By Derrick Danso

A Bold Claim: Jesus Is God

Let me say this plainly: Yes—Jesus is God. That may sound shocking to some and familiar to others, but from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proclaims this truth. In this article, I want to walk you through why Christians believe Jesus is Divine—not just a prophet, not just a good teacher, but God in the flesh.

If you’re a Christian, I hope this deepens your confidence. If you’re a Muslim, I invite you to engage with the evidence respectfully and thoughtfully.

The Common Challenge: “Where Did Jesus Say, ‘I Am God’?”

Muslims often ask:

“Where did Jesus say, ‘I am God, worship me’—in those exact words?”

Well, let me flip the question:

Where does Jesus say in the Qur’an: “I am not God, do not worship me” in those exact words?
Where does the Qur’an say in those exact letters: “I am the Messiah” or “I am the Word of Allah”?
Where is the word “Tawhid” in the Qur’an? If absence of a term invalidates a doctrine, then Tawhid is false.

Let’s be fair here. The Qur’an doesn’t use the word “Tawhid” (Islam’s central doctrine of God’s oneness), nor does it say, “I am the Messiah” or “I am the Word of Allah” in those precise terms. Yet Muslims believe these concepts are clearly taught.

Likewise, the word ‘Trinity’ or the exact phrase ‘I am God, worship Me’ is not found in the Bible, but the doctrine is revealed through the lives, words, and actions of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

So let’s look beyond exact English phrases and examine the substance of the evidence.

Can God Enter His Creation?

Muslims often argue that God cannot enter creation—that it would diminish His majesty. But is that true?

If God is truly All-Powerful, All-Knowing, and Present Everywhere, then He can enter His creation if He chooses. And in the Old Testament, He does:

Genesis 3:8 – God walks in the Garden of Eden.
Exodus 13:21 – He appears in a pillar of fire and cloud.
Exodus 24:9–11 – Moses and Israel’s elders saw the God of Israel.

This is not weakness—it’s divine power and presence.

Islam teaches that Allah is too transcendent to come close like this (Qur’an 42:11) or enter His creation, but the Bible reveals a God who is both majestic and personal.

During the cross-examination of my recent debate titled “IS JESUS GOD”, Mallam Sherrif initially denied that God could ever enter His creation—an argument often used in Islamic theology to reject the Incarnation. However, when I pressed him further, he admitted that God can enter His creation, “but only by His power.”

This is a significant admission because it contradicts the standard Islamic teaching that Allah is utterly transcendent and cannot enter time, space, or matter. Once a Muslim admits that God can enter His creation—even by His power—the main theological objection to the incarnation of Jesus Christ falls apart. It becomes a matter of whether He did, not whether He could.

The Bible teaches clearly that He did—in the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Therefore, even by Islamic reasoning, the incarnation is not impossible, just incompatible with Islamic dogma—not logic or God’s power.

One God—Yet a Complex Unity

The Bible never teaches that there are three gods. Christians believe in one God—but not a solitary, unitarian being. We believe in a triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One What (essence), three Whos (Persons).

This isn’t some later invention. It’s woven into the entire Biblical story:

Philippians 2:6 – Jesus existed in the “form of God.”

Matthew 28:19 – Baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 48:16 – “The Lord God and His Spirit have sent Me.” (Three persons!)

The Qur’an misunderstands this. In Surah 5:116, it accuses Christians of worshiping Mary alongside Jesus, which no Christian has ever taught. That’s not the Trinity. That’s a misrepresentation.

The Shema and God’s Oneness

“But the Bible says God is One!” Absolutely. The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) declares:

Hebrew Transliteration: Shema Yisrael YHWH Eloheinu YHWH Echad
“Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

The Hebrew word used here is echad, which often refers to a compound unity—like one cluster of grapes or a husband and wife becoming one flesh.

If the Bible wanted to say God is an absolute singularity, it would’ve used yachid, which means “only” or “solitary.” But it doesn’t. In fact, yachid appears in passages like Judges 11:34, Jeremiah 6:26 to describe an only child—absolute singularity. That opens the door to a unified yet complex nature within God.

Plurality Within God—Even in the Old Testament

Here are some striking passages:

Genesis 18–19 – YHWH rains down fire from YHWH in heaven.
Daniel 7:13–14 – The “Son of Man” is worshiped like God by all nations.
Isaiah 9:6 – A child will be called “Mighty God, Everlasting Father.”

These aren’t New Testament ideas. They’re ancient Jewish prophecies pointing to the divinity of the Messiah.

Jesus Claimed to Be God—Clearly

No, Jesus didn’t say “I am God” in a 21st-century Western formula. He said it in ways His audience clearly understood—so much so that they picked up stones to kill Him.

Mark 14:61–62 – Jesus identifies Himself as the Son of Man from Daniel 7, who shares God’s throne.
John 10:33 – The Jews say, “You, a mere man, claim to be God.”
Revelation 1:17 – Jesus says, “I am the First and the Last”—a title only God uses (Isaiah 44:6).

These are not vague suggestions. These are bold, Divine claims.

But Didn’t Jesus Act Like a Man?

Yes! And that’s the whole point of the Incarnation.
Jesus is fully God and fully man. The Word became flesh (John 1:14). He got tired, hungry, tempted. He prayed, wept, and died. Not because He stopped being God—but because He took on a human nature.

• Born of a woman Galatians 4:4 – “born of a woman, born under the law…”
• Had a human body John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”
• Luke 24:39 – “Handle Me… a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
• Experienced growth Luke 2:52 – “Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and men.”
• Got tired John 4:6 – “Jesus… being wearied from His journey…”
• Felt hunger and thirst Matthew 4:2 – “He was hungry.” John 19:28 – “I thirst.”
• Felt sorrow and wept John 11:35 – “Jesus wept.” Hebrews 5:7 – “with loud cries and tears…”

“He was tempted in every way, just as we are—yet without sin.” – Hebrews 4:15

His humanity doesn’t cancel His divinity. It reveals His love.

The New Testament’s View of Jesus

Here’s what the New Testament boldly declares:

• Colossians 2:9 – “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily.”
• 1 Timothy 3:16 – “God was manifested in the flesh.”
• Romans 9:5 – “The Messiah… is God over all, forever praised.”
• Revelation 5:13 – All creation worships the Lamb alongside the Father.

If all creation worships Jesus, then He is not a creature—He is the Creator.

The Qur’an’s Late Denial

The Qur’an denies the Divinity of Jesus—but it does so 600 years after the events of the Gospel.

Strangely, it also affirms parts of Jesus’ Divine identity:

• Surah 4:171 – Jesus is “the Word of Allah.” (See John 1:1)
• Surah 3:45 – Jesus is the Messiah.
• Surah 3:49 – Jesus creates life (with Allah’s permission).
• Surah 19:19 – Jesus is called “pure” (sinless).

These are descriptions that go far beyond any other prophet in Islam.

Islam Isn’t Continuing the Prophets—It Contradicts Them

The Qur’an claims to confirm the earlier prophets (Surah 2:136), but it denies the key truths they revealed:

• The prophets saw God enter creation (Genesis 18, Exodus 3).
• They called God Father (Isaiah 63:16, Matthew 6:9).
• They foresaw a divine Messiah (Daniel 7, Isaiah 9).

Islam replaces these truths with a distant deity who cannot be known personally.

Conclusion

So—is Jesus God? The Bible says YES! The prophets say yes. Jesus Himself says yes. And even the Qur’an, though it denies His Divinity, can’t fully escape the Divine echoes in His identity.
The early Christians knew it, lived it, and died for it. I agree with Thomas when he declared -John 20:28:

“My Lord and my God!” (Ho Kyrios mou kai ho Theos mou)

The early Christians were persecuted and killed for refusing to say “Caesar is Lord”—instead, theydied defending and proclaiming:
Ἰησοῦς Κύριος (Iēsous Kyrios)– Jesus is LORD!

And 2000 years on, we continue and will forever boldly confess:
Ἰησοῦς Κύριος–JESUS IS GOD.
And He is worthy of all worship—now and forever. Amen.

If you’re a Christian—stand firm in this Scriptural truth. Live it. Preach it. Defend it.
If you’re a Muslim—I urge you: don’t settle for secondhand information. Go to the original sources as the Quran commands (Surah 5:47-“Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein”-Yusuf Ali). Read the Gospels. See what Jesus really said and did.