Can Anyone Claim To Be Equal To Jesus?

By Pastor Joel – Open Heaven Christian Church – Fisher, Arkansas

Many false Pastors or Teachers today are presenting Men as equal to Jesus, some have gone as far as to claim that they are “little gods,” this is nothing more than PRIDE mixed with ARROGANCE and directly contrary to the testimony of Scripture. This is also the same lie that the serpent fed Eve in the garden of Eden when the devil enticed her to become like God. The true reality is that No one can be like God or equal to Jesus the Son of God.

Genesis 3:4-5

“ 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

The Bible does not merely present Jesus as equal to us; it presents Him as Lord, Creator, Son of God, sinless Savior, High Priest, King of kings, and the One who is exalted above every name.

1. Jesus is the Creator — we are His creation

This alone makes the claim extraordinarily difficult to defend biblically.

John 1:1–3

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Jesus is the Word. John says the Word was God, and that all things were made by Him.

We did not create ourselves. Jesus created us.

Colossians 1:16–17

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

Notice the extent of Paul’s statement:

• things in heaven

• things in earth

• visible things

• invisible things

• thrones

• dominions

• principalities

• powers

All things were created by Him and for Him.

We are part of the creation. Jesus is the Creator.

2. Jesus is God — we are not God

John 1:14

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

The Word who was God in John 1:1 became flesh.

That is Jesus Christ.

John 20:28

After Thomas saw the risen Christ:

“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”

Thomas called Jesus:

“My Lord and my God.”

And Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for saying it.

3. Jesus has a name above every name

Philippians 2:9–11

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Notice:

a name ABOVE EVERY NAME.

That includes our names.

Every knee will bow.

Every tongue will confess.

Jesus Christ is Lord.

4. Jesus is Lord over us

Acts 10:36

“The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)”

The Bible does not say Jesus is merely one of us.

It says:

“he is Lord of all”

If He is Lord of all, then He is Lord over us.

5. Jesus is superior even to Moses

This is particularly powerful because Moses was one of the greatest servants of God in the Old Testament.

Hebrews 3:3–6

“For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

Look carefully at the distinction:

Moses = servant.

Christ = Son over the house.

And the writer explicitly says Christ was worthy of “more glory than Moses.”

6. Jesus is greater than the angels

If Jesus is greater than the angels, He certainly cannot biblically be reduced to merely being our equal.

Hebrews 1:4–6

“Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”

Jesus is:

“so much better than the angels.”

And God commands:

“Let all the angels of God worship him.”

7. Jesus has an eternal throne

Hebrews 1:8

“But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

Notice what the Father says unto the Son:

“Thy throne, O God”

Jesus possesses an eternal throne.

We do not.

8. Jesus is higher than every human priest

The Old Testament priests were merely men. Jesus is the eternal High Priest.

Hebrews 7:24–26

“But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;”

Look at the final phrase:

“made higher than the heavens.”

That’s not merely equal to us.

Jesus is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and higher than the heavens.

9. Jesus never sinned — we do

This is another enormous distinction.

1 Peter 2:22

“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:”

2 Corinthians 5:21

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Hebrews 4:15

**“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Jesus was tempted like we are.

But:

we sin.

Jesus did not sin.

10. Jesus is the only mediator between God and mankind

1 Timothy 2:5–6

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

Notice something important here.

Paul calls Him:

“the man Christ Jesus”

So yes, Jesus truly became man.

But His humanity does not make Him merely our equal. Rather, the God-man became our mediator and gave Himself as our ransom.

11. Jesus has authority to forgive sins

Mark 2:5–12

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.”

The scribes understood the theological issue:

“who can forgive sins but God only?”

Jesus then demonstrated that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins.

12. Jesus has authority over eternal life

John 5:21–23

“For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”

This is devastating to the idea that Jesus is merely our equal.

God has committed all judgment to the Son.

And God says:

“That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.”

13. Jesus is the Judge of mankind

John 5:22

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:”

We don’t judge Jesus.

Jesus judges us.

14. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords

Revelation 19:16

“And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Think about the wording.

Not:

King among kings.

But:

KING OF KINGS

Not:

Lord among lords.

But:

LORD OF LORDS

15. Jesus existed before Abraham

John 8:56–58

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

Jesus did not say:

“Before Abraham was, I was.”

He said:

“I AM.”

That is extraordinarily significant because “I AM” is the language God used in Exodus.

Exodus 3:14

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

Jesus claimed preexistence before Abraham and used the divine “I AM” designation.

16. Jesus and the Father are one

John 10:30

“I and my Father are one.”

The Jews understood the significance of what Jesus was saying.

John 10:31–33

“Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”

They understood His claim.

17. Jesus is the exact image of the invisible God

Colossians 1:15

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:”

And Paul immediately explains His supremacy:

Colossians 1:17–19

“And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;”

That phrase is critical:

“that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

Preeminence means first place, supremacy, superiority.

18. The fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus

Colossians 2:9–10

“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:”

The contrast is beautiful:

Jesus possesses the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

We are complete in Him.

We don’t make Christ complete.

Christ makes us complete.

19. Jesus is the way to the Father — we are not

John 14:6

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Notice the direction:

We come to the Father through Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t need to come to the Father through us.

20. Jesus is the only name whereby we must be saved

Acts 4:10–12

“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved.

We are not saviors.

Jesus is the Savior.

21. Jesus is the Lamb who takes away sin

John 1:29

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Jesus takes away our sin.

We cannot take away Jesus’ sin because Jesus has no sin.

22. Jesus conquered death

Revelation 1:17–18

“And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

Jesus possesses:

“the keys of hell and of death.”

That is not the position of an ordinary man.

23. Even death itself is under Jesus’ authority

John 11:25–26

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Jesus didn’t merely say:

“I can teach you about resurrection.”

He said:

“I am the resurrection, and the life.”

24. Every knee will bow to Jesus

Isaiah 45:23

“I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

Now compare that with the New Testament:

Philippians 2:10–11

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Paul applies the language of Isaiah concerning the Lord to Jesus Christ.

25. The ultimate biblical answer

If someone says:

“Even Jesus is not better than us.”

The Bible’s answer is not merely one verse.

It is an entire theological structure:

And Scripture gives the conclusion explicitly:

Colossians 1:18

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

“IN ALL THINGS HE MIGHT HAVE THE PREEMINENCE.”

That is the biblical answer.

One important distinction

There is a legitimate biblical statement that Jesus became fully human.

Hebrews 2:9

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

Jesus humbled Himself and became man.

But becoming man did not make Him merely equal to mankind in every respect.

Philippians explains what happened:

Philippians 2:6–8

“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

He “was in the form of God” and then “took upon him the form of a servant.”

His incarnation was humiliation, not proof that He was merely our equal.

And what follows?

Philippians 2:9–11

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The simplest biblical refutation

If you wanted to answer this false teaching with just five passages, I would use:

John 1:1–3 — Jesus is God and Creator.
Colossians 1:16–19 — All things were created by Him and He has the preeminence.
Hebrews 1:4–8 — Jesus is better than the angels and is addressed as God.
Philippians 2:6–11 — Jesus humbled Himself but is exalted above every name.
Acts 4:10–12 — Salvation is found in Jesus alone.

The biblical position is therefore not “Jesus is no better than us.”

It is:

Jesus is the Creator, and we are His creation.
Jesus is the Savior, and we need salvation.
Jesus is the Lord, and we are to serve Him.
Jesus is the Judge, and we will stand before Him.
Jesus is the King, and every knee will bow before Him.
Jesus is the Son of God, and Scripture commands that He receive the same honor due to the Father.

And perhaps the strongest single verse against the statement is Colossians 1:18:

“that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

There is simply no biblical basis for placing Jesus on the same level as sinful humanity.

Jesus is God and Lord, men are sinners in need of the Lord to save them, that’s the true reality!

1 John 1:8

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”