Where Did Jesus Say ‘I Am God, Worship Me’?

Muslims have been trained to ask this question.

Where did Jesus say, “I am God, worship me?”
Most Muslims demand that it must be in those EXACT WORDS or else it would not be acceptable. Some Muslims even throw in, “And I will become a Christian right now if you can show me that.”

Think about it. Jesus never said, “My name is Isa the son of Mariam.” Does that mean He isn’t? Jesus never said, “I am the Messiah.” Can we conclude that it means He is not the Messiah since He did not say those EXACT WORDS?

How did He prove that He was the Messiah? By the things He did and said! That’s how His own disciples came to understand who he was. Peter declared on behalf of his fellow disciples, “You are the Messiah.” (Matthew 16:16). In the same way, Jesus proved His deity in the things He did and said. Not in exact words.

Demanding EXACT WORDS, as Muslims have been trained to do, is a silly exercise.
A more intelligent question that all Muslims should learn to ask is:
“What did Jesus say about Himself?” Did He make claims that only God can?
Yes!

The FIRST & THE LAST (AL-AWWAL & AL-AKHIR)

The Prophet Isaiah wrote: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the First and I am the Last; besides me there is no god.” (Isaiah 44:6)

Allah said of himself, “He is the First and the Last.” (Sura 57:3)

“The First and The Last” is a title of God. Can anyone else claim to be The First and The Last? Can anyone take a title that only applies to God and apply it to himself?

Jesus did. He said, ““Fear not, I am the First and the Last, and the living one…” (Revelation 1:17). What is Jesus claiming? Can a mere man make such a claim?

THE FORGIVER OF SINS

The Quran says, “..who can forgive sins except Allah.” (Sura 3:135)

I’m sure we can all agree that only God can forgive sins. Don’t be confused. I can forgive you when you offend or wrong me but only God can offer ultimate forgiveness of your sins. Not man.

Yet, in Mark 2:5, we see Jesus forgiving the sins of a paralytic man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Look at the reaction of the religious leaders in the next verse.
“Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:6-7)
What was Jesus response to this? He went on to prove that He does have the authority to forgive sins! Something that the Quran says only God can do.

THE FINAL JUDGE OF ALL MANKIND

In the Book of Psalms, it is written, “But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He judges the world with justice..”

According to Sura 22:56-57, “[All] sovereignty that Day is for Allah ; He will judge between them. So they who believed and did righteous deeds will be in the Gardens of Pleasure. And they who disbelieved and denied Our signs – for those there will be a humiliating punishment.”

In this verse, it is Allah who is the Judge and he sends some to paradise and some to punishment.

Since God is the final judge of all mankind, can we expect a mere prophet to say that he will be the judge? That is exactly what Jesus claims in Matthew 25:31-32. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations..”
In fact, if you read on, you will find that Jesus goes on to admit some into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 25:34) and He will cast some into hell. (Matthew 25:41). Isn’t this something only God can do?

THE TRUTH (Al-HAQQ)

In Sura 22:6, Allah says, “That is because Allah is the Truth and because He gives life to the dead and because He is over all things competent.”

“The Truth” (Al-Haqq) is one of Allah’s 99 names. Knowing that God’s name and identity is The Truth, would a mere prophet take this name and identity for himself?
Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6)

THE RAISER OF THE DEAD

Sura 22:7 claims that it is Allah who will raise the dead on the Day of Resurrection. “And [that they may know] that the Hour is coming – no doubt about it – and that Allah will resurrect those in the graves.”

Since we can agree that it is God alone who will raise the dead, can we expect anyone else to say that he would raise the dead?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (Matthew 5:25-29)

THE RESURRECTION (AL-BAETH)

One of Allah’s 99 names is Al-Baeth or the Resurrection. Can a mere creature identify as the Resurrection? Wouldn’t this be blasphemy?

Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) 

THE GLORY OF GOD

God’s glory belongs to God alone. No one can share God’s glory or claim he shares the glory of God. No prophet is going to say that he will be glorified with God!

Here is what Jesus said, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:5).
Not only was Jesus taking about being glorified WITH God! But He’s also saying He shared the same glory with God BEFORE the world was created!!
Is this what a prophet says? What is Jesus claiming except that He is equal to God and shares God;s glory.

THE LORD OF THE SABBATH

God created, instituted and ordained the Sabbath. and therefore He rules over it. For Jesus to claim that He Himself is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) is another claim of His divinity.
(Read more in my article: Who Is The Lord Of The Sabbath? )

THE LORD OF DAVID

In Matthew 22:45, Jesus shows that, even though He descended from the line of the David, He Himself is the LORD of the Prophet David.

EXISTED BEFORE ABRAHAM

In John 8:56-59, Jesus makes some more audacious claims that had the Jews enraged. Jesus said Abraham had seen Him and rejoiced.
So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (8:57)
Jesus’ response was not just to tell them that He existed before Abraham but He claimed for Himself the name that God revealed to Moses. This caused the the Jews to pick up stones to stone him as it was obviously blasphemy for claiming God’s eternal identity for Himself!

GREATER THAN GOD’S TEMPLE

Only God is greater than the temple, the place that represented God’s presence. By claiming that He was greater than God’s temple (Matthew 12:6), He was claiming to be God.
(Read more in my article: Greater Than The Temple? )

ANSWERS PRAYERS

Can prophets answer prayers? of course not! Only God can. Yet, Jesus said that He will answer prayers. “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)

OMNIPRESENT

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

ALL AUTHORITY

What belongs to God? Everything?
Listen to what Jesus declares!
“All that belongs to the Father is mine. (John 16:15).
In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said that all authority on heaven and earth now belongs to Him!

HONORED AS GOD

Jesus said, “that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.” (John 5:23)
One of the ways that the Father is honored is in worship. What was Jesus demanding? Worship!
It should come as no surprise that Jesus’ followers worshipped Him .
(See Matthew 14:33, John 9:38, Matthew 28:17, Luke 24:52)

All these are claims that only God can make. Jesus made these claims and that is why we believe Jesus claimed to be God.

(article condensed from David Wood video “Where did Jesus say I am God?“)