TheDivinityofJesusAccordingto:Matthew

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IhadcomeacrosssomeinterestingdiscoverieswhilestudyingtheGospelaccordingtoMatthewand
Kostenberger/Kellum/QuarlesIntrotoNTTextbook(TheCradle,theCross,andtheCrown).What
hadfirstdrewmuchofmyinterestwerevariouslocationswhereitappearedMatthewalludeddirectly
tothedivinityofJesus.OneexampleinparticularoccurredinreferencetoJohnastheonewho
preparesthewayfortheLORD.IntheOldTestamentHebrew,inwhichMatthewisdirectingusto
(Isaiah),thewordforLORDisGodsformalname,YHWH.Assuch,readingtheprophecy,Iwas
undertheimpressionthattheonewhowouldpreparethewayinthewildernesswaspreparingtheway
forYHWH.ItwouldthenappearJesuswasbeingidentifiedasthissamepersoninwhomthe
messengerpreparedfor.Thiscausedmetodosomefurtherexploring,andIcameacrossthenameof
Jesus,Immanuel.Godiswithus(orGodwithus)couldthenbeperceivedasbeingusedbyGodin
combinationwiththisreferenceinaliteralsense.Notmerelyhiswill,oravehicleofhiswill,asbeing
withus.Theversecanimply,alongsidethemessengerinthewildernesstext,theliteralarrivalofGod
(viatheSonofGod).
ItwouldappearthatMatthewisthusarguingforJesusdivinity.Ithenbegananinvestigationofhis
text,andfoundanimportantcitationofthispreparationforYHWHsarrivallaterinMatthewswork
aswell.TherepetitionemphasizedagainthiscomingofYHWH,asnowreferencedbyJesusinregards
toMalachi4(IamgoingtosendyouElijahtheprophetbeforethegreatandawesomeDaytheLORD
[[
comes.Mal4:5).Jesusaffirms,uponhisdeath,thatJohntheBaptistwasinfacttheElijahwhowould
preparethewaybeforeYHWHcame.WhenreadingMalachi,againwefindthatthetextisarguingfor
thecomingofYHWHhimself.ThisdoublerepetitionfromdualOTsourcessupportedmysuspicions,
andIcontinuedmyinvestigations.
Inshort,Idiscovered5referencesalludingtothepossibledivinityofJesus.Matthewdescribes
accountsofJesuswhereasheisexplainedinfashionssimilartoYHWH(Transfigurationand
theophanies),takesuponresponsibilitiessolelyinthedomainofYHWH(LordoftheSabbath,etc),
andreceivesactionssolelybelongingtoGod(suchasworship,asJesusaffirmsbelongingsolelyto
GodinMt4).
WhenIcollectedthesepiecesofevidence,Ialsonoticedthevariousoccurrenceswherehewascharged
withblasphemy,addingstrengthtothepresentationandtermsasbelongingsolelytoGod.Itwould
appearthattherearevariouselementsinMatthewsaccountthataffirmthatImmanuelistobetaken
literal,asGodliterallybeingwithus,andhavingliterallyCome.Mysuspicionswerefurthered,andI
continuedtheinvestigation.WhatIlaterfoundwasinterestingaswell:
IA:Matthewplacestwoinclusiosaroundhistext.ThefirstisthefocusonthisKingDavid,theDavidic
messiahexpectedtoruleandestablishthiseternalkingdom(seethegenealogyinMt1:117).Hethen
closeshisaccountwithJesusresurrectingandaffirmingthathehasallauthorityinheavenandon
earth,matchingspecificallythecentraltextsdescribingtheOTeternalDavidicking.
IB:Secondtothis,andofgreaterimportant,isourImmanuelconcept.Itopensthetextfollowingthe
genealogy(linkingthesetwomaininclusiosinsomefashion),whereasinMt1:23theImmanuel

meaningGodiswithuspassageisgiven.Throughoutthetextswethenfindalltheseoccurrencesthat
argueinfavorofMt1:23beingliteralandconfirmedviaJesus.Howeverthestrongestpointforme
cameinacombinationofthesevarioussupportiveevidences(especiallythewilderness/pathepisodes)
andJesusfinalcommand,wherehedeclaredIamwithyoutilltheendoftheage.Theinclusio
appearstomequitevisible!HerewearepromisedinthebeginningofthetextthemessianicDavidic
king.Inthefirstchapter,weareremindedthisGodiswithUsImmanuel.WethenconcludeMatthew
withJesusstatingthatheisinfactthiseternalDavidicking,butthatheiswithus,forever.TheIAm
positioningofhissentenceisevermoreconvincingandshouldntbeoverlookedgivenjewish
sensitivities(seetheIAmstatementsinothergospels,andhowthePhariseesresponse!).
Ididthisstudyrecreationallylastnight,soitmayobviouslyhaveitsflaws.Iamnotsuggestingthe
variousevidencesproposedMUSTbedeterminedasaffirmingJesusdivinityasGOD,butIam
suggestingthat,takenasawhole,theystronglypointinthedirection.Ibelievethisstrengthened
furtherbytheinclusioofMatthewstext,whereashewrapstheentirenarrativewiththisconceptof
Godbeingwithus.Thisisthenevenfurtherstrengthenedwhenwebegintocompareitwithothertexts
suchasJohn(John1comingtomind),orotherevents(ThomasdeclaringJesusashisLordandhis
God).
Itisfoodforthought.IamattachingaPDFwhichgoesthroughthesupportiveevidenceofmy
suggestionsinanoutlineform.YoucanseeacolorcodedmethodexpressingtheLargerInclusions(IA
EternalKingDavid,&IBGodisWithUs),aswellasaminorinclusio(Aworship)whichwrapsthe
otherevidenceinfavorofperceivingJesusasaliteralfulfillmentofthetwogreatpassagesreferencing
thecomingofYHWH(BandC).Ifyouareshortontime,Iwouldatleastrecommendyoulookat
InclusioIAandIB,aswellasthetwopointsregardingthewildernessandthemessengerforYHWHs
coming.Ibelieveyoullfindthattextuallyandapologeticallyuseful.
Anysuggestions,observations,comments,critiques,andeditorialnotesarewelcomed.Iplanondoing
theotherthreegospelsaswell,toseeif(besidesobviouslyJohn),thereisafocusonthisdivinityof
Jesus.Ifanything,ithelpsusbetterunderstandthesetermsSonofMan&SonofGod,aswellas
alternativeswaystoconfrontthosewhodenyJesusdivinity.