@Ze_sAiNt Thanks for sharing your thoughts and questions. This opens the door for some interesting and useful discussion!
You are sharing good, logical questions, and I am happy to delve into them!
If you have read the Bible well, you would know that miracle is not the test to determine whether someone is God. Others in the Bible have performed miracles, yet you would not take them as your god:
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." [Matthew 24:24]
"Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’
”So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent."[Exodus 7:8-10]
It seems that you are suggesting that Jesus Christ Himself was a "false Christ".
There are two possible sources of supernatural power. God, and God's and humankind's enemy, Satan, who was created to be a holy angel, but rebelled and was thrown down from heaven.
Revelation 12:7-12
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
The Egyptian sorcerers were getting their power from Satan, as were the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:7-20) and the demon-possessed slave girl who was able to give supernaturally received information and bring her owners a profit, until Christ's apostle Paul expelled the demon in Christ's name, as seen in Acts 16:16-24.
Acts 16:16-24
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days.
But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The end of Satan and his demons is described in Revelation 20:10.
10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
It's important to recognize that we have an enemy who wants to destroy us. It is because of Satan that the world is full of deception (many false religions) and suffering.
Jesus, was, in fact, accused of casting out demons by the power of Satan.
Matthew 12:22-30
22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
Jesus' supernatural power is not coming from Satan. Satan is the enemy of God.
Jesus' supernatural power is coming from God, obviously.
So, is Jesus just a man? Or is Jesus both fully God and fully man like the Bible teaches?
Would God give supernatural power to a liar?
John 5:18
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
John 5:23
23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
Jesus uses the same words that God Himself used from the burning bush with Moses to describe Himself, saying that "before Abraham was, I AM." The Jews were so angry that He was calling Himself God that they picked up stones to stone Him to death, but Jesus just supernaturally walked right through them.
Exodus 3:14
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
John 8:48-59
48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”
52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ 53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. 55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
So it is clear that Jesus made Himself out to be God.
There are 3 possiblities.
1. Jesus is lying.
2. Jesus is insane.
3. Jesus is telling the truth.
The possibility that Jesus is a good man or a good human prophet does not exist, because good men and good prophets don't go around lying to people and telling everyone they are God.
So we see the evidence:
Jesus had supernatural power to do miracles.
The supernatural power did not come from Satan, but came from God.
Jesus called himself God.
Jesus is God.
So then you bring up some good questions:
Where does Jesus say in the Bible that He is God? Prove it to me. Quote me an unequivocal statement from the Bible where Jesus either says "I am God" or where he says "Worship me". Do that, and I am ready to accept him as my God. In fact, Jesus never made such a claim. To make your task easy, find a red letter bible where every word Jesus ever spoke is in red.
On the contrary, Jesus said again and again:
"The Father is greater than I." [John 14:28]
"My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all..." [John 10:29]
"I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." [John 5:30] - incidentally, anyone who submits his will to the Almighty God is a muslim by definition. Jesus Christ was a muslim.
But why go that far to prove that Jesus is not God? The answer to that is in the Lord's Prayer. Here is the quote, with a little emphasis on the pronouns:
"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." [Luke 11:9-10]
Where does Jesus say he is God? On the plain sight of it, you can make out that Jesus is actually praying to God...
These are great questions, because how does it make sense for God to pray...to Himself? Why is Jesus saying "The Father is greater than I?"
The answer lies in the dual nature of Christ.
Jesus Christ was fully God, AND fully man.
He was born of a virgin, human woman by the Holy Spirit, so He did not inherit sinfulness like all the rest of us do from our parents. Isaiah prophesied about His birth 700 years earlier. Immanuel means "God with us" and describes Jesus as being God in the flesh, here with us.
Matthew 1:18-23
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Philippians 2:5-11
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus was in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. He MADE Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself and became obedient. At the name of Jesus, every knee should BOW...every tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD.
Jesus
took on humanity, and in His
humanity, was lower than God. He did not lose His God-ness, but He took on humanity. Why??
So He could keep the law perfectly (where we cannot) so that He could become the sacrifice for our sins, and die. He needed to be human so he could take our place of punishment. He needed to be under the law as a human, so He could obey it perfectly, never sinning, and He needed to be human so He could die. The wrath of God was put on Him over our sin.
Hebrews 2:5-9
5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. 6 But one testified in a certain place, saying:
“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
7
You have made him a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And set him over the works of Your hands.
8
You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
So we see that in His humanity, Jesus was a "little lower than the angels" and that the reason for Him taking on humanity was so that He might taste death for everyone.
God can't be killed. But God taking on humanity, can die in His humanity, on our behalf.
Jesus ate, drank, slept, cried like other humans. It is in His humanity that He was made lower, and in His humanity that He has humbled Himself. Yet He remains God at the same time and every knee will bow at the name of Jesus in the end.
I'll post this for now, and then continue on your other points.
