Part 5 - The Synoptic Gospels and Acts - Jesus Claims and Receives What Belongs to God
A common objection holds that the deity of Christ is a late development, present in John but absent from the earlier Synoptic Gospels. The objection does not survive contact with the text.
Matthew opens by naming Jesus Immanuel, God with us. Mark records Him forgiving sins in the second chapter, and the scribes react exactly as monotheists should — who can forgive sins but God alone? Jesus does not correct them; He proves the claim. He accepts worship on the water, answers the high priest with the divine I AM, and claims all authority in heaven and on earth. The Synoptics make the same claim as John; they simply make it by narration rather than by prologue.
This post covers the Synoptic material and the two decisive texts in Acts.
Matthew 1:22–23 — Immanuel: God With Us
"Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which translated means, 'God with us.'"
Matthew functions as the bridge between the Old and New Testament. He explicitly identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah's Immanuel prophecy and then, importantly, provides the translation: "God with us." For Matthew, Immanuel is not a theological symbol or a spiritual metaphor — it is a literal description of who this child is. Jesus is God. With. Us. The incarnation is the arrival of God Himself in human flesh.
"God with us" — μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ θεός (meth' hēmōn ho theos) — Matthew places this confession at the very opening of his Gospel and echoes it at the close, where the risen Jesus promises: "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). The Immanuel who arrived at the birth is the Immanuel who remains with His people forever. This is a deliberate framing of the entire Gospel around the truth of the divine presence in Christ.
Grant Osborne [^43]: "Matthew's translation of Immanuel as 'God with us' is a deliberate theological statement. For Matthew, this is not metaphor — Jesus is literally God present in human flesh. The Gospel opens and closes with this promise of divine presence (1:23; 28:20), and it is the ultimate answer to Israel's longing for the divine presence that had departed the Temple (Ezekiel 10-11)."
Matthew 14:25–33 — Walking on Water; Worshipped as the Son of God
"And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea... Those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, 'You are certainly God's Son!'"
Walking on Water: A Divine Prerogative
The OT consistently attributes the authority over water and sea to YHWH alone (Job 9:8: "Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea"; Psalm 77:19: "Your way was in the sea...Your footprints may not be known"). When Jesus walks on the sea, He is doing what only God does in the OT — exercising sovereign authority over the created realm. This is a theophanic act — a divine self-revelation in nature.
Matthew 14:33: προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ (prosekynēsan autō) — προσκυνέω (proskyneō; BDAG 882) — "they worshipped Him." This is the same verb used for worship of God throughout the NT (Matthew 4:10: "You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only"; Revelation 5:14: "the elders fell down and worshipped"). The disciples do not merely bow respectfully — they offer the worship that belongs to God, and Jesus accepts it.
Grant Osborne [^44]: "The worship offered to Jesus in v. 33 is not reverence for a great teacher or prophet — it is the divine worship (proskyneō) that belongs to God alone. The disciples' confession 'You are certainly God's Son' is not a polite title — it is the dawning recognition of Jesus' divine identity."
Matthew 16:13–17 — You Are the Christ, the Son of the Living God
"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?'... Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.'"
Peter's Confession and Jesus' Response
ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος (ho Christos ho huios tou theou tou zōntos, "the Christ, the Son of the living God") — Peter's double title is carefully constructed. "The Christ" identifies Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah; "the Son of the living God" identifies His divine nature.
The phrase τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος (tou theou tou zōntos, "of the living God") — the genitive specifies whose Son He is: the living God's own Son. This is not the metaphorical sonship that Israel collectively enjoyed (Hosea 11:1) or that individual Israelites could claim — it is the unique, ontological divine Sonship that defines Jesus' very nature and being.
Jesus does not merely accept the confession — He pronounces a blessing on it: "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." This knowledge came by divine revelation — it is not human opinion or religious speculation. The Father directly revealed that Jesus is His Son. This divine affirmation of Peter's confession confirms that "the Son of the living God" is the correct understanding of who Jesus is.
Matthew 26:62–66 — Before the Sanhedrin: Blasphemy or Truth?
"The high priest stood up and said to Him, 'Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?' But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, 'I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.' Jesus said to him, 'You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.' Then the high priest tore his robes and said, 'He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?' They answered, 'He deserves death!'"
The Trial as Theological Testimony
Under oath — "I adjure You by the living God" — the high priest asks the most legally binding possible question. Jesus responds affirmatively ("You have said it yourself" — a Jewish idiom of affirmation under oath, equivalent to "Yes") and immediately escalates the claim by citing Daniel 7:13: "the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."
The Sanhedrin did not accuse Jesus of claiming merely to be a prophet or a king. They charged Him with βλασφημία (blasphemia, "blasphemy") — the specific charge applicable to claiming to be God (Leviticus 24:16). The sentence was death. They were not wrong about what He claimed — they were wrong about whether it was true.
Mark's parallel (Mark 14:62) is even more explicit: Jesus answers with the unambiguous ἐγώ εἰμί (egō eimi, "I AM") — again invoking the divine name — followed by the Daniel 7:13 claim. The combination is unmistakable: Jesus claimed to be both the pre-existent divine Son (Psalm 110:1; Daniel 7:13–14) and the I AM of Exodus 3:14.
Matthew 28:18–20 — All Authority; The One Triune Name
"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"
"All Authority in Heaven and on Earth"
πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς (pasa exousia en ouranō kai epi gēs, "all authority in heaven and on earth") — This is a claim to absolute, universal sovereignty. "In heaven and on earth" encompasses all of reality. No human being, no prophet, no king, no angel has "all authority in heaven and on earth." This is a declaration of divine sovereignty — the resurrection has vindicated Jesus' claim to be Lord over all creation, the fulfillment of Daniel 7:14 ("all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him").
"The Name" — Singular
εἰς τὸ ὄνομα (eis to onoma, "in the name") — Note the singular name (ὄνομα), not names (plural). Three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — share one singular divine Name. This grammatical fact is one of the most significant Trinitarian statements in Scripture. If the Son were a subordinate being of lesser divinity, His name would not be coordinate with the Father's in the single name into which disciples are baptized. The singular onoma implies the unity of nature shared by the three persons.
Mark 2:1–12 — Authority to Forgive Sins: A Divine Prerogative
"When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.' But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 'Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?' Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, 'Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven"; or to say, "Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk"? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'—He said to the paralytic, 'I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.' And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone.'"
"Who Can Forgive Sins But God Alone?"
The scribes's theological objection is accurate: "who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Mark 2:7). In the OT, forgiveness of sins was exclusively YHWH's prerogative (Isaiah 43:25: "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake"; Psalm 103:3: "Who pardons all your iniquities" — spoken of YHWH). Priests offered sacrifices that pointed toward divine forgiveness; they could not directly pronounce the forgiveness of sins as their own personal act.
Jesus does not claim to be a conduit of God's forgiveness — He says ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι (aphewntai sou hai hamartiai, "Your sins are forgiven") — a direct, authoritative declaration spoken in His own name. He then performs the miracle to demonstrate that His authority to forgive (the inward, invisible reality) is real — just as His authority to heal (the outward, visible reality) is real. The healing is the proof of the deity.
Ben Witherington III [^45]: "In pronouncing the paralytic's sins forgiven on his own authority, Jesus is claiming a divine prerogative. The scribes have it exactly right: only God forgives sins. Jesus is not correcting their theology — He is confirming it and claiming to be that God."
Mark 14:61–64 — I AM: Before the High Priest
"But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, 'Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' And Jesus said, 'I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.' Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, 'What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?' And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death."
Mark's account uses the clearest form of Jesus' answer: ἐγώ εἰμί (egō eimi, "I AM") — the unambiguous, absolute divine name (cf. John 8:58; Exodus 3:14). Paired with the Daniel 7:13–14 claim ("Son of Man coming with the clouds"), Jesus simultaneously claimed to be the divine I AM and the eschatological figure who receives universal worship and eternal dominion. The verdict of the Sanhedrin — "deserving of death" for blasphemy — reflects their accurate understanding of His claim, even if their rejection of it was tragically wrong.
Luke 1:35 — The Holy One; Son of God
"The angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.'"
"For That Reason"
διὸ καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον κληθήσεται υἱὸς θεοῦ (dio kai to gennōmenon hagion klēthēsetai huios theou) — "for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God." The διό (dio, "for that reason, therefore") is critical: Jesus is called the Son of God because of His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit — not merely as an honorific title but as an identification of His divine origin and nature. He is the Son of God because He is God the Son — the eternal second person of the Trinity entering human existence through the virgin's womb.
"The Most High will overshadow you" — ἐπισκιάσει (episkiasei, "will overshadow"; BDAG 379) echoes the divine שְׁכִינָה (šĕḵînāh) cloud that "overshadowed" the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:35: "Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle"). Mary's womb becomes the new Tabernacle — the dwelling place of the Most High's own glory.
I. Howard Marshall [^46]: "The 'Son of God' title here is not a messianic honorific but a statement of ontological reality. The child born is the Son of God in the fullest sense — because His conception is the act of the Holy Spirit and the Most High's power, not of human generation."
Luke 7:47–50 — Jesus Forgives Sins Again
"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven... He said to the woman, 'Your sins have been forgiven.' Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, 'Who is this man who even forgives sins?' And He said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'"
The reaction of the dinner guests — "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" — echoes the scribes' theological alarm in Mark 2:7. Both groups understood the theological weight of Jesus' declaration. Only God forgives sins. By repeatedly pronouncing direct, authoritative forgiveness of sins, Jesus repeatedly claims a divine prerogative. The pattern is consistent, deliberate, and unmistakable.
Acts 2:36 — Lord and Christ
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified."
The Title "Lord" (Kyrios)
κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ χριστὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός (kyrion auton kai Christon epoiēsen ho theos, "God has made Him both Lord and Christ") — κύριος (kyrios; BDAG 576), "Lord." As noted in the Introduction, kyrios is the standard LXX translation of יְהוָה (YHWH). To declare Jesus as Kyrios — in the mouth of a first-century Jewish apostle, preaching to a Jewish crowd — is to identify Jesus with the covenant name of the God of Israel.
Peter's sermon has just cited Psalm 110:1: "The LORD said to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand'" (Acts 2:34–35), applying it to the risen Jesus. The conclusion (v. 36) is the direct inference: "God has made Him both Lord (= YHWH) and Christ." This is the apostolic kerygma from day one: Jesus is YHWH, seated at the right hand of power.
The claim is not that Jesus became Lord at the resurrection (as if He were not Lord before) — rather, the resurrection publicly established and vindicated the Lordship that was His from eternity. Romans 1:4: He "was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead."
Acts 20:28 — The Church of God; Purchased with His Own Blood
"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."
"The Church of God...His Own Blood"
This verse presents one of the most striking statements of the deity of Christ in the NT, precisely because of its theological precision. "The church of God" — the church belongs to God. "Which He purchased with His own blood" — God purchased the church with His own blood. The antecedent of "He" is God. The "own blood" (τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου) refers to blood that is intrinsically God's. The only coherent interpretation: God shed His own blood at the cross — which is possible only because God the Son became incarnate.
τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου (tou haimatos tou idiou, "His own blood") — ἴδιος (idios; BDAG 467), "one's own, peculiar to oneself." This cannot refer to Christ as a separate being from God whose blood happens to be used — the sentence structure attributes the blood to God directly. This is why Paul can say that Christ's blood has infinite, divine value: it is not the blood of a mere human or even a superior angel, but the blood of God incarnate.
F. F. Bruce [^47]: "The phrase 'His own blood' is remarkable — it attributes to God Himself the blood shed at Calvary. This is only coherent on the premise of the Incarnation: the second person of the Trinity, who is God, took on human flesh and shed His own divine-human blood for the redemption of the church."
The Series
Part 5 of eight in the series Jesus is God: A Series on the Deity of Christ.
- Part 1 - The Case for the Deity of Christ - How Scripture Makes the Claim
- Part 2 - Messianic Prophecy and the Deity of Christ - Seven Old Testament Texts
- Part 3 - YHWH Texts Applied to Jesus - The Old Testament's Boldest Claim
- Part 4 - The Gospel of John and the Deity of Christ
- Part 5 - The Synoptic Gospels and Acts - Jesus Claims and Receives What Belongs to God (this post)
- Part 6 - The Epistles and the Deity of Christ
- Part 7 - Revelation and the Deity of Christ - Worship at the Throne
- Part 8 - Errors About the Deity of Christ - Arianism, Islam, Modalism, and More
Author
Raised in a Christian home, I came to faith later in life. A family crisis in 2019 drove me to study Scripture deeply, and by 2021 I answered my calling to ministry and teaching God's Word.
