Jesus was condemned because of His identity, not His actions. He was condemned for claiming to be God in the flesh. No accusation from any accuser would work. He was not charged with any of the false charges the religious leaders were always accusing Him of such as healing on the Sabbath and violating their traditions. He was condemned to die for one reason—He said He was God. His own testimony is what sealed His fate, but it was this testimony that is crucial to what Christianity is. It is no wonder that Jesus made this the reason for the cross. If He is just another man on the tree nothing will ever be different. Men will continue in their sin. But He is not just man but is the God-man, making His worth infinite and His sacrifice sufficient for sinners.

The Apostles’ Testimony to Jesus’ Deity

All of the Apostles gave testimony to the deity of Christ in their preaching. But the greatest testimony they afford us is their willingness to suffer persecution and even death for their belief that Jesus was God in the flesh. For more than three years they lived with Jesus day and night. They witnessed His personality and character and knew that it was faultless. They saw Him under the worst of attacks; they watched as the most intense hatred of Jesus’ enemies was leveled against the Lord and He maintained self-control. They observed miracles that only the Creator could perform. And they saw Him triumphant over the last enemy, death, which removed any doubt they might have had of His deity. Seeing the resurrected Jesus elicited from Thomas the proclamation “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

Surely, if these men knew that Jesus was not resurrected and therefore was not God, there is no plausible explanation why they would be willing to die for a lie. These Apostles of Jesus underwent terrible and severe grief for their belief of their Master’s deity.