His disciples who believed in him, understood him to teach his divinity. "My Lord and my God." [Footnote 9] was the expression of the faith of Thomas. "The Word was God," [Footnote 10] that of John.
[Footnote 9: John xx., 28.]
[Footnote 10: John i., 1.]
So the Jews understood him, who did not believe. "The Jews answered him: for a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because that thou, being a man, MAKEST THYSELF GOD!" [Footnote 11]
[Footnote 11: John x., 33.]
The Jews understood then perfectly well, that in calling himself the true, proper, and only Son of God, the Christ and Saviour of the world; and in working miracles, forgiving sins, and preaching salvation, in his own name, and by his own authority, and not as a mere prophet—he asserted his own true and proper divinity, and made himself God.
In support of this claim, Jesus Christ repeatedly appealed to his resurrection. He foretold his death; and declared that he would show himself to be the true Son of God the Father, having the same divine nature and the same divine power with him; by raising himself from the dead on the third day. "The Son of Man shall be in the heart of the earth, three days and three nights." [Footnote 12]
[Footnote 12: Matt, xii., 40.]
This was said to the Scribes and Pharisees who wished him to give them a sign which should prove him to be the true Christ. When he drove out the men who were trafficking in the courts of the Temple, the Jews said to him: "What sign dost thou show unto us, seeing thou dost these things? Jesus answered and said unto them: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. But he spoke of the temple of his body." [Footnote 13] It is remarkable that he does not declare that he will be raised to life by his Father, but by himself. "I lay down my life that I may take it again. No man taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of my self, and I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again." [Footnote 14]