IF HE IS EQUAL, OBEY HIM!

Few would balk at the idea of worshipping and obeying Almighty God.  It is clear from Scripture that man is to worship only God, and to obey Him; Luke 4:8 says, "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."  And yet, Jesus commanded that His disciples obey Him (compare Mt. 28:18-20 with Acts 5:29)!  He did not challenge them when they worshipped Him, either (Mt. 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 28:9, 17; Jn. 9:38; 20:28; etc.)!

From His miraculous birth, when the Magi worshipped Him as a child (Mt. 2:1-11), the devils recognized Him (Mt. 8:28-29), and His enemies clearly understood exactly who He declared Himself to be.  John wrote:

"The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.  And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath Day.  But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God" (Jn. 5:15-18).

The Apostle Paul wrote that, not only did Jesus recognize that He was equal with His Father, He also was commended by His Father, to the point that He declared that EVERY knee should bow to Him, and EVERY tongue should acknowledge Jesus as Lord!

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:5-11).

I am not sure what your understanding is, concerning the identity of Jesus, but it is absolutely clear that the Bible declares Him, not only to be equal with His Father, but that He is, in fact, Himself, God (compare Gen. 1:1 w/ Jn. 1:1-3, 14; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-2; etc.)!

Jesus is equal to God, because He IS God!