Did Jesus Claim to be God?

Ask "casual " Christians the question, "who was/is Jesus?", and I think you'll find that most would answer something along the lines of  "the Son of God", "the Messiah", "the Christ", "the chosen one", the savior of the world", etc.  Yet Christianity, since it is supposed to be a monotheistic faith, ultimately must and does take the position that Jesus is actually God himself, God in the flesh, God who became man.  Ultimately for Christianity to be true Jesus must be Yahweh, even though they are supposed to be different "persons", but yet are the same "Godhead", however that's supposed to work, you know, that old holy trinity thing.

And indeed the more fundamentalist Christians readily assert that yes, Jesus IS God!  Jesus is LORD!  But yet to many, Jesus was simply a great moral teacher, an itinerant Jewish preacher, who did not see himself as God, but was only later deified by his followers after his death, just as happened with Buddha, and various other religious figures.  But NO!, say the fundamentalists and apologists, Jesus could not have been a great moral teacher because he claimed to be God!  So he was either Lord, liar, or lunatic, they say.  And the very foundation of this argument is the claim or assumption that Jesus indeed did claim to be God.

But is that true?  Did Jesus REALLY claim to be God?  (at least as given by the gospel accounts of his words) If he didn't, and if he actually denied being God, well then that sort of spells problems for the Christian faith.  But if he DID claim to be God, that in of itself wouldn't mean that much, since others have claimed to be God, and anybody can make that claim as well.  So we have here an argument that really cuts one way more than the other.

It seems that there are places in the gospels where Jesus seems to imply, maybe, that he could be God.  But nowhere does he come out and say "I'm God".  But then again, in places Jesus seems to outright deny being God, or he draws distinctions between himself and God.  So let's take a look at the verses, both the ones that apologists cite when they make their case that Jesus is God, and the ones that seem to imply the opposite, that Jesus wasn't God: 

Was God verses

Jesus allowed himself to be worshipped: (Apologists say that Jesus allowed himself to be worshipped by others without correcting or rebuking them.  Since only God is to be worshipped, this implies that Jesus indeed claimed or thought himself to be God)

They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11

While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples.  Matthew 9:18-19

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased. Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!” Matthew 14:31-33

As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him….When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted. Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Matthew 28:9,17-18

It happened, while he blessed them, that he withdrew from them, and was carried up into heaven. They worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.  Luke 24:51-53

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.” He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him. John 9:35-38  

Proof that only God was to be worshipped:

Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’" Matthew 4:10

Other verses cited: (*Apologists cite certain verses as indicating that Jesus claimed to be God, but to suit their purpose they selectively omit parts.  When taken in context the verses actually indicate the opposite; see the same verses cited in the "Wasn't God" section below)

According to the scribes only God can forgive sins, and here Jesus is claiming to have the power to forgive sins:

Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Mark 2: 5-7*

This is probably the most overt part of the Gospels indicating that Jesus is God.  The beginning of the Gospel of John says that Jesus was there with God in the beginning, and the world and all things were made through him, and that he is "the word" became flesh, and that "the Word was God".

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it… The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’” From his fullness we all received grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him. John 1:1-5, 9-18

Jesus called God his father, making himself equal to God in the eyes of the Jews:

But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, so I am working, too.” For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God. John 5:17-18 *

Jesus declares that you must believe in him to have life:

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty John 6:35  

Jesus said that he is from above, not of this world, implying divinity:

Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”… He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he (or I AM), you will die in your sins.” John 8:12, 23-24

Jesus said he existed before Abraham, and making a blatant reference to the name of God (I am):

The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.” Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the midst of them, and so passed by.  John 8:57-59

Jesus is equating himself to God, saying that they are one:

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:29-30*

Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. He who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.  John 12:44-46

Here Jesus is saying that he is "Lord":

You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am. John 13:13

In an often-quoted verse, Jesus says that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and  tells the people he is addressing that by seeing him they have seen the Father.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him.” John 14:6-7

The disciple Thomas calls Jesus "Lord and God", and Jesus doesn't correct him:

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.” John 20:28-29  

Apologists also commonly quote these other verses from the New Testament as "proof" that Jesus was/is God:

Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power;  Colossians 2:9-10 (note: the "Godhead" translation is contentious, considering that most modern versions do not include it; see here for alternate translations)

They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59-60

When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last, and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades. Revelations 1:17-18 (see also Isaiah 44:6 This is what Yahweh, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies, says: “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.)

Wasn't God verses

(**see the same verse quoted out of context above)

The scribes took it as a blasphemy that Jesus told a man his sins were forgiven, since in their view only God can forgive sins. But Jesus didn't respond that he could forgive sins because he is really God, but only that he has the authority (given by God?): 

Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.”  Mark 2:5-11**

Jesus corrects someone who calls him good, saying that only God is good:

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. Mark 10:18

Jesus reaffirms the major emphasis of the Old Testament/Jewish Scriptures- that God is one, and there is none other but he.  He doesn't say that the Lord is three, or three in one, or one in three, or three "persons" in one "Godhead", but one:

One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?” Jesus answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he.  Mark 12:28-32  

Jesus said that there were some things he didn't know, that only the Father knows:

Most certainly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Mark 13:30-32

When Jesus asks his disciples the question of "who do you say that I am", Peter seems to correctly answer that he is "The Christ (the chosen one/anointed one) of God", but not that he is actually God:

It happened, as he was praying alone, that the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” They answered, “‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.” Luke 9:18-21  

This says that the will of Jesus and God are different. Jesus prays to God, first asking that he not have to go through with the crucifixion, but then submits and asks that God's will, not his, be done:

He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”  Luke 22:41-42

Jesus says that it is not his decision but God's, as to who is to sit on his right and left:

He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” Matthew 20:23

Jesus doesn't know when the end of the world will come, only God knows:

But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36 (some manuscripts include "nor the son")

Jesus said he was there to do God's will (as opposed to his own):

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work  John 4:34

The Jews wanted to stone Jesus because they thought he was making himself equal to God by calling him his own father.  But Jesus seems to correct them of this, explaining that he could do nothing of himself (but does claim that he will be given all judgment):

But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, so I am working, too.” For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus therefore answered them, “Most certainly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does, these the Son also does likewise. For the Father has affection for the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does. He will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires. For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.  John 5:17-23**

Jesus here draws distinction between his own will and God's, and that he was sent by God, and given works to accomplish:

I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me…. But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John, for the works which the Father gave me to accomplish, the very works that I do, testify about me, that the Father has sent me. The Father himself, who sent me, has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. You don’t have his word living in you; because you don’t believe him whom he sent.  John 5:30, 36-38

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.” They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?’” Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. John 6:38-44

Jesus says that his teaching is not his, but God's:

Jesus therefore answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone desires to do his will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if I am speaking from myself. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. John 7:16-18

Jesus says he can do nothing of himself, that God sent him, and is with him, and he always does things that are pleasing to God:

Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.” They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me, nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” … They said therefore to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.” They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father. Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things. He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” John 8:16-19, 25-29

Jesus says he didn't come of himself but of God:

Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me…. Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our God. You have not known him, but I know him. John 8;42, 54-55

Jesus says that he and the father are one.  That could mean a unity of purpose (such as a team being one), or like-mindedness, but it could also mean he was claiming to actually be God, which is how the Jews took it.  Yet when the Jews want to stone Jesus for (in their view) making himself God, he corrects them that he is actually the son of God, and questions why they should have a problem with that, when people themselves were called gods by God, quoting Psalm 82. 

I and the Father are one.” Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?” The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ (Psalm 82:6) If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken), do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” John 10:30-38**

Again in multiple places Jesus draws distinctions between himself and God, and says that he spoke not of himself but of God:

Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. He who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day. For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.” John 12:44-50

Jesus specifically states that God is greater than he is, in contrast to the orthodox Christian theology of the trinity, in which Jesus and God (and the Holy Spirit) are equal.

Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me… You heard how I told you, ‘I go away, and I come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said ‘I am going to my Father;’ for the Father is greater than I. Now I have told you before it happens so that, when it happens, you may believe. I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here. John 14:23, 24, 28-31

Jesus was sent by the only true God, as opposed to being that God:

This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.  John 17:3  

The closing of the Gospel of John states that Jesus is the Christ and the son of God, but not that he is actually God:

Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31

Prayed to God: In many places Jesus prays to God.  If he is really God then how can he be praying to himself?

Then little children were brought to him, that he should lay his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. Matthew 19:13

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. Mark 1:35 

But he withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed. Luke 5:16

It happened in these days, that he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12

It happened, as he was praying alone, that the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” Luke 9:18

It happened, that when he finished praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1  

Jesus asks God to forgive the men who crucified him, instead of just forgiving them himself:

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

Jesus even prayed to God that the cup be taken from him (that he should not have to go through with the crucifixion):  Wasn't this supposed to be the very purpose for which God sent himself down to earth in the form of a man?  Wasn't this supposed to be the thing that he/they had been planning in order to redeem humanity, ever since the fall of man some 4000 years prior, the very thing for which he/they had been preparing and grooming the Jewish people as a chosen/holy race? And then Jesus doesn't want to go through with it? But then Jesus relents, and asks that God's will, and not his, be done:

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me.” He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.” Matthew 26:36-39

They came to a place which was named Gethsemane. He said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.” He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be greatly troubled and distressed. He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch.” He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him. He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Please remove this cup from me. However, not what I desire, but what you desire.” Mark 14:32

He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. When he rose up from his prayer, he came to the disciples, and found them sleeping because of grief  Luke 22:41-45  

While hanging on the cross, Jesus even cried out to God, asking why he had forsaken him.  This is quite strange, since this was supposed to be the very reason God sent himself down to earth, and then God is asking himself why he has forsaken himself?  So while that doesn't make much sense, what does make sense is that this seems to be gospel writer using an opportunity for Jesus to quote Psalm 22:

About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46

At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” Mark 15:34-35

My take on it:

Now as to whether or not Jesus actually claimed to be God, that is pretty ambiguous.  While there are a few versus that seem to imply that Jesus thought or claimed he was God, he never really says it outright, and there are many more verses where Jesus denied being God, or drew distinctions between himself and God, or stated that he was lesser than God. 

The apologists have an answer to that, of course.  The view is that Jesus, though he was God, voluntarily and temporarily gave up part of his god-hood in becoming a man.  He had two natures, God and man, and in his nature as man he indeed was lesser than God the father.  But that didn't mean that he wasn't God. This is nothing new, of course, as this thought was expressed a very long time ago, by Paul:

Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor. You have put all things in subjection under his feet. ”For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don’t see all things subjected to him, yet. But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.   Hebrews 2:7-9

So does it make sense that the supreme being of the universe would/could limit himself in taking on the form of a man so that he is temporarily not omnipotent?  On some level it does.  The very act of a supreme being taking on the form of a lowly human would be in itself would be a limitation of this being.  So the idea that in this form he would have uhm, "reduced powers" might be plausible.  Of course he could no longer be omnipresent when in the form of a man since a man can only be in one place at a time.  But could God give up omniscience when taking on another form?  I guess you have to think so if you're a Trinitarian, since per above Jesus said there are things he doesn't know but "only the Father knows".  Did he forget stuff that he already knew in becoming a man? Yet, how could Jesus have desires and intents that differed from God's, such as the desire not to go through with the crucifixion?   How could he say that his will was different from "his Father's".  In taking on human form, did God's will change?  And if Jesus was God how could he pray to himself?  And why did he cry out to God while on the cross, "why have you forsaken me?"?  That just sounds to me like this crucifixion thing didn't turn out the way he thought it would.  And why did he say on the cross "Father forgive them" instead of just forgiving them himself?

Now of course believers don't concern themselves too much with these kinds of questions, and simply chalk it up to the "mystery of the trinity".  The view is that there are "three persons in one God".  And that exactly seems to be how Jesus is treated.  He is always a distinct "person", with a separate identity and character from God.  That is why he has a different will from God, that is why he prays to God.  To anyone else outside of the religion, to someone who hasn't been raised all their life to believe it without question, this smacks plainly of polytheism, the fact that you have two (or actually three) distinct divine "beings", is very plainly polytheism.  "But no, there is only ONE God, and Jesus is his son!" some might say.  But without fail Jesus is treated as a distinct being, a distinct person, a different persona, with a will that is different from God's.  If that doesn't constitute being a different god than what does?  Calling them all part of the same "Godhead", or saying that they are "of one substance", or quibbling over them being the same "being" yet different "persons" doesn't really rectify the problem.   Now of course many theologians throughout the centuries have struggled with this, trying to explain the "mystery of the Holy Trinity".  Various conceptualizations or comparisons have been offered, such as a piece of wood, if you separate it into three pieces each is still a piece of wood the same as the entire, unseparated piece.  Also there is the analogy of an equilateral triangle, where one triangle is composed of three equal sides.  Or it is compared to water that can exists separately and simultaneously in three different states- liquid, solid, and vapor. Or there is also the comparison to the shamrock, with one shamrock being comprised of three leaves.  Yet ultimately all such explanations must take advantage of the fact that a "god" is not a neatly definable term.  While its basically some sort of supernatural being, its not easy to exactly define just what constitutes a "god", as the term is completely malleable.  Its not like the term "person", which can be more easily defined.  In fact, one of the definitions for "person" is a self-conscious or rational being. So saying three "persons" are one "being" is logically contradictory, no matter how you state it.

But inevitably all attempts to explain the mystery to some extent must break down, and resort to the evasion that the nature of God is beyond human understanding, that it is incomprehensible.  And certainly, it could well be that the nature of the supreme being of the universe WOULD be beyond feeble human understanding.  But just because the supreme being might be incomprehensible is no reason to accept irrational claims about that being.  No matter how many ways you may say it and no matter how confidently you proclaim it that 1 + 1 + 1 = 1, it is still a logical falsity.  (its similar to something I recently saw on a Catholic forum- someone's signature contained the following quote from St Louis De Monfort: "Glory to Jesus in Mary! Glory to Mary in Jesus! Glory to God alone!" from here.  Huh? Which is it? Glory to God alone or glory to Mary and Jesus too?)  So anyway, just because the nature of God might be incomprehensible, that's no reason to accept absurd and illogical claims about him- if someone claims that God is made of tapioca pudding then I wouldn't accept that either for the same reason.  Its because such a claim is an absurdity (okay maybe an even bigger absurdity than the trinity?), and the fact that the nature of God might be incomprehensible is not a reason to accept it .  

However I think the biggest strike against the concept of the trinity and Jesus' divinity is not that the concept is incomprehensible.  It is that it is totally incoherent- with the Bible that is, if one is to take the Bible as the word of God.  If there is one thing that the Old Testament/Jewish scriptures are clear on- it is that God is one- "Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one" Deuteronomy 6:4  How can the scriptures proclaim over and over "God is one, there is no other, do not worship gods your fathers have not known", and then suddenly with Christianity a man is God?  (for more on that see here). (As a side note: Deuteronomy 6:4, called the "Shema" by Jews, is actually cited by Trinitarians as one of the "proofs" of the Trinity.  They say that the Hebrew word used for "one", "Echad", actually means a compound unity, while the Hebrew word "yachid" is the word that should have been used if God wanted to denote uniqueness or something that is one of a kind.  See the side bar for links debating this).

So that to me is the best explanation for the confused picture of Jesus in the gospels,

with him sometimes seeming to think or insinuate that he is God, but many other times seeming to outright deny it.  There was a growing belief in Jesus' divinity, and the early Christians were trying to reconcile that belief with strict Jewish monotheism. It is also no accident that the earliest gospel- the Gospel of Mark, has the least developed concept of Jesus' divinity.  In Mark there just isn't much there to support the case that Jesus claimed to be God (only Mark 2:5-11,  where Jesus says he has authority to forgive sins is quoted by apologists making the case).  In fact, in Mark he's referred to as the the "son of man"  13 times but only 4 times is he even referred to as the "son of God".  But no overt or outright claims of God-hood.  And it is especially no accident that the last gospel written- the

 Gospel of John, has the most well developed concept of Jesus' divinity, with the most overt statements of deity.  So you can see that the belief that Jesus was divine grew and evolved over time.  This struggle and confusion of course would continue until eventually the doctrine of the trinity would be formulated several centuries later, when church councils voted to declare that Jesus and God are of the same substance (1st Council of Nicaea), and then later (1st Council of Constantinople) they threw in the holy spirit for good measure.  And due to this concept being a post-biblical development, there is scant support for it even within the New Testament (Note: 1 John 5:7-8 doesn't count- it is a medieval forgery, even the Bible translations admit that it didn't appear before the 16th century! see the Johannine Comma side bar).  The word "trinity" does not appear at all, and there are only a couple places, in Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14, where the three names are even mentioned together.  But not much emphasis considering that is supposed to be the very nature of God/the "Godhead".  

As a side note: what is interesting is that its not just the nasty skeptics/atheists that make the argument that the Trinity wholly contradicts the Bible and is clearly a man-made doctrine.  There are also Bible-and-Jesus believing Christians that make the same arguments as well.  And these non-Trinitarian Christians make their case by quoting the Bible, while the Trinitarian Christians make THEIR case by quoting the Bible! Its one thing for nasty skeptics with hardened hearts to not be able to make sense of it.  Because Christians say that you can't understand scripture until you believe and are then filled with the Holy Spirit.  But even the believers can't agree on this either, and in Christianity's bloody past these opposing camps have even gleefully killed each other over it. But hey, that's just MY take on it.  What do I know?         

Note: these Bible verses (unless otherwise noted) are from the World English Bible, the only public-domain (no copyright) modern English translation (based on the 1901 American Standard Version).

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