The Bible does not tell us that Jesus said the sure words, “I am God.”
- However, this does not mean that he did not declare that he was not of God. Take for example John 10:30 “These words of Jesus, the Father and I are one.” We need to see the reaction of the Jews when Jesus claimed that he was God. They tried to stone him for this reason saying that “…you, being a man, make yourself God” (John 10:33). The Jews clearly understood what Jesus was proclaiming—his divinity. Remember that Jesus did not deny his claim to be God. When Jesus declared, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), he was saying that he and the Father are of one nature and spirit. John 8:58 is an example. “Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I’m leaving!” The reaction of the Jews who heard this statement was to stone him to death for blasphemy, as commanded in the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 24:15).
John outlines the concept of Jesus’ divinity: “God was the Word” and “the Word became flesh” (John 1:1,14). These verses clearly indicate that Jesus is God incarnate. Acts 20:28 tells us, “Shepherd the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Who bought the church—God’s church—with his own blood? That is, Jesus Christ. Acts 20:28 declares that God bought the church with His own blood. Therefore, Jesus is God.
Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, said to Jesus, “My Lord, my God” (John 20:28). Jesus did not correct him. Titus 2:13 encourages us to wait for our coming God and Savior, Jesus Christ (see 2 Peter 1:1). In Hebrews 1:8, the Father declares of Jesus, “But concerning the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever, and your scepter of justice is the scepter of your kingdom.'” The Father refers to Jesus as ‘O God.’ That is why Jesus is the definitive God.
In the book of Revelation, an angel commanded the apostle John to worship God (Revelation 19:10). Jesus is worshiped many times in Scripture (Matthew 2:11, 14:33, 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38). He never reprimanded people for worshiping Him. If Jesus was not God, he would have told people not to worship him, as the angel said in the book of Revelation. Many verses and passages of scriptures speak of the divinity of Jesus.
The most important reason is that Jesus is God, if He were not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). If he were not God, but a mere human creature, he could not pay the price of eternal punishment before the infinite God. Only God could pay an infinite price. Only God could take away the sins of the world (2 Corinthians 5:21), died and rose again, proving His victory over sin and death.