[Power of the Word] Christ's Claims
Daniel Brady
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”
--Luke 18:19
I believe it is clear from Scripture that Jesus was worshiped by those around Him. However, as I stated previously, if Jesus is not God, then those who worshiped Him would be sinning, and Jesus would have chastised them for it. However, we see from the Gospels that Jesus willingly received their worship.
But now let us turn to the claims of Jesus Christ Himself. Did Jesus ever claim to be God? The answer is yes. Of course, we are all familiar with John 8:58, in which Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” We are also familiar with the moment during the Last Supper in which Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” In dismay, Jesus responds by saying, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:8-9). This is very closely associated with John 10:30, in which Jesus states, “I and the Father are one.”
But today’s focal verse is found in Luke 18 and come from Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler. Now, we are all familiar with this story. The rich young ruler comes to Jesus, asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responds by reminding him of the Ten Commandments. The young man, seeking to justify himself, states that he has always done his best to keep the Commandments. And then Jesus gets to the heart of the matter, telling him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will find treasure in heaven” (Luke 18:22).
When addressing this passage, this is what most preachers focus on as they preach against the love of money. And rightfully so. I do believe this is the main point of the passage. However, in the midst of it, there is a commonly overlooked verse in which Jesus makes a statement, the point of which we dare not miss.
When the rich young ruler first approaches Jesus, he says. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (v. 18). Then, before actually addressing the question put to Him, Jesus asks a question of His own—“Why do you call Me good?” He then drives the point home by saying, “No one is good except God alone.”
Interestingly enough, Jesus does not wait for an answer, and this aspect of the conversation quickly ends. But allow me to expound for a moment on what Christ is saying. He says, “Only God is good. And yet you call Me ‘Good Teacher.’ Do you realize what you are saying? By calling Me ‘Good Teacher’, you are saying that I am God. Are you ready to make such a statement? Are you willing to acknowledge My deity? Do you or don’t you believe that I am God? Because if I am not God, then you had better not call Me ‘Good Teacher’!”
Now, if Jesus were merely a righteous man, a respected religious teacher, but not God (as many allege), then His statement would have been radically different. Rather than simply asking, “Why do you call Me good?”, Jesus would have made the emphatic statement, “Do not call Me good. Only God is good. And I am not God.”
But Jesus does not say this. He asks the question, “Why do you call Me good.” And then He does not wait for an answer. He simply goes on to address the question asked Him. The fact that He does not wait for an answer indicates to me that He wants the young man to answer the question for himself, within the privacy of his own heart. At the same time, He is establishing His own right and authority to answer the question. for indeed, who but God can truly tell a man how to receive eternal life?
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