Where in the Bible does Jesus refute that He is just a prophet?

Question

Unlike Christianity, other Abrahamic religions say that Jesus was only a great Prophet. Christians belief, however, is deeply rooted in Bible, where there are many references supporting the Divinity of Jesus and there are already many answers on this site quoting these verses from Bible about Jesus’ Divinity.

I am not particularly interested in the verses concerning Jesus' Divinity. I am more interested in the verses where Jesus refutes the claim that He is just a prophet. Where in the Bible does Jesus refute that He is just a prophet?

Answer 1

Many places Bible tells us contrastingly that Jesus is not just a prophet.

Matt. 11:9-11

What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ “I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.

Here we find Jesus giving the highest honour to John the Baptist and that John is more than a prophet. This would mean that Jesus makes Himself smaller than John, which cannot be. Since John was someone who was more than a prophet, it only shows that Jesus was not just a prophet or someone more than that BUT someone much greater than that.

Then again in Matt. 13.17 Jesus says:

Matt. 13:17

For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Here Jesus shows that He is greater than all the prophets and righteous man, who longed to see His day.

Another place Jesus seeks to know what His disciples' view of Himself and in the process acknowledges that He is not just a prophet by giving His affirmation to what Peter says.

Matt. 16:13-17

When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!

As per writings of all the previous prophets, no prophets was prophesised to come from Galilee

John: 7:52

They replied, “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee!”

In His conversation with Judeans, Jesus declares who He is:

John 8:53-58

You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people say, ‘He is our God.’ Yet you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his teaching. Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Judeans replied, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!”

Answer 2

A passage whose interpretation clearly delineates Jesus as being greater than other prophets is the parable of the wicked tenants:

9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’

14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”

17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.- Luke 20:9-19 NIV

It would require a certain wilful blindness (beyond even that of the teachers of the law and the chief priests) to miss the fact that Jesus is referring firstly to the prophets God sent to the children of Israel as servants, while his own role is characterized as that of beloved son and heir - a qualitative difference.

Answer 3

In John 18, Jesus declares to Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world, and further confirms that He is a King born for a purpose. Prophet is different from a King.

John 18:33-37 (English Standard Version)

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Answer 4

In John chapter 8 Jesus leaves no doubt about Himself being far more than a prophet, by calling Himself God Almighty.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.” (John 8:58)

Jesus’ climactic reply, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am,” was nothing less than a claim to full deity.

The Lord once again took for Himself the sacred name of God (see the discussion of 8:24 in chapter 29 of this volume). Obviously, as the eternal God (John 1:1–2), He existed before Abraham’s time.

Homer Kent explains, “By using the timeless ‘I am’ rather than ‘I was,’ Jesus conveyed not only the idea of existence prior to Abraham, but timelessness—the very nature of God himself (Exod. 3:14)” (Light in the Darkness [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1974], 128–29).¹

¹John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary

Answer 5

Gospel of John, Chapter 16, Verses 12-14:

Jesus says: I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He the Spirit of Truth shall come, He shall guide you unto All the Truth. He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He hears that shall He speak. He shall declare unto you the things to come. He shall glorify me. (KJV)

'Spirit' is a synonymous term for 'Prophet'. Jesus is telling us that there is going to come another prophet who will guide us unto all the truth. If Jesus was more than a prophet, there would be no need for another prophet to come to continue preaching the message of God.