[1]The case for Jesus Divinity

This is one of the most asked questions in Christian apologetics:
"Where did Jesus say, 'I am God, worship me'?"

Jesus Did Not Use the Exact Words, But He Clearly Claimed to Be God

The question assumes that Jesus must say the exact phrase "I am God, worship me."
But Jesus spoke in a Jewish context, where claiming to be God directly would have been considered blasphemy and led to immediate execution before His appointed time.
Instead, Jesus revealed His divinity clearly in ways that the Jewish audience fully understood.

[2]Jesus Explicitly Claims Divinity

• John 8:58 Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" The phrase "I am" (Greek: ἐγώ εἰμί) directly echoes Exodus 3:14, where God reveals His name to Moses as "I AM WHO I AM". This is not just a claim to pre-existence but to eternal divine identity.
• Reaction: The Jewish leaders understood the implication of this claim and immediately picked up stones to stone Him for blasphemy. Their reaction confirms that Jesus' words were interpreted as a direct claim to be Yahweh.
• John 10:30-33 Jesus says, "I and the Father are one." Again, the Jews prepared to stone Him, saying, "You, a mere man, claim to be God." This verse affirms not just unity of purpose, but essential oneness with the Father, which His audience interpreted correctly as a divine claim.
• 1 Mark 14:61-62 After His arrest, Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court. The high priest asked him point blank: “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus replied, “I am and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
• Reaction The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death
• In fact, Jesus’ claim to be God was considered blasphemy, and according to Leviticus 24:16, blasphemy was punishable by death. The high priest acknowledged his understanding of this by tearing his robes and calling for Jesus’ execution.

Jesus Accepts Worship, A Privilege Reserved for God

• Matthew 14:33 The disciples worship Jesus, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." Jesus accepts this worship, unlike angels (Revelation 22:8-9) or apostles (Acts 10:25-26) who rebuked people for worshipping them.
• John 20:28-29 Thomas addresses Jesus: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus commends his faith rather than correcting him, showing His acceptance of divine worship.
• Matthew 28:9,17 After the resurrection, Jesus’ disciples worship Him. Jesus does not refuse it, showing that post-resurrection worship was normative and fitting.

Jesus Forgives Sins, A Divine Prerogative

• Mark 2:5-7 Jesus tells the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." The scribe’s protest: "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus affirms His divine authority by healing the man to prove His authority to forgive sins on earth a function only God has.

Jesus Demonstrates Divine Attributes

Omniscience John 4:18-19 Jesus tells the Samaritan woman everything about her life: "You have had five husbands."

John 21:17 Peter says, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Such total knowledge is exclusive to God.

• Omnipotence Matthew 8:26-27 Jesus calms the storm. The disciple’s marvel: "Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"
• Colossians 1:16-17 All things were created through Him, and in Him all things hold together. Jesus is not just a creature; He is the sustainer of all creation.
• Eternity John 1:1-2 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus is described as eternally existent.
• Micah 5:2  The Messiah is described as one "whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Jesus Exercises Divine Authority

• John 5:22-23 “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father."
• Jesus does not claim to merely represent God. He claims equality in authority, judgment, and honour.
• Matthew 28:18 After the resurrection, Jesus says: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

Jesus Is Called God in Scripture

• John 1:1,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."
• Hebrews 1:8 The Father Himself says of the Son: "Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever."
• Titus 2:13 Paul refers to Jesus as "our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."

Jesus Performs Divine Works

• Creator John 1:3 "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
• Sustainer Colossians 1:17 "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
• Resurrection of the Dead John 11:25   Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die."
• Giver of Eternal Life John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish."
• This is an act that only God can do. No angel, prophet, or apostle ever made such a claim.

Jesus' Resurrection Confirms His Divinity

• Romans 1:4 “and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord."
• John 2:19-21 Jesus predicts His resurrection: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."

Jesus Receives the Same Honor as God the Father

• Philippians 2:10-11 “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
• This quotation echoes Isaiah 45:23, which speaks of all creation bowing before Yahweh. Applying this to Jesus is a direct identification with deity.
• Revelation 5:13 “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
• Jesus (the Lamb) shares the divine throne, worship, and attributes with the Father.

Old Testament Prophecies Affirming the Messiah's Divinity

• Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, and he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
• Micah 5:2 The Messiah is said to come from Bethlehem but "whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."
• Psalm 45:6-7 “Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever." Applied directly to the Messiah in Hebrews 1:8.

The Early Church Fathers Affirmed Jesus' Deity

• Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 AD) Referred to Jesus as "our God" in his letters (e.g., To the Ephesians).
• Justin Martyr (2nd century) “Jesus is both God and Lord of the universe."
• Tertullian (3rd century) Defended the doctrine of the Trinity and the full divinity of Christ.

[3]Conclusion

• Jesus' divinity is not a later invention but is woven into the fabric of the New Testament through His words, actions, and resurrection.
• He accepted worship, claimed divine titles, exercised divine prerogatives, and was affirmed as God by His followers and by the earliest Christian writers.
• The cumulative weight of scriptural evidence, theological implications, and apostolic testimony all affirm that Jesus Christ is truly God in the flesh, the second Person of the Trinity, worthy of all worship and honour.

[1] In Defence of Jesus: Investigating Attacks on the Identity of Christ" by Lee Strobel

[2] Jesus is God, 30 Quick Proofs: Evangelism Tool & Defence for the Divinity of The Son (A Jesus Centred Book) by TERRANCE RHODES

[3] https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/jesus-is-god/divinity-jesus-revealed-new-testament/?srsltid=AfmBOoq_KGk15IDourmeATF2zcglM5gpegtxi_5Po5csXiX8U5zkvAkI