Did Jesus Say He was God? – Jesus Answers Caiaphas, Part 2
Did Jesus ever say He was God? Well, yes and no. He never explicitly said, “Hey everyone, I’m God!” That would have been nice for those of us that aren’t Jewish and only read English Bibles. However, Jesus was Jewish and He actually did claim to be God, but He did so in various Jewish ways that are often missed. Today we’ll see that Jesus claimed to be the one coming on the clouds in Matthew 26:64.
“Coming on the Clouds” – Matthew 26:64 & Daniel 7:13
Last week we talked about the Thursday night when Jesus was arrested and brought before people of the Jewish court system (the Sanhedrin). As Jesus silently stood there, Caiaphas, the high priest, finally commanded Jesus to answer. Caiaphas said, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus answered by saying, “You have said so,” which was a positive affirmation that He is the Messiah. That alone is a claim to be God! However, there’s more to the story. Here’s what Jesus says next:
“But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64).
It’s easy to miss that Jesus is actually referring to an Old Testament passage in Daniel chapter 7. This chapter talks about a vision Daniel had. Check it out:
“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9-10).
This incredible scene unfolds in a heavenly court. There were multiple beasts that were about to be judged [that’s a topic for another time!]. Suddenly Daniel sees “one like a son of man.” Son of man is a common Old Testament phrase that means “human being.” So, Daniel is seeing someone like a human being “coming with the clouds of heaven” (Daniel 7:13). Daniel continues:
“He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).
This is quite the vision! But notice that the one coming with the clouds of heaven is not only like a human being, but was given all authority. Only God Himself has complete sovereignty (Psalm 89:1-18). So, we have to ask ourselves…
Who is this Cloud Rider?
There are several instances in scripture where it talks about someone riding on the clouds. Interestingly, aside from Daniel 7:13, the Old Testament always speaks of Yahweh God as the rider of the clouds. Here are some examples:
Exodus 19:9 – The LORD [Yahweh] said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud”
Deuteronomy 32:26 – There is no one like the God of Jeshurun [Israel], who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.
Psalm 68:4 – Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD [Yahweh].
Psalm 68:32-33 – Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens, who thunders with mighty voice.
Psalm 104:2-3 – The LORD [Yahweh] wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.
Isaiah 19:1 – See, the LORD [Yahweh] rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt.
Yahweh God is always described as the Cloud Rider… except for Daniel 7:13.
Why is that important? It’s because Daniel’s Cloud Rider is someone who is like a human being, yet He is God. The ancient Jews referred to Daniel’s Cloud Rider as the second Yahweh figure – I’ve written about this in a previous blog post. This is proof that they already had shelf space in their minds for a Holy Trinity!
Back to Jesus Answering Caiaphas…
Considering everything you just read, look at what happens in Matthew 26 when Jesus answers Caiaphas by referring to Himself as Daniel’s Cloud Rider:
“Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered.” (Matthew 26:65-66)
The reason the entire Sanhedrin was so upset was because Jesus not only affirmed that He was the Messiah, but also that He is the second Yahweh figure whom they believed to be God! And there we have it! Jesus’ answer to Caiaphas was His way of saying, “Yep, I’m God.” Also, it’s worth pointing out that this isn’t the only time scripture affirms Jesus as the Daniel 7 Cloud Rider…
Matthew 24:30 – And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
Mark 14:62 [this is the same event with the Sanhedrin] – I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Revelation 1:7 – “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.
Did Jesus claim to be God? He sure did! But, again, He did so in very Jewish ways. However, this isn’t the only way Jesus claimed to be God. We’ll see several more examples as we continue in this series. Stay tuned!