Jesus does not explicitly say the exact words, "I am God," but he makes several clear claims to divinity in the Bible. For example, in John 10:30, Jesus says, "I and the Father are one," a statement for which the Jewish audience sought to stone him for blasphemy, indicating they understood it as a claim to be God. Another significant claim is in John 8:58, where Jesus says, "Before Abraham was born, I am!"—using the divine name "I AM" from Exodus 3:14, which again led to attempts to stone him. Other key Jesus statements and actions that affirm his deity include:
- Claiming to be the Messiah who fulfills Old Testament prophecies (John 4:25-26).
- Making "I am" statements such as "I am the bread of life," "the light of the world," and "the resurrection and the life" (John 6:48; 8:12; 11:25).
- Accepting worship from his followers without rebuke (John 20:28; Matthew 14:33).
- Claiming authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5) and judge the world (Mark 14:62).
- Being called God by the Father in the Old Testament (Hebrews 1:8).
These statements and the responses of those around Jesus strongly indicate that he identified himself as God incarnate, affirming his divine nature throughout the New Testament.
