While Jesus was born in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7), He was no ordinary man. Of all the people who have ever entered this world, Jesus was unique. He was God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). This is certainly not the only passage in the New Testament that refers to Jesus as being God. Consider these other references.
Acts 20:28 (ESV)
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
Titus 2:13 (NKJV)
13 Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Hebrews 1:6 (ESV)
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
These passages powerfully express the deity of our Lord. The passages I appreciate the most, however, are those that speak of His divine image. If you ever need a reminder of just how great Jesus is, I recommend that you study the first chapter of Colossians. For now, consider with me just a few of the statements that Paul makes about Christ.
Colossians 1:15 (ESV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
While we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), Jesus is the image of God. He is an exact replica of the Father. This is why He told Philip, “Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
The Hebrews writer referred to Jesus in perhaps an even more powerful way. He called Him “the exact imprint of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3). The word imprint refers to the image left by an engraving tool. The image made by an engraving tool is exactly like the image on the tool itself. It is an exact copy (Strong).
There is one person who has ever lived in this world who can be described like that, and that, of course, is Jesus. We know what the Father is like because we know what Jesus is like. Indeed, Jesus is divine. But Paul was not finished.
Colossians 1:16 (ESV)
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth…
How could anyone be so silly as to think that Jesus is a created being? He was not created; He is the Creator of all things. Every Bible believer knows that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). That Jesus was involved in the creation is affirmed, not only here by Paul, but, once again, by the Hebrews writer who declared that God created the world through Him (Hebrews 1:2).
Jesus was the active agent in the creation of the universe. Since the language of Genesis demands a creation that was ex nihilo, i.e., creation from nothing, and since only God can create something from nothing, Jesus must be God. But not only did Jesus create the universe, Paul tells us that He holds it all together (Colossians 1:17).
Jesus is God, and He is amazingly great. Yet, in all His greatness and power and strength, He was willing to die for us on the cross. That might be the highest of all His demonstrations of greatness.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.