The Divinity of Jesus Christ: The Walk & Voice of God
Overview
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Jesus claimed to be the Almighty God on several occasions by applying to himself the exclusive titles and descriptions of God from the Old Testament. Familiarity with the Old Testament is therefore vital for understanding and recognising Jesus' self-identification as the Almighty God in the New Testament. Jesus' decision to communicate his identity by using the thought categories and religious texts of Judaism makes perfect sense, for Jesus came as the Jewish Messiah and to minister firstly among the Jewish people. Like Jesus, the New Testament authors also describe Jesus as the Almighty God by using the exclusive titles and descriptions of God from the Old Testament.
The following is an example of Jesus communicating his identity as the Almighty God (in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit) by applying to himself a title or description of God from the Old Testament.​
The Walk & Voice of God
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The Old Testament states that only God can walk on the sea because only God is the Almighty Creator (Job 9:8). The idea of God walking on the sea is symbolic imagery and its purpose is to emphasise that creation is under God’s feet and subject to His authority because He alone is the Almighty Creator. However, Jesus purposefully applied this imagery to himself in the New Testament by walking on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22-34, Mark 6:45-53 & John 6:16-21). Just as the sea (or creation) is under the authority (or feet) of God as the Almighty Creator, so too is the sea (or creation) under the authority (or feet) of Jesus. Jesus' identity as the Almighty God (in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit) is therefore evidenced by the fact that Jesus walks where only God can walk.
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The Old Testament also states that God's voice is over and above the mighty waters as God speaks with power and majesty as the Almighty Creator (Psalm 29:3-4 & Isaiah 48:12-13). ​However, it was the voice of Jesus in the New Testament that quieted a fierce storm while sailing across the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41 & Luke 8:22-25). Just as God's voice (or authority) is over and above the waters (or creation), so too is Jesus' voice (or authority) over and above the waters (or creation). It should be noted too that Jesus didn’t pray to God or invoke God to calm the storm. Instead, Jesus spoke directly and authoritatively to the storm and it immediately subsided into a perfect calm. Jesus' identity as the Almighty God (in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit) is therefore evidenced by the fact that the voice of Jesus is heard by creation as the voice of God. ​​​
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Bible Passages
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Job 9:8
(8) He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
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Psalm 29:3-4
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(3) The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. (4) The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
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Isaiah 48:12-13
(12) Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. (13) My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.
Matthew 8:23-27
(23) Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. (24) Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. (25) The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
(26) He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
(27) The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
Matthew 14:22-34
(22) Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. (23) After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, (24) and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
(25) Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. (26) When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
(27) But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
(28) “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
(29) “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (30) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
(31) Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
(32) And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. (33) Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
(34) When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.
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Mark 4:35-41
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(35) That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” (36) Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. (37) A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. (38) Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
(39) He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
(40) He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
(41) They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Mark 6:45-53
(45) Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. (46) After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
(47) Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. (48) He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, (49) but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, (50) because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (51) Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, (52) for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
(53) When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.
Luke 8:22-25
(22) One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. (23) As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
(24) The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. (25) “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
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In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
John 6:16-21
(16) When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, (17) where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. (18) A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. (19) When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. (20) But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” (21) Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
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