But we do not need to rest the case here. There is a third unanswerable
line of proof that Jesus Christ is God, namely, _all the distinctively
Divine offices are predicated of Jesus Christ_. There are seven
distinctively Divine offices. That is to say, there are seven things
that God alone can do, and each one of these seven distinctively Divine
offices are ascribed to Jesus Christ. The seven distinctively Divine
offices are: Creation, Preservation, Forgiveness of Sin, the Raising of
the Dead, the Transformation of Bodies, Judgment, and the Bestowal of
Eternal Life, and each of these is ascribed to Jesus Christ. Creation
is ascribed to Him. In Heb. 1:10 these words are spoken to our Lord:
+"And thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the
earth; and the heavens are the works of thy hands."+ The context
clearly shows that the Lord addressed is the Lord Jesus. In John 1:3
we are told that +"All things were made through him; and without him
was not anything made that was made."+ Preservation of the universe
and of everything is also ascribed to Him in Heb. 1:3 where it is said
of the Lord Jesus, +"Who being the brightness of his glory, and the
express image of his+ (i.e., God's) +substance and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged
our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high."+
The forgiveness of sin is ascribed to Him. He Himself says in Mark
2:5-10 when His power to forgive sins was questioned, because that was
recognised as a Divine power, +"That ye may know that the Son of
man hath power on earth to forgive sins."+ The future raising of
the dead is distinctly ascribed to Him in John 6:39, 44, +"And this
is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which He hath
given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last
day. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw
him: and I will raise him up at the last day."+ The transformation
of our bodies is ascribed to Him in Phil. 3:21, R. V. In 2 Tim. 4:1
judgment is ascribed to Him: we are told that He shall "judge the quick
and the dead." Jesus Himself declared that He would be the judge of
all mankind, and emphasised the fact of the Divine character of that
office. In John 5:22, 23 He said, +"For neither doth the Father judge
any man, but He hath given all judgment unto the Son, that all men may
honour the Son, even as they honour the Father."+ The bestowal of
eternal life is ascribed to Him time and time again. In John 10:28 He
Himself says, +"And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."+ And
in John 17:1, 2, He says, +"Father, the hour is come; glorify thy
Son, that the Son may glorify thee: even as thou gavest Him authority
over all flesh, that to all whom thou hast given him, He should give
eternal life."+ Here then we have the seven distinctively Divine
offices all predicated of Jesus Christ. This alone would prove that
He is God, and we might rest the case here, but there are still other
proofs of His absolute Deity.
IV. STATEMENTS WHICH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ARE MADE DISTINCTLY OF
JEHOVAH, GOD, TAKEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT TO REFER TO JESUS CHRIST
The fourth line of proof of the absolute Deity of Jesus Christ is found
in the fact that _over and over again statements which in the Old
Testament are made distinctly of Jehovah, God, are taken in the New
Testament to refer to Jesus Christ_. We have not time to illustrate
this at length, but will give but one illustration where many might be
given. In Jer. 11:20 the prophet says, +"But, O Lord of hosts, that
judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see
thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause."+
Here the prophet distinctly says that it is Jehovah of Hosts who
_judgest_ and _triest the reins and the heart_. And in the 17th chapter
and the tenth verse Jeremiah represents Jehovah Himself as saying the
same thing in these words, +"I, Jehovah, search the heart, I try
the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, according to
the fruit of his doings."+ But in the New Testament in Rev. 2:23
_the Lord Jesus_ says, +"I am he which searcheth the reins and
the hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your
works."+ We are distinctly told in the context that it is "The Son
of God" who is speaking here. So Jesus claims for Himself in the N. T.
what Jehovah in the O. T. says is true of Himself and of Himself alone,
and in very many other instances statements which in the Old Testament
are made distinctly of Jehovah, God, are taken in the N. T. to refer
to Jesus Christ. This is to say, in New Testament thought and doctrine
Jesus Christ occupies the place that Jehovah occupies in Old Testament
thought and doctrine.
V. THE WAY IN WHICH THE NAME OF GOD THE FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST THE SON
ARE COUPLED TOGETHER
The fifth line of proof of the absolute Deity of our Lord is found
_in the way in which the name of Jesus Christ is coupled with that
of God the Father. In numerous passages His name is coupled with the
name of God the Father in a way in which it would be impossible to
couple the name of any finite being with that of the Deity._ We have
time for but a few of the many illustrations that might be given. A
striking instance is in the words of our Lord Himself in John 14:23
where we read, +"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me,
he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and he will come
unto him, and make our abode with him."+ Here our Lord Jesus does
not hesitate to couple Himself with the Father in such a way as to say
"_we_," i.e., _God the Father and I_ will come and make our abode with
him. In John 14:1 He says, +"Let not your heart be troubled: Believe
in God, believe also in me."+ If Jesus Christ was not God this
is shocking blasphemy. There is absolutely no middle ground between
admitting the Deity of Jesus Christ and charging Christ with the most
daring and appalling blasphemy of which any man in all history was ever
guilty.