Josh quoted both John 5 and John 10 in answer to the professor’s questions: Did Jesus claimed to be God? And did the Jews understand His claim to be God? Then the professor said, “No other gospel has any reference whatsoever to Jesus claiming to be God.” I asked, “No other?” And he said, “None.” I said let’s look at Matthew Chapter 16 verses 13 to 17.

Jesus was becoming well known. He was doing a lot of mighty works and a lot of rumors were going around. And he probably saw the disciples interacting and discussing, “What do you think about that? Who do you think He is?” and everything.

So Jesus uses this as a teaching opportunity to His followers, because Jesus confronted them this way: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they just repeated some of the rumors, “Well, some say John the Baptist or other Elijah, but still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” and Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And Jesus answered and said, “No kidding? Really?”

That is not quite what Scripture says. “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

One of the greatest testimonies of truth is what I call a positive statement from hostile sources. In other words when you get your enemies or those who are against you to agree on something you said, you are on pretty good ground knowing what was said. This is what happened again in the book of Matthew 27 verses 41-43.

Here are the enemies of Christ. “In the same way the chief priests also along with the scribes and elders were mocking Him and saying, ‘He saved others? He cannot save Himself. He is the king of the Israel? Let Him now come down from the cross; and we shall believe in Him. He trusted God, then let Him deliver Him now if he takes pleasure in him for He said,” Hear the opponents of Christ, what they are saying that Christ said, “…for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” At that point the professor interrupted me again.

SUMMARY: In response to the professor questioning that Jesus claimed to be God; Josh quotes John 5 and John 10. Then when the professor says that no other Gospel tells of Jesus claiming to be God, Josh McDowell speaks of Matthew 16:13-17 where the disciples are processing what others are saying about Jesus. Then Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” And Simon Peter says, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God! Jesus says, “Blessed are you Simon bar-Jonah because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Also hostile witnesses in Matthew 27:41-43 are recorded as saying about Jesus when He on the cross: “He said, ‘I am the Son of God’ so let God save him.”

QUESTIONS:
1. In Scripture where does John say that Jesus claimed to be God?
2. What does Matthew 16:13-17 say?
3. Who does Simon Peter say Jesus is? Does Jesus agree?
4. Who is saying Jesus is the “Son of God in Matthew 27:41-43?
5. Why is this great testimony about what Jesus knew about himself?