Who is this man?

A few weeks ago I saw this ad for a course offered by Great Courses:

It is striking that Jesus never makes any claims to be divine in any of these earlier Gospels or their sources. How could that be if John, the final Gospel, is correct that this was the very burden of his entire message? Historians of the Gospels have long concluded that the idea that Jesus called himself God is not historical. If it were, it would be in the earliest Gospels; this is a view that is distinctive to John, the last of the Gospels to be written. Learn about this and much more in "How Jesus Became God":
“In the earliest and most reliable traditions about Jesus, he does not call himself God but presents himself as a human prophet.” Bart Ehrman, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

What? Is there any truth to this claim? No! I have nowhere near the education, reputation, or prestige of Bart Ehrman, but I do have a Bible, so I went through the first written gospel, Matthew, to see what it says about Jesus. This is Part 1, Who is this man? What did Matthew and others say about Jesus? 

1:1  The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
The first verse of Matthew starts off by calling him Christ. (Christ is Greek for the Hebrew word Messiah). This is stressed when Matthew calls him “the son of David, the son of Abraham”; this is set forth to reinforce his statement that Jesus is the Christ.

1:16  And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
1:17  So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
The message of the Gospel According to Matthew is this, Jesus is the Christ.

1:18  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
1:19  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
1:20  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
1:22  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Right here in the first chapter of the first gospel we find: this man Jesus, is the Christ, he was born to a virgin. How in the world did a virgin conceive? that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us – Who is Jesus?? He is Emmanuel, God with us. We’ve only gone 23 verses into the Gospel according to Matthew and we’ve already been told that this man Jesus is the Christ, and he is Emmanuel, that is, God with us. This is the incarnation. What is incarnation? Becoming flesh, becoming man. Who took on flesh and became a man? God.

2:1  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2:2  Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
2:3  When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
2:4  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
2:5  And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
2:6  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
the King of the Jews - as the Christ, Jesus is King of the Jews.
(In v 6 the chief priests and scribes quote Micah 5:2, saying this verse refers to the Messiah. While we may not be familiar with the rest of the verse, they and pretty much every other Jew certainly would have been: and his goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity. Even the prophetic anticipation of Messiah was of more than a mere man, he is from eternity.)

Jesus is often called the King of the Jews - 21:15, 27:11, 27:37, 27:42
and calls himself King - 25:34, 40

3:1   In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
3:2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3:3  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
John the Baptist came, preparing the way. Preparing the way for who? Prepare ye the way of the Lord. This man Jesus is Christ, he is Emmanuel, he is also the Lord.
(make his paths straight – Matthew has abbreviated the second half of Isaiah 40:3, make straight the paths of our God. Who is this man Jesus? He is the Christ, the Lord, our God.)

16  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
This is my beloved Son - Now we have the witness from heaven, Jesus, this man born to the virgin, is the Son of God.

4:1-10 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God... 
Even the devil calls him the Son of God. But why does he say “If”? Is there doubt and uncertainty? No, this is the way the devil works: “If you are the Son of God, you can turn stones to bread by a creative act; if you are the Son of God, throw yourself from the temple heights because God has promised to protect you.” He is tempting Jesus, trying to get him to act improperly and impetuously.

8:26  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
8:27  But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
What manner of man is this? – He was a man, he didn’t look special. Then he did this! Their understanding is being opened - this is the Son of God.

8:28  And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
8:29  And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
The demons knew exactly who he was, the Son of God.

14:33  Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
The disciples confess him to be the Son of God. Somebody was claiming this for Jesus and this miracle confirms it for them. The somebody was Jesus himself.

17:1-5 The transfiguration of Jesus. ...behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
Once again the Father bears witness from heaven, This is my beloved Son.

21:4  All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
21:5  Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
Matthew is being as clear as he can be: this man Jesus has fulfilled the prophecies of the Coming One – he is Christ.

27:17  Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

27:40  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
27:42  He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
27:43  He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
It seems clear to me that Jesus taught he was the Son of God and King of Israel, for they mock him with his own words.

27:54  Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

28:6  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Angels call him Lord. He was no mere man.

The whole point of the Gospel According to Matthew is to tell us, This man Jesus is the Christ, the King of Israel, the Son of God. This was not some development centuries later. Matthew was a disciple of Jesus and he learned these things from Jesus himself. He is not asking questions or entertaining different opinions of who Jesus is, he is setting forth, he is declaring. And somehow the Jewish people got the impression that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of David, the King of Israel, the Son of God. How?? The works and words of Jesus himself.

Next: Who does he think he is? What did Jesus say about himself?