary ponders these things. The shepherds glorify and praise God for all they have heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

Jesus IS “Savior” – that does not mean he is God. There are many saviors of God’s people throughout the Bible – none as great as Jesus, but this does not make him God. Jesus IS “Lord” – but he was made Lord, he was not always Lord (Acts 2:36). Lord is a title indicating many things about Jesus’ authority, but this also does not mean he is God. Many people in both the Old and New Testament are called “lord” without being understood to be “God”.

Following this declaration of Jesus as Savior and Lord, a heavenly host appears and starts praising God and glorifying God in the highest. So, according to this heavenly vision, where is God? Is he in the baby Jesus? Or is he in the highest? God is in the highest. How can Jesus be God? Peace belongs to people on earth with whom God is pleased. Is that referring to the baby Jesus being pleased, who cannot even speak yet? Or the Almighty God who sent Jesus to earth?

The shepherds report to Mary and Joseph. Then they return, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Are they glorifying and praising Jesus? The baby? No. They are glorifying and praising God because of the baby. Luke does not write this as if Jesus was God – quite the opposite.

4.     Luke 2:22-35 Jesus Presented at the Temple

^22 “When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

These verses show that Jesus is not God. Joseph and Mary took Jesus to present him to the Lord, Yahweh, as this was the Law of the Lord from the Old Testament. If Jesus is being presented to the Lord he cannot be the Lord himself. Moreover, if he is being presented to be consecrated to the Lord God he cannot be the Lord God himself.

^25 “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,³¹     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,    and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Simeon was a righteous man who had been waiting for Jesus. His response in seeing Jesus was to hold him in his arms and bless God. He prays to God, “Sovereign Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word [God had told him he would see the Christ, v. 26]; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Simeon, who was a righteous and devout man (v. 25), did not seem to believe that Jesus was God, the Sovereign Lord he is praying to. He is blessing God, not Jesus. He is praying to God, not the baby Jesus. He does not think Jesus is the God of Israel – he thinks Jesus is God’s salvation for Israel.

His prayer and perspective matches with the Old Testament’s witness about who the Messiah would be: a man who God will use to bring salvation.

How can Jesus be God?

5.     Luke 2:52

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor and God and man.”

Malachi 3:6

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

Matthew 5:48

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Hebrews 5:8-9

“Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him…”

If Jesus is God, and God does not change, why did Jesus change through learning obedience, becoming perfect, and increasing in wisdom and stature?

God does not lie. Jesus changed by becoming perfect and increasing in wisdom and stature. Since Jesus changed and God does not, how can Jesus be God but still change?

If Jesus is God, how could he grow in favor with himself?

It seems Jesus is not God as God is unchanging and does not need to learn obedience.

6.     Luke 3:38

“…the son of Adam, the son of God.”

Lest there be any confusion, again, “son of God” is not a title of divinity. Adam was the son of God. Adam is not God.

7.     Luke 4:18-19

“’The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Jesus], because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of the sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’”

Acts 10:38-43 helps with understanding Jesus' anointing:

“…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one anointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

If Jesus is God, why did he need to be anointed with the Holy Spirit to do the works that he did, particularly if God, the Holy Spirit, and him were “co-eternal” and always “one” as the Trinity doctrine holds? Why did he need another source to do the works he did if he is God?

God is fully independent and does not need to be anointed with His Spirit to do the works He does. Just like every other human being anointed by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was only able to do the works he did because of God – because of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was dependent on the Spirit and on his Father. God is fully independent, and man is fully dependent on God. So, how can Jesus be God?

If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were always co-eternal and one, Jesus would not have needed to be anointed with the Holy Spirit, because he would have already been one with the Spirit. So, the Trinity doctrine is false.

If Jesus is God, why does Acts 10:38 note the reason for his works was because “God was with him”? If he is God, why did he need God to be with him? Also, would not that be a redundant statement?

Jesus needed God for the works he did. As a fully dependent man on God, this shows Jesus is not God himself.

If Jesus is God, why did he need to be anointed by God to be judge of the living and dead? Why was any additional anointing needed?

Jesus needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit to judge the living and dead – he could not judge without that anointing. Jesus is in need of God and the Holy Spirit to equip him to do what he is called to do, so he is not independent. God is independent and does not need anointing by definition, so Jesus is not God.

Finally, John 14:12 reveals how Jesus' followers will also be anointed in a powerful way:

“Truly, truly, I [Jesus] say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

If Jesus’ works help to prove his deity, why will all believers also be able to do the works that he does – and even greater works! - given that Christians are not God (John 14:12)? Jesus works do not prove his deity, because all believers will be able to do the works that he does and even greater works.

8.     Luke 5:24 Title of “Son of Man”

Jesus’ title is the “son of man”. God says more than once in the Old Testament that he is not a son of man – He is not a man. Why don’t we take God at His Word? He is not trying to confuse us (Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, and Hosea 11:9 all state God is not a man or a son of man)?

9.     Luke 6:12

“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.” 

So, how can Jesus be God if he prayed all night to God? It is nonsensical to pray to yourself all night. And why did he pray? To know who to choose for his disciples. He needed God’s help and wisdom. God does not need wisdom and help from anyone – He is God.

How can Jesus be God?

10.  Luke 6:35-36 “But love your enemies… and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil…”

Jesus does not think he is God, the Most High. He knows he is the Son of the Most High. He is telling his disciples that they too will be sons if they love those around them.

11.  Luke 9:20 “Then he said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ And Peter answered, ‘The Christ of God.’”

Jesus tells them not to tell what Peter says about him – namely, that he is God’s Christ, that he is the Messiah, and that he is decidedly NOT God. If he the Christ OF God, he cannot be God Himself – that is not logical. For example, consider some examples in English of using "of" as a possessive: the coach of Tommy, the daughter of Anna, or the employee of Steve. In this grammatical structure, Tommy, Anna, and Steve are completely distinct from the coach, daughter, and employee. So, given the same grammatical structure in this verse, Christ is distinct from God - not just the Father, not just the Holy Spirit as part of a Trinity- God, period.

Jesus knows who he is. He knows that he is not God. He never claims to be God.

12.  Luke 10:21-22

“In that same hour he [Jesus] rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding… All things have been handed over to me by my Father…"

Jesus is never called the Lord of heaven and earth in the Bible. That is the Father (see also Acts 17:24, Matthew 11:25). Again, Jesus was made Lord by God (Acts 2:36); he was not always Lord.

Further, everything has been handed over to him by the Father – if this is the case, then he is not God as God already owned everything. He received these things from God.

How can Jesus be God?

13.  Luke 16:14-15

^14 “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. ¹⁵ He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.”

Jesus always talks about God in the 3^rd person. This indicates he is not God.

14.  Luke 22:42

“…saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.’”

If Jesus is God, why does he have a different will than the Father in the garden? 

They are two different people, willing two different things. God was calling him to die, and he did not want to do it. Jesus having two different wills (the Trinitarian position) defies logic and reason, and God is both logical and reasonable.

15.  Luke 22:66-71 Jesus’ Trial

^66 “At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. ⁶⁷ “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, ⁶⁸ and if I asked you, you would not answer. ⁶⁹ But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”

⁷⁰ They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”

He replied, “You say that I am.”

⁷¹ Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”

Verse 69 shows that Jesus does not think he is the mighty God, because he says he will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.

Just like Matthew and Mark, Luke describes a trial where Jesus is condemned for being the Son of God, not for being God. They considered that blasphemy worthy of death.

Jesus NEVER claimed to be God.

16.  Luke 23:35-49 Jesus’ Crucifixion

He is called the Christ of God, the chosen one of God, the Son of God, but never God in Luke. He is crucified for claiming to be God’s Son. Who is Jesus more like? God? Or Christians? We are sons and daughters of God. We are chosen by God. We are all called to die in our own way. We will all be conformed to the image of Christ. I explain this more in section 5 of this blog, "Images of the Invisible God".

How can Jesus be God?

17.  Luke 24:19

“What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.”

The disciples did not believe Jesus was God. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus talks to his disciples and they describe Jesus as a “man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.” Prophets are not God. Men are not God. God is not "before God". Jesus’ disciples did not believe Jesus was God and neither did Jesus.

Conclusion: There is 0 evidence that Jesus is God in Luke – quite the contrary. The synoptic gospels show that Jesus is not God.