Sunday Worship | June 28th, 2026 | Belief: Is Jesus Really God?

The question “Is Jesus really God?” sets the whole matter right in front of the church, because the answer is not small. The answer settles everything. The answer gives a foundation deeper than feelings, needs, or church habits. The truth of Jesus’ identity becomes the anchor for worship, because “it’s very hard to truly worship a God that you don’t know.”

Scripture begins with God speaking. Genesis shows God saying, “Let there be light,” and creation obeying his spoken word. John reaches back to that same beginning and says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word that made all things did not stay far off. The Word became flesh and dwelt among humanity. Jesus Christ is that Word, God himself manifest in flesh, coming near not because life in this world was easy, but because humanity needed redemption.

The incarnation shows the ultimate act of God revealing himself. God did not only speak creation into being. God came into creation. The same God who made the universe became the baby in Bethlehem’s manger, the miracle-working teacher, the crucified ransom, and the resurrected Savior. In Christ, “all the fullness of the Godhead” dwells bodily. Jesus is not Jehovah junior, not one option among many, not merely a good prophet. Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

The Old Testament had already foretold his coming with detail that could not be faked. Genesis promised the serpent would be crushed. Micah named Bethlehem. Isaiah spoke of a virgin-born child called God with us. Zechariah pictured the donkey. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 described suffering, piercing, shame, and reconciliation. These prophecies stand as a testimony that God had been telling the story long before Bethlehem.

Jesus himself also claimed divine identity. Jesus forgave sins, called himself one with the Father, said those who had seen him had seen the Father, and used the holy name “I Am.” The religious leaders knew what he meant, and that is why they reached for stones and charged him with blasphemy. Jesus left no middle ground. He is either deceitful, deranged, or Lord of all.

The resurrection gives the decisive proof. Miracles showed his power, but the empty tomb uniquely declares his deity. Jesus died, was buried, and raised himself from the dead. The disciples saw him, touched the scars, ate with him, and gave their lives because death had truly been defeated. The incarnation changed everything: God came near, and after the resurrection and ascension, his Spirit could live inside those who belong to him.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Knowing God anchors true worship The desire for blessing cannot replace the need for relationship. Worship grows shallow when God is treated only as an answer to a crisis, but worship deepens when his nature is known through his Word. The doctrine of Christ’s deity is not abstract information, but a foundation that steadies the heart when life feels like “a lot.” [42:25]
• 2. The Word became flesh Genesis shows God creating by his spoken Word, and John shows that same Word taking on humanity. The incarnation means God did not shout salvation from a distance, but stepped into sorrow, suffering, and death to redeem sinners. The mystery is great, but the purpose is clear: Jesus came to draw humanity back to himself. [52:29]
• 3. Jesus demands preeminence, not prominence Colossians does not allow Jesus to be merely respected, admired, or added to a shelf of spiritual ideas. “All things” were created through him and for him, and in him “all the fullness” dwells. Prominence gives Jesus a place, but preeminence gives Jesus the highest place, the ruling place, the place that reorders everything else. [56:42]
• 4. The empty tomb proves everything Miracles revealed the compassion and power of Jesus, but the resurrection stands as the capstone miracle of Christianity. No other teacher, prophet, or holy man raised himself from the grave. The empty tomb declares that Jesus is not simply helpful, inspiring, or moral, but Lord over death itself. [80:25]
• 5. Incarnation changed relationship forever The burning bush, angels, priests, and prophets all pointed toward a fuller revelation still to come. In Jesus Christ, the invisible God could be seen, heard, touched, and known. The greatest result is not only that God came near, but that through Christ his Spirit can dwell within his people.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [36:18] - Building a Bible Foundation
• [37:45] - Is Jesus Really God?
• [42:25] - Knowing God Through His Word
• [44:29] - The Mystery of Godliness
• [45:34] - Genesis and the Spoken Word
• [48:12] - John’s Witness to the Word
• [52:09] - God Revealed in Flesh
• [55:14] - Colossians and Christ’s Fullness
• [60:51] - Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus
• [66:31] - Jesus Claimed to Be God
• [76:42] - Jesus Proved He Is God
• [80:25] - The Resurrection as Final Proof
• [85:07] - Everything Changed at the Incarnation
• [88:27] - Invitation to Surrender to Jesus

Bible Reading

John 1:1-3, 14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [48:34] [49:15]

Colossians 1:15-20
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” [55:17] [56:42]

1 Timothy 3:16
“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” [44:29]

Colossians 2:9
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” [58:40]

Observation questions

1. In John 1, what does the passage say about the Word before creation, during creation, and then later in human history? [52:09]
2. In Colossians 1:15-20, what repeated words or phrases show how central Jesus is in creation, the church, and reconciliation? [56:42]
3. In 1 Timothy 3:16, what parts of Jesus’ life and ministry are listed as part of the “mystery of godliness”?
4. What Old Testament details about the Messiah’s coming were highlighted, and which parts of Jesus’ life did they point to? [01:03:02]

Interpretation questions

1. John says the Word was God and then says the Word became flesh. What does that help a group understand about who Jesus is, not just what Jesus did? [52:29]
2. Colossians says Jesus must have preeminence, not just a place among many other things. What is the difference between giving Jesus prominence and giving him preeminence? [56:54]
3. Jesus forgave sins, said that seeing him was seeing the Father, and used the name “I Am.” Why did those claims create such a strong reaction from the religious leaders? [01:11:14]
4. Many miracles showed power, compassion, and authority, but the resurrection stands alone. Why does the empty tomb carry a different weight than the other miracles? [01:20:25]

Application questions

1. It is hard to truly worship a God who is not really known. What usually shapes a person’s view of Jesus most right now—Scripture, church habit, personal need, pain, or something else? What would it look like to know him more deeply through his Word this week? [42:25]
2. Jesus did not stay far away from human sorrow and sin, but came near in flesh. Where is there a need right now to remember that God is not distant from suffering, confusion, or weakness? [52:40]
3. Jesus deserves preeminence, not just respect. What tends to compete for first place in a person’s life—work, fear, relationships, comfort, reputation, or control? How can Jesus be given the highest place in a practical way this week? [57:03]
4. If Jesus truly is God manifest in the flesh, then he cannot simply be treated as a helpful teacher. In what ways is there a temptation to admire Jesus without fully surrendering to him? [01:15:32]
5. The resurrection means death did not win and Jesus is Lord over all. Where does someone in the group most need that hope right now—in grief, anxiety, guilt, disappointment, or weariness? [01:23:00]
6. God came near so that relationship with him could become personal, and through Christ his Spirit can dwell within his people. How would daily life look different if that truth was remembered in the middle of ordinary moments? [01:26:17]
7. Jesus’ identity settles everything. Is there an area of life that still has not been fully placed under his lordship? What would surrender look like there—specifically and honestly? [01:28:37]