This is a valid question. If we read the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life, then we realize that he was a Master Teacher. As any good teacher, he took one step at a time, not giving his disciples more than they needed to know until the time was right. Keeping this in mind helps us to keep a perspective on what he said and did. Let's start from the beginning of Luke because it is a chronological account of Jesus Christ's life. We will trace through how Jesus was revealed. The angel Gabriel refers to Jesus as "the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)  Joseph is told by an angel of the Lord that Jesus would be "from the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:20)  Then again in Luke 2:11, the angels refer to Jesus as "Christ the Lord." In Luke 2:26, Simeon, an old man waiting for the revelation of the Messiah, (al-Masih) knew him to be "the Lord's Christ." At the age of twelve, Jesus refers to the temple as "my Father's house." (Luke 2:49)  John the Baptist refers to him as "the Lord." (Luke 3:4)  At Jesus' baptism a voice came from heaven saying, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:22)

In those days the Jews knew actually what the term "the Son of God" meant. For anyone to claim that title unjustly was blasphemy because he would be making oneself equal with God. When the Jews accused Jesus of claiming to be God and tried to kill him, Jesus defended his identity by saying that he was "the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world." (John 10:36)  This fact gave him the right to be called "God's Son." (John 10:36)  Interestingly enough, the Jews accused him of blasphemy and tried to kill him. (John 10:31-33)  When other prophets were treated as "gods" not even "God" or when angels were assumed to be God, they always made clear statements that they weren't God. (Acts 14:11-18)  But Jesus was different in this. When they accused him of blasphemy for claiming to be God, he challenged that claim of blasphemy. (John 10:36)

We notice that at the beginning those who referred to Jesus as the Son of God or equivalent were beings that the Jews could not easily arrest and kill, such as Gabriel, the angels, the voice from heaven, or even the old, righteous, devout man Simeon. Christ rarely used the term Son of God to refer to himself.  So why was this? First, Christ very rarely referred to himself as the Son of God because it had a political connotation. (See, "A Pre-Christian 'Son of God' Among the Dead Sea Scrolls", by John J. Collins, Bible Review, June 1993.  pp. 34-38,57)  When his miracles caused people to believe he was the Messiah and they wanted to make him King, since the Messiah had a political connotation of being King, he departed from that area. (John 6:15)  Second, God was more concerned about the meaning behind the title than the title itself.  God wanted people first to recognize Jesus Christ as being from God, speaking with God's authority and doing his works. Once they had realized this, then they would be able to believe his words even though they didn't understand all the details. Only then could they acknowledge him for who he really was.  The Jewish leaders understood this well.  But what they didn't like was that this one who claimed to be the Son of God, and therefore God in flesh, the Messianic King, was also condemning their sin, so there was little chance they would have a part in his Kingdom.  Therefore, they were eager to seize on the opportunity to accuse him of blasphemy.  Yet in the end the only way they could get him crucified was to threaten a revolt and accuse him of being a political rival to the Roman government. (Luke 23:2,5; Matthew 27:24; Mark 15:11,15; John 19:7-15)

As we read further in the book of Luke, we see that he showed that he was from God. In Luke 4:31 the people "were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority." Then he cast out a demon. (Luke 4:33-37) When accused of casting out demons by the power of Satan, Jesus answered, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do you people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." (Matthew 12:25-28) When the demons proclaimed him as "the Son of God" he "rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ." (Luke 4:41) Nevertheless, the news about him spread around. (Luke 4:37, 42)

To show that he was more than just from God, he forgave a man's sins. (Luke 5:20-26) When he did that, the Jewish leaders accused him of blasphemy, but yet when he actually healed the man as well, the people were in awe. After healing a man on the Sabbath the Jewish leaders began to discuss what to do with him. (Luke 6:11) This caused him to withdraw from that area and to warn people to not tell others who he was. (Matthew 12:15) He wanted to obscure his identity from most of the people until the proper time. After his resurrection they would be able to look back at the events and remember his words, and know who he really was. When Peter called him "the Christ of God," Jesus warned him not to tell anyone. (Luke 9:20-21) He went on to further reveal his identity by predicting his death and resurrection (Luke 9:22, 44), which was later fulfilled just as he said.

Jesus continued to heal and teach, but he was watched very carefully, not only by people who were trying to trap him, but also by people who wanted to know who he really was. (Luke 14:1)  At one point he claimed to exist before Abraham and by using the name "I AM" that God spoke to Moses, even claimed to be God. (John 8:58)  This resulted in the Jews wanting to stone Jesus.  Another time the Jews asked him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." (John 10:24) Jesus' reply was this, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. I and my Father are one." (Luke 10:25-26, 30) When he said, "I and the Father are one," they wanted to stone him for claiming to be God, and they accused him of blasphemy. But let's go back and look at Jesus' answer to their accusation of blasphemy. He said, "Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (John 10:37-38) All this time Jesus had been keeping a balance between what was said about himself and the proof of his identity.   The purpose is clear. His miracles would show them who he was, not just a son of God, but the Son of God as written in John 3:16. This was also the process by which to prove to them that he was actually a true prophet of God, by validating his message as it was expected of prophets to do. God would never give miracles to a "prophet" who claimed equality with God.  So having made his claims, his miracles proved that he was not only a prophet but that according to his spiritual nature, he actually was God as is stated in John chapter 1.

If he walked around indiscriminately saying, "I am God", his statement would not be complete. Obviously people would see a man talking.  They would easily assume that this man was claiming that his flesh was God.  The Bible clearly teaches that the eternal "Word" became flesh (John 1:1-14) and "in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." (Colossians 2:9)  "Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:6-8)  Jesus Christ was God and man.  He was first God, divine, who took on flesh without ceasing to be God.

When it came time for him to be crucified, the Jewish leaders asked him, "Are you then the Son of God?" He said, "You are right in saying I am." (Luke 22:70) It was on this testimony that he was put to death. This testimony of who he was, was followed by the proof--his resurrection. Concerning Christ it is written in the Scriptures, "who as to his human nature was a descendent of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God, by the resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 1:3-4)

Jesus could never be only a prophet. If we claim him to be a true prophet of God, he must also be the Son of God. If we don't accept him as the Son of God we have to reduce him to a liar, a false prophet. But you may say, he still never said he was God. Let me ask you a couple questions. Can we tell God what words he must use?  Also, did he ever say he was a man? You may say, "Yes, he called himself 'the son of Man.' " He was called "God's son" to describe his immaterial character. He was called "the son of man" to describe his humanity united with the fullness of God as prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14. Yet he never said, "I am a man." It was obvious. To those who had listened to what he said and watched what he did,  and had a heart humbled to admit their sin, his resurrection made his immaterial identity obvious as well. (Romans 1:4) Some things don't need to be said in the way we want them said. Yet, they are obvious to those who want to know.

So who is he to you? Let us remember the wisdom of a Turkish proverb,

Jesus was both good and prudent!