<h2>The Ongoing Identity Theft of Jesus</h2>
The divinity of Jesus has been questioned for thousands of years.

It's not surprising that one of the first recorded instances of this divine doubt occurred before Jesus officially started his ministry. According to the gospel of Matthew, Jesus was fasting in the desert for 40 days when the devil approached Jesus in the wasteland and questioning the Lord's deistic attributes.
<h3>Appealing to Appetite</h3>
We read in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A3-4&amp;version=NKJV">Matthew 4:3-4</a> that the tempter questioned that if Jesus was indeed the Son of God, then Jesus would be able to turn nearby rock piles warmed by the sun into piles of warm bread. Jesus parried with the classic, "...<em>man shall not live by bread alone...</em>" verbal retort despite the gnawing hunger in his human belly. This exchange clearly shows that both individuals knew that Jesus was both God and man.
<h3>Appealing to Prophecy</h3>
Subsequently the devil quotes scripture to Jesus, as seen in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A5-7&amp;version=NIV">Matthew 4:5-7</a>, where the adversary asserts that Jesus could fling himself from the cliff and the "<em>...angels would bear him up...</em>" in a seeming appeal for Jesus to fulfill prophecy written centuries before that the Messiah would have to die. Jesus didn't fall for it - figuratively nor literally. The scriptures state that Jesus was closely attuned to the will and timing of God, and that his time of death had not yet come - further solidifying his deity identity.
<h3>Appealing to Compassion</h3>
The chapter goes on to state in <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+4.8-11/">Matthew 4:8-11</a> that the devil changed tactics and tried to appeal to Christ's love of humanity by offering the world which had been subjected to demonic control since The Fall in Eden in exchange for Jesus falling to his knees in worship of the first fallen angel.

Had Jesus agreed to this quick-fix alternative to salvation - and he could have - the earth might have been redeemed but not the way that God had wanted. Jesus knew thbecause of his celestial connection to the father.

One stern rebuke from Jesus and the devil left - while Jesus' divinity was challenged in was not diminished in any way.

However, had Jesus yielded to any of those temptation attempts it would have resulted in the most epic identity theft in the history of the universe because the devil would have ascended above the Most High.

Again Jesus' divine identity prevented that.
<h3>Other Divine Identity Theft Attempts</h3>
Throughout the remainder of Jesus' recorded life, the scriptures state that his heavenly sonship continued to be questioned. Perhaps most notable are several examples at the time of his crucifixion:
<ul>
	<li>Roman guards beat and mocked Jesus demanding a display of his power - <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/22-64.htm">Luke 22:64</a> and <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+23%3A36-38&amp;version=AMP">Luke 23:36-38</a></li>
	<li>The magistrate Herod demanded a sign or miracle - <a href="http://www.biblica.com/bibles/chapter/?q=Luke%2023:8-11">Luke 23: 8-11</a></li>
	<li>One of the thieves crucified along side of Jesus also demanded a sign and power display - <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+23.39-43/">Luke 23:39-43</a></li>
	<li>As well as local leaders who stood and watched him die mocked Jesus' divinity - <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+23%3A33-35&amp;version=NIV">Luke 33:35</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Restraint Was Jesus' Greatest Miracle</h3>
One of the most interesting yet overlooked aspects of Jesus' identity was that he never felt compelled to prove himself to anybody. Jesus wasn't moved to miracles by violence, coerscion or even threat of death. He was moved by compassion, faith and recognize that he was who he said he was.

Even while hanging on the cross, amidst the sneering jeers to save himself and thereby prove his divintiy to the people, Jesus knew that if he came down off that tree his identity as a sinless sacrifice and sole path for redemption would have been abdicated and his divine mission forfeited.

Jesus was the only one who knew that, and his restraint to maintain that identity ultimately reconciled us back to the Father.
<h3>Hijacking Jesus's Identity Today</h3>
Fast forward 2,000 years to the current era where we routinely, albeit unwittingly perhaps, try to strip Jesus of his divinity today. When believers and non-believers alike give God an ultimatum that they will only believe in him if he acts or intervenes on their behalf for healing, finances, peace, relational restoration or any other legitimate need - how are we any different than those we've looked at who goaded God to act such as the robber, Herod, the centurions or even satan?

We aren't.

Hopefully we can identify with that fact and find grace waiting.

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