Did Jesus Claim to Be God? What did He say about Himself?

Who is Jesus? That question has shaped cultures, faiths, and debates for centuries. For Muslims, He is a prophet, remembered through the miracles He performed. For Jews, He is an imposter who claimed to be the Messiah they had long been waiting for. For Christians, He is God and the fulfillment of that promise. And outside of religion, many still admire His message of love, peace, and kindness, seeing Him simply as a good man.

The important question, then, isn’t just who people say He was, but who He said He was. And to get to the heart of that, we have to look at His own words.

1. He claimed the power to forgive sins

In Mark 2, we read about a paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus. Instead of healing him right away, Jesus said:

That one sentence shocked the Jewish leaders. They understood sin as something only God could forgive. So for Jesus to speak this way was not just bold — it was a direct claim about His identity. He was putting Himself in the place of God.

Sensing their outrage, Jesus gave them a challenge:

Both are impossible by human standards. Even today, with all our medical advancements, making a paralyzed person walk is beyond our ability. Yet in that moment, Jesus made His point clear:

“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”, He turned to the man and said:

The man stood up. He picked up his mat. He walked out in front of everyone. And the crowd could only say:

This was more than a miracle. It was evidence of identity. If Jesus had been lying, God would never have backed His words with such power. The healing confirmed His claim: Jesus was not just a teacher or prophet — He was God Himself.

2. He claimed to be the “I AM” of the Old Testament

On another occasion, some Pharisee leaders pressed Jesus to say openly who He was. His answer was startling:

At first glance, it sounds odd. Why didn’t He say, “I was”? Abraham had lived more than a thousand years earlier, yet Jesus claimed existence before him — and used the present tense. This was no slip of grammar. “I AM” was the very name God used for Himself when speaking to Moses in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14).

By using that name, Jesus wasn’t just saying He existed before Abraham. He was identifying Himself as the Eternal God. His audience understood this immediately. That’s why their response was so violent — they picked up stones to kill Him.

For them, this was blasphemy. For Jesus, it was truth about His identity.

3. He claimed to be equal with God

During a feast in Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts when some of the Jews confronted Him. They asked if He was the Christ — not because they wanted to believe, but because they were looking for a way to trap Him.

Jesus told them that He had already said who He was, but they refused to believe. Then He pointed to His works as proof:

You don’t believe my words, but what I am doing makes it clear.

As He spoke about His care for His followers, He tied it directly to the care of His Father in heaven. Then He made a statement that left no room for misunderstanding:

The reaction was immediate. They picked up stones again. And when Jesus asked why, their answer showed they knew exactly what He was claiming:

Notice something important here. Jesus didn’t correct them. He didn’t say, “You misunderstood me.” Instead, He let their accusation stand — because it was true.

They thought a man was making himself God. But in reality, God was making Himself a man, stepping into our world in love.

4. He claimed He would sit at the right hand of God

In the Old Testament, the psalmist records a divine conversation:

In Hebrew, two different names for God are used, though both are simply translated “Lord” in English. This verse became one of the most quoted passages in the New Testament, pointing to Jesus. But Jesus Himself also used it to reveal His identity.

During His trial before the Jewish council, the leaders searched desperately for a charge against Him. Witnesses contradicted one another, and Jesus remained silent. Finally, the high priest confronted Him directly:

Jesus answered clearly:

Here, Jesus was identifying Himself with the figure in Psalm 110 — the one who sits at God’s right hand. In doing so, He was openly declaring His divinity.

The high priest’s reaction says it all:

They condemned Him to death, not because they misunderstood Him, but because they understood Him all too well.

Why does this matter?

Discovering who Jesus really is isn’t just an academic question. Many people admire His teachings about love, grace, and kindness — but the deeper question is whether He was more than a great moral teacher. Jesus claimed to be God Himself, and if that claim is true, it changes everything.

Why would God walk the earth as a man? Jesus gave us the answer Himself:

That’s all of us. We are lost and separated from God because of sin. But the good news is that you don’t have to work your way back to Him. God came down to you. Jesus entered our world, went to the cross, and dealt with our sin so that we could be restored to Him.

If you want to understand more about what that means, take a look at our article on how you can have your sins forgiven and begin a real relationship with God.

If Jesus really is who He claimed to be, then nothing matters more than how you respond to Him.