What does the word divinity mean? The definition of divinity as an adjective is ‘of’ or ‘like God.’ As a noun ‘Divine’ means ‘the providence of God.’ In Colossians 2 verse 9 it is written: ‘For in Him (Jesus Christ) all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.’ The Bible teaches that Jesus existed before His physical birth in John 1 verses 1-3: ‘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 came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.’
In John 8 verse 42 it is recorded that Jesus said: ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent me.’ Thus Jesus existed before Abraham.
Jesus existed before John the Baptist, even although John was six months older than Jesus, humanly speaking (read John 1:15).
Jesus’ divine supernatural birth was predicted by Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14 and chapter 9 verse 6: ‘For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.’
In Matthew 1 verse 23 it states: ‘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.’
In 1 Timothy 3 verse 16 it states: ‘By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He (Jesus Christ) who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.’
Jesus was born by a Word from God and it was a sinless conception; Matthew 1 verse 18: ‘Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, Mary was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.’
In Matthew 1 verses 19-20 we read: ‘Joseph was a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace Mary, Joseph hid Mary away secretly. An Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying: Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child conceived in her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit.’
Joseph was instructed by the Angel of the Lord to call his name Jesus (meaning ‘Saviour’), for He will save His people from their sins. Saving people is a divine work; only God can save you from your sins.
Jesus Christ’s divinity was confirmed by miraculous signs. In Matthew 4 verses 23-25 it states: And Jesus went about in all of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease, and sickness among the people. All the news about Him went out into all Syria, and they brought Him all who were ill, taken with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and He healed them. And great multitudes followed Him from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem, and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.’ Jesus Christ testified about His divinity in the following statements: John 10 verse 30: ‘I and the father are One’; John 17 verse 21: ‘That they may all be one, even as you Father are in Me and I am in the Father, that they also may be in Us (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) that the world may believe that You, Father sent Me.’
John 10 verse 38 states: ‘Believe the works that I do, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.’
The Apostle Peter, one of Jesus disciples, testified about the divinity of Christ. In 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 3, 4 it states: ‘Seeing that His (Jesus Christ) divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these he has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature.’
The testimony of His works and miracles speak loudly of His divinity. In John 14 verses 10-12 we read: ‘Do you not believe that I am in the father and the father in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own initiative, but the father abiding in Me does his works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the father in Me, otherwise believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly I say unto you, he who believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go to my Father.’
At Jesus’ transfiguration His disciples witnessed the divinity of Jesus in heavenly form. Mark 9 verses 2-8 state: ‘Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!’ All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.’
At Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, the empty tomb was recorded in John 20 verses 1-29: ‘Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’ So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the facecloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and that He had said these things to her.
So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.’
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’
After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’
The resurrected Jesus appeared to His disciples the third time and it is recorded in John 21 verse 14. This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My lambs.’ He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd My sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’
Jesus’ ascension is recorded in Mark 16 verse 19, which states: ‘So then when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them (the disciples), He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.’
The Qur’an has plenty of evidence to support the divinity of Jesus too. A list of evidence and references are stated below:
a) Isa’s miraculous birth – Surah 3 ayah 42-47
b) Mary was chosen and purified by Allâh – Surah 3 ayah 42-45
c) Isa was to be called Jesus – means Saviour and Messiah – means anointed One – ayah 45
d) Isa would be held in high honour in this world and the next – ayah 45
e) Isa to be the one nearest to Allâh – ayah 45
f) Isa is divine because he was created by Allâh – ayah 47
g) Allâh was Isa’s Father – Surah 19 ayah 28 h) Isa was a Spirit proceeding from Allâh – surah 4 ayah 17
i) Isa was given clear signs and Allâh strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit – Surah 2 ayah 87
j) Isa had peace on Him on the day He was born, the day that He dies and the day that he shall be raised back to life again. Surah 19 ayat 33-34
k) Isa was a Sign (a revelation) unto men and a Mercy from Us. Surah 19 ayah 21
l) Isa came to earth with Wisdom in order to make clear some of the points you dispute. Fear Allâh and obey Me. Isa is the One to be obeyed. Surah 43 ayah 63
m) Isa was Mary’s Son divinely conceived and made a Sign for all peoples. Surah 21 ayah 91.