Did Jesus View Himself as God?

     We know that Jesus viewed Himself to be God because HE TAUGHT WITH DIVINE AUTHORITY.  At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, “the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” Matt 7:28-29. 

     The teachers of the Law had no authority of their own.  Their authority came from their use of earlier authorities.  Even Moses and the other OT writers did not speak in their own authority, but would say, “This is what the Lord says.”  Jesus interprets the Law by saying, “You have heard that it was said. . . . But I say to you“ (see 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44).  This divine authority is shown with staggering clarity when He speaks of Himself as the Lord who will judge the whole earth and will say to the wicked, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (7:23). 

     No wonder the crowd was amazed at the authority with which Jesus spoke.  He acknowledged the authority of the Law (5:18) and put His words on an equal plane with it: “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not  an iota,   not a dot, will pass from the Law  until all is accomplished (5:18); “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (24:35). 

     In other words, Jesus taught the people as though He was God Himself!  Did Jesus see Himself as God?  Absolutely!  John 8:24