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At various times in history, certain so-called scholars have asserted that Jesus never claimed to be God’s Messiah. Yet the biblical record shows just the opposite. Here is one place in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 14. As our Lord finished praying in the garden of Gethsemane, the soldiers arrested him and led him away to the high priest’s home. There, the guards mocked and beat Him, hurling all sorts of insults at him. At daybreak, the council of elders assembled, and the soldiers stood Jesus before them. The council found false witnesses to accuse our Lord, but their testimonies contradicted each other. Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, “Well, are you not going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself? Jesus kept silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I AM. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” In view of this statement by Jesus, along with other similar statements, it is strange to hear people say that Jesus never claimed to be God in the flesh. In truth, He came to pay our sin debt. As God in the flesh, He qualified to be our sin bearer. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice to take away the sin of all who trust in Him.
