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BSN #Hints

  • As I am using #FJOT (“finding Jesus in the Old Testament”) as a tag to help you locate and identify references to Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, so I am using “#Hints” (“Hints that Jesus is God”) as a tag, primarily in the New Testament.
  • These are verses which imply that Jesus (Messiah) is God, as opposed to explicit statements which are tagged with #Claims.
  • Examples:
    • across the Gospels:
      • He addresses His disciples as “Children…” in Jn 21:5 and Mk 10:24; and as “Little children…” in Jn 13:33. He addresses a man as “Son” in Mt 9:2; Mk 2:5, and a woman as “Daughter” in Mt 9:22; Mk 5:34; Lk 8:48. (It deserves to be said that such hints are faint, for the apostle John uses similar language in his first letter and that certainly doesn’t leave room to infer that he was divine.)
      • In Mt 19:14, He says to let the children come to Him. Of course, in retrospect, the most likely reason for them to come to Him was as to a father, and the least likely that they come to Him as a stranger. Children should be drawn to their father, not a stranger. In this regard, see also John 11:51-52.
    • in Matthew’s Gospel:
      • Mt 1:23 quoting Is 7:14; 8:8, 10 (“God (is) with us”).
      • Note the use of the word “worship” with respect to Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew: Mt 2:2, 8, 11; 14:33; 28:9, 17. See BSN note on Mt 28:9.
    • in Mark’s Gospel:
      • In Mark 5, Jesus instructs a delivered man to glorify “the Lord” (in verse 19), and Mark then describes the man as complying by glorifying “Jesus” (in verse 20). (This is similar to Luke 8:39.)
    • in Luke’s Gospel:
      • Lk 3:4-6 quotes Is 40:3-5 about the “voice calling in the wilderness.” Luke mentions that “all flesh will see the salvation of God,” and Isaiah mentions “Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.” Both statements act as hints that Jesus was and is God.
      • Statements by Luke which in retrospect seem true in more ways they did when first written – Lk 7:16; 8:39
      • In Luke 8:39, the first sentence uses “God” where the second sentences uses “Jesus.” (This is similar Mark 5:19-20.)
      • In Lk 13:34-35, Jesus speaks like the Lord spoke in the OT.
    • in John’s Gospel:
      • The “I am” statements, such as Jn 11:25-26. These statements are shockingly profound. They fill in the blank God left when He identified Himself in the burning bush to Moses as “I am.”
      • Jesus identifying Himself as “the good shepherd” in Jn 10:11-14 given what Ps 23 says. See BSN note on Jn 10:11.
      • Re: John 11:51-52, see note on Mt 19:14 above.
      • In John 14:18, Jesus said He would not leave us as orphans, but would come to us. Only if He were our Father would His coming to us not leave us as orphans. Just having another kid in our midst would not relieve of us fatherlessness.
    • in Paul’s letters:
      • Paul instructs readers in Eph 5:1-2 to imitate God by imitating Jesus.
    • in Revelation:
      • Rev 1:8; 21:6; 22:13 – The speaker all three times says, “I am the Alpha and Omega,” but the first and third times it’s Jesus and the second time it’s God. See BSN notes on Rev 22:13.
      • Rev 7:15-17 – How does the Lamb get from “the right hand of the throne of God” (Ps 110:1, which is quoted throughout the New Testament) to be in “the center” of the throne of God? This move occurred at the Second Coming.
      • Rev 22:16 – That Jesus could be the descendant of David is something that could be figured out with the genealogy; that He could be David’s root would only be possible if He were God because that’s the only slot in the upper part of David’s genealogy into which He could fit (Luke 3:23-38).
    • In the Old Testament:
      • Jer 23:3 – The Lord declares that “I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock.”

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