Friday, June 09, 2017

Who Is the Real Jesus?

From where can we learn about the true Jesus? From the Qur'an? Or from the Bible?

According to the Qur'an, Jesus was nothing more than a prophet of Allah. He is not God. He is not the Son of God. He is just the son of Mary. He was never crucified, but snatched up to heaven by Allah because Allah would allow no harm to come to Him. But is any of this true?

The Qur'an affirms and upholds the inspiration, preservation, and authority of the Bible (surahs 3:3-4; 5:43-47, 66, 68; 6:114-115; 7:157; 10:94; 18:27; etc.). So, if the Bible was corrupted, as many Muslims attempt to assert today, when was it corrupted? If before Muhammad, then Muhammad is in error because he affirms and upholds the inspiration, preservation, and authority of the Bible. The Qur'an also commands Christians to judge by what they read in the Gospel (surah 5:47). So let us apply some simple logic:
Premise #1: If the Gospel is the inspired, preserved, authoritative Word of God, then Islam is false because Islam contradicts the Gospel.

Premise #2: If the Gospel is not the inspired, preserved, authoritative Word of God, then Islam is false because the Qur'an claims that the Gospel is the inspired, preserved, authoritative Word of God.

Conclusion: Islam is false.
According to the Qur'an, which affirms and upholds the inspiration, preservation, and authority of the Bible, and commands Christians to judge by what they read in the Gospel, the only place you can learn the truth about the true Jesus is directly from the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God—the Bible.

Jesus pre-existed with God the Father:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." (John 1:1-3)
He became flesh and dwelt among us to do what we could not do for ourselves:
"The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)
In Jesus' high priestly prayer, He said:
"Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." (John 17:5)
Jesus told the people of His day:
"For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24) "He" who? The Jews asked Him, "Who are you?" (v. 25). This entire discussion lead to what Jesus would proclaim in verse 58, for which the Jews "picked up stones to throw at Him" (v. 59). Why did they pick up stones to stone Him? Keep reading.
To His disciples in the upper room He said:
"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." (John 14:1)
Jesus also said:
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6)
At another time He said:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live." (John 5:24-25)
Elsewhere Jesus declared:
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)
When God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites, Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" (Exodus 3:13). God responded to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:14). When Jesus was arguing with the Jews as to who their true father was, they challenged him saying, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" (John 8:57). Jesus replied, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am." (John 8:58). Jesus was equating Himself with God the Father. In other words, Jesus said He was God.
"I and the Father are one." (John 10:30)
After Jesus' statements in both John 8:58 and John 10:30, the Jews picked up stones to stone Him. Why would they want to stone Him? Jesus even asks them that same question: "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" (v. 32). The Jews tell Him why they want to stone Him: "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God" (v. 33). The Jews were intelligent enough to realize and understand that Jesus was saying that He was God, how is it that Muslims and other cult members (Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.) cannot grasp this and attempt to argue erroneously that "Jesus never said He was God."

Only God is sinless, yet Jesus was without sin (John 8:46; 1 Pet. 2:21-22; 2 Cor. 5:21; et al). Only God can receive worship, yet Jesus received worship (John 9:38; Matt. 8:1-2; Matt. 28:9; et al). Even the angels were commanded to worship Him (Heb. 1:6). Only God can forgive sins, yet Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2:1-12). Only God can restore sight to the blind, yet Jesus restored sight to the blind (John 9:1-34 [esp. v. 32]). Jesus said:
"All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." (Matthew 11:27)
"All things that the Father has are Mine." (John 16:15)
God handed everything over to Jesus. Since God has handed everything over to Jesus, Jesus owns and possesses everything that belongs to God. Right? At Jesus' baptism, God the Father even spoke, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 9:35; see also Matt. 17:5; 2 Pet. 1:17). Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is God Almighty. No matter how Muslims try to deny it, they cannot escape it. Jesus' words are true and the Bible is the inspired, preserved, authoritative Word of God.

So, Muslims, believe and obey the Qur'an, which affirms and upholds the inspiration, preservation, and authority of the Bible, commanding Christians to judge by what they read in the Gospel because Jesus' words are true. Since the Qur'an says to judge by what you read in the Gospel, if Muslims want to learn about the real Jesus, let them read the Gospel of John. Let them follow this by reading the book of Romans, to learn about our predicament and the only means of salvation. A Muslim who will not believe what the Bible says, what the Gospels say, what Jesus says in the Bible, is a disobedient and rebellious Muslim.
"There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Jesus is God! Read the Bible to get to know the true Jesus!