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Answering Islamic Objections to
Jesus, the Bible and Christianity
For many
Muslims the only view of the Bible and Christianity is what the
Quran presents. Many of the concepts presented in the scripture
do not make sense, because the teachings in the Quran are
diametrically opposed to what the Bible teaches. For this
reason, it is important for Christians to address the major
objections Muslims have regarding the Bible and Christianity.
First as Christians, we must always remember there are areas
where we can agree with our Muslim friends. Secondly, we must
be aware God loves the Muslim people, their understanding of the
God is wrong, so as Christians we must always be polite,
understanding the battle is the Lord’s, we are merely his
messengers, bringing the Gospel to a lost world. By equipping
ourselves to reach the Muslim world, God will send Muslims in
our life, who are searching for the truth, found only in Jesus
Christ.
Muslims have legitimate questions, regarding Jesus and the
Bible; many of these questions have simple answers, but require
biblical knowledge. In this paper, we will answer some of the
more basic questions, which a Muslim might raise regarding Jesus
and the Bible.
The area of
questions posed by Muslims could be divided into several
categories, under three headings, 1. Bible, 2.Theology
and 3. Cultural Christianity.
Under the heading of the Bible, Muslims have questions
regarding translations, authority, whether it was corrupted and
its nature. Regarding theology, there are many areas, where
Muslims object, they include the concept of God, the nature of
Jesus, His death and resurrection. The topic of Cultural
Christianity is the perception of what Muslims perceive
Christianity is, as opposed to Biblical Christianity, the
Christianity of the Bible. These two aspects are often
confused, with Muslims thinking Cultural aspects of Christianity
are biblical, when they are not.
Here, we will
not be able to examine all the objections, only the major ones.
Our goal is to help Muslims see the Gospel in a new light,
rather then the one presented by the Quran and Islamic
traditions.
The Bible
Is it
Corrupted?
The
Bible is the foundation of Christianity and Judaism, through the
written “word”, God communicated to humanity. The prophets were
the “pen” in the hand of God, as He revealed His words through
men. Muslims will agree with this point, since they also see
the Quran as the “word” of Allah revealed through Gabriel to
Mohammad. Muslims believe with the revelation of the Quran, the
Bible, called the Torah,Ingil and Zabur, have been set aside.
In
reaching the Muslim, it is important for the Muslim to
understand the Bible is the Word of God, and not set aside as
Islam teaches. The Bible is the foundation of our knowledge
about the LORD God, and His plan of redemption through His Son,
Jesus Christ, the Muslim needs to know, why he should trust it.
Objection 1.
Is the Bible Corrupt?
The Muslim: “The books of the Christians and Jews have been corrupted,
for this reason Allah revealed the Quran to Mohammad’
Reply: The
Christian:
First, we need to determine if the Bible was corrupted before or
after Mohammad? Throughout the Quran, the Bible referred to asScripture, placed alongside the Quran, as part of the
revealed scripture.
The
Christians and Jews, referred to as the People of the Bookare linked to what the Quran refers to as the Bible. Nowhere
is the Bible, labeled corrupted during the time of Mohammad. On
the contrary, the Quran claims to confirm the inspiration of the
“Scripture” revealed before Mohammad. Allah tells Mohammad,
look to the scriptures (The Bible) to “confirm” his revelation.
In Surah 2, the Quran clearly indicates the “Scriptures” are in
possession of the Jews, in the present tense. So when were they
corrupted? (Surah 2:41,89,91,97,101; Surah 3:3,50,81; Surah
35:31; Surah 46:12,30 Surah 61:6)
94. And if thou
(Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto
thee, then question those who read the Scripture (that was)
before thee. Verily the Truth from thy Lord hath come unto
thee. So be not thou of the waverers. Surah 10;94
40. O Children
of Israel! Remember My favour wherewith I favoured you, and
fulfil your (part of the) covenant, I shall fulfil My (part of
the) covenant and fear Me.41. And believe in that which I
reveal, confirming that which ye possess already (of the
Scripture), and be not first to disbelieve therein, and part not
with My revelations for a trifling price, and keep your duty
unto Me. Surah 2:40-41
Therefore, for
the Muslim to say the Scripture (The Bible) is corrupted is call
Mohammad a false prophet, because Quran claims to “confirm” the
scripture, the Torah and Injil. In addition, the Quran also
teaches the revealed scripture existed in Mohammad’s day and
possessed by Jews and Christians.
Objection 2.
The Bible was changed after Mohammad
The Muslim.” If the Bible was not corrupted before the Quran it was corrupted after
Mohammad!”
Mohammad was born in the year A.D. 570 and his “call” came in
A.D. 610, forty years later. Some have claimed, the Christians
and Jews removed the prophecies about Mohammad, after he came to
prevent people from knowing about him. The problem with this
theory is that it is impossible, because there are manuscripts
predating Mohammad by hundreds of years. In order for
“Scripture” to be changed after Mohammad, would require someone
to go back in time, and then reverse what existed before
Mohammad was even born.
We
have both Old and New Testament manuscripts, which predate Islam
and the Quran, by hundreds of years. These manuscripts are not
translations, they exist in the original languages. The New
Testament manuscripts are in Greek, and the Old Testament
manuscripts, in Hebrew and Aramaic,
the two languages found in the Old Testament. Below are some
major manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments, all of which
existed before Mohammad.
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New Testament |
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(1) The
Sinaitic (Codex Sinaiticus), written in the
middle of the fourth century, about 270 years before the
Hijrah of Muhammad. It contains the whole of the New
Testament and a large part of the Old, and is preserved
in the British Museum, London. |
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(2) The
Vatican (Codex Vaticanus), written early in the
fourth century, nearly 300 years before the Hijrah. It
contains the whole Bible, though the latter part of the
New Testament (from Heb. ix. 14) is written in a later
hand, and is in the Vatican Library at Rome.
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(3) The
Alexandrian (Codex Alexandrinus), written early
in the fifth century, more than 200 years before the
Hijrah. It contains the whole Bible, except a few pages
that have been lost, and is in the British Museum,
London.
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Old Testament Manuscripts |
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Silver Amulets
These
are the oldest existing Old Testament texts in
existence. They were found in a grave, near St. Andrew’s
church of Scotland at Jerusalem, south of the walls of
Jerusalem about one mile. They quote numbers 6:22-27,
the priestly benediction, they are similar to the
Masoretic Text. They are dated to about 850 B.C.,
amulets like these were worn as charms on the arms or
neck to protect against evil. The fact they are made out
of rolled thin silver preserved them to this point. The
large one measures 4 inches by 1 inch, the other one is
1 inch by ½ inch. |
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Dead Sea Scrolls
In March 1947 a young Arab boy discovered in the caves
of Qumran near the Dead Sea jars containing several
leather manuscripts dating to the time of Christ. They
belonged to the Essenes, the Essenes were a Jewish sect
that settled the Judean desert, near Qumran. Other
manuscripts were found over the next 10 years. Two
copies of the book of Isaiah were found along with books
and fragments from the whole Old Testament except for
the book of Esther.
Prior to their discovery the oldest
existing manuscript of the Hebrew Old Testament was
dated to about 1000 AD. Carbon testing, among other
proofs has dated the Dead Sea scrolls between 168 BC and
233 AD. Archaeology puts the dates between 150 BC to
100 AD.
Gleason Archer observed that the two
copies of Isaiah proved to be word for word, identical
with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95% of the
text. The 5% of variation consisted chiefly of obvious
slips of the pen and variations in spelling. The
scrolls gave an overwhelming confirmation of the
Masoretic text. Some of the variants show parallels to
the Greek text of the Septuagint (LXX). The Dead Sea
Scrolls are owned by the Nation of Israel
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In
addition to the manuscripts in the original languages, Bibles
have also been translated into Greek, Aramaic, Coptic, Armenian,
Gothic and Ethiopian all before the birth of Mohammad,
these translations confirm both the Hebrew and Greek
manuscripts. The translations make it impossible for the Bible
to be changed after Mohammad, because the scriptures were
widespread even before Mohammad was born. These translations are
delineated by William Tisdall.
(1) The
Septuagint (Greek), which I have already mentioned. (@ 250
B.C.)
(2) Three versions of the New Testament and one of the Old
into Syriac. Of these, two are ofespecial value. The first
of these is called the Curetonian, from the name of the
discoverer of the ancient MS. which contains it. This version
was made at latest in the second century after Christ: the MS.1
was written in the fifth century. The second is the Peshiþþå,
made at latest in the third century: the oldest MS. of it which
we have was written in the fifth century. Even the third, or
Philoxenian version, was made long before Muøammad's time, in
508 A.D.
(3) Three Coptic versions: the Buøairic2 , made in the
second or third century; the Sahidic3 , and the Bashmuric or
Middle Egyptian, both probably of the same date. The oldest
Coptic MSS. belong to the fourth or fifth century. These three
Coptic versions are in the three chief dialects of ancient
Egypt.
(4) Two Latin versions; one the Old Latin, made in the
second century. We have MSS. of its remains which date from the
fourth and fifth centuries. The other is the Vulgate, a more
correct translation made by Jerome A.D. 383-5. He translated the
Old Testament from the Hebrew, whereas the Old Latin was
translated from the Greek version. The oldest MS. of the Vulgate
was written before A.D. 5464.
(5) The Ancient Armenian, made by Mesrob and published in
A.D. 436, just 186 years before the Hijrah1 .
(6) The Gothic, made by Ulphilas, who died A.D. 381. The
MSS.2 of it date from the end of the fifth to the middle of the
sixth century.
(7) The Ethiopic, made by Frumentius in the fourth
century3 .
(8) Several Aramaic versions of the Old Testament made by
Jews in the second and thirdcenturies
Therefore, we
can see the Quran, history and archeology demonstrate it is
impossible for the scriptures to be changed, either before the
birth of Mohammad or after the death of Mohammad.
Objection 3, The many different
versions of the Bible
The Muslim: “How can the Bible be
the Word of God when there are so many versions, some versions
such as the Catholic’s have more books then the protestants, God
would not confuse people with His word”.
Christian Reply: The Bible in the original form is written in three languages, the Old
Testament is in Hebrew and Aramaic, and the New Testament is in
Greek. Since not everybody can read and write in these
languages, translations are necessary for most readers.
Translations are designed to convey the meaning of the original
text into a language familiar with the reader. This being the
case, there a couple of reasons translations may very from
translation to translation.
1. Time period:
The King James translation was translated in A.D. 1611, since
that time, the English language has changed words common then
are not as common today. Therefore, newer translations exist, so
people could read and understand the Bible, such as the New
International Version (NIV), The New King James Bible (
N
KJV),
American Standard Version (
ASV), and others.
2. Purpose of
translation:
Another reasons translations vary is because some translations
attempt to translate word for word, while others translate
thought (Idiom) for thought.
3. Manuscript
source:
Translations are based on a language, sometimes the base
language of the manuscript source might be in another language.
For example, if Septuagint (Greek Translation) of the Old
Testament is used, the translation may vary from the Hebrew.
Islam faces a similar problem in its translations, because the
Quran is originally in Arabic, and not everyone reads Arabic,
therefore a translation is necessary to allow some one to
understand the Quran. There are many translations of the Quran
into English, including the Pickthall, J.M. Rodwell, and Yosef
Ali, English versions of the Quran, and the numerous foreign
language versions.
In
regard to the additional books in the Catholic Bible, the added
books are derived from the Apocrypha, which the Catholics claim
are inspired, while the Jews and Protestants reject. These books
were written between the Old and New Testaments, and were only
recently officially added to the Catholic Bible after the
Council of Trent in 1545.
Is the Bible
Inspired?
Objection 4.
Why is there an Old and New Testament?
The Muslim: The Bible has an Old
and New Testament, which version is the correct one, this is
proof the Bible cannot be the Word of God, Did God change his
Laws?
Christian
Reply: The Old and New
Testaments are not two separate books, but two parts of the same
book. In the Old Testament God prepares the world for
redemption through the prophets, who foretell the coming of the
Messiah, in the New Testament God records the fulfillment of the
prophecies.
The
Torah (The books of Moses) and the rest of the prophets pointed
toward the coming of the Messiah who would die for the sins of
the world, redeeming humanity. Jeremiah the prophet who lived
600 years before Jesus wrote about the coming of a New Covenant,
which would be greater then the Covenant established by Moses.
Jeremiah looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, who would
pay for the sins of the World.
31 "Behold,
the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of
Judah 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their
fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them
out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I
was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 "But this is the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write
it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be
My people. 34 "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and
every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they all
shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,
says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their
sin I will remember no more." Jeremiah 31:31-34
The death
of Messiah, paid for the sins of the world, the Messiah was
God’s sacrifice for sin. Jesus himself refers to His
fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. Jesus did not come
to subvert the law, but to fulfill the law.
17 "Do not
think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not
come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 "For assuredly, I say to you,
till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by
no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Matthew
5:17-18
The New
Testament records the fulfillment of the prophets of the Old
Testament, who established a New and greater Covenant would be
in the future. The better translation of Testament is Covenant,
referring to the Old Covenant established under Moses, and a New
Covenant established by the death of Messiah (Jesus), who was
our sacrifice.
We will cover the evidence for the death of the Messiah in
detail later.
Objection
5. The Quran is a miracle of Allah as opposed to the Bible
Muslim Reply:The Quran was revealed to Mohammad who was an
illiterate man, demonstrating its miraculous nature, how can the
Bible compare with such miracle?
Christian Reply: Regarding Mohammed and his being illiterate, there are
serious questions about this statement. What the Quran says, is
that he Mohammad was an unlettered prophet, an ummi. The
word in the Quran does not mean illiterate, because the Quran
itself was written in Arabic, so the Arab’s were not illiterate.
What the word means is they did not have “Scripture” and were
therefore unlettered, not having scripture. Mohammad was sent
to those with no scripture, but they were still a “literate”
people with Arabic script.
78. Among
them are unlettered folk who know the scripture not
except from hearsay. They but guess. Surah 2:78
2. He it is
Who hath sent among the unlettered ones a messenger of
their own, to recite unto them His revelations and to make them
grow, and to teach them the Scripture and Wisdom, though
heretofore they were indeed in error manifest, Surah 62:2
Secondly,
many portions of the Quran are clearly copies of earlier
writings in the land surrounding Mecca and Medina. For example
the Surah 27:20-45 The Ant is nearly a direct copy from the
Aramaic work called the II Targum of Ester. This among
many other parts of the Quran demonstrates Mohammad’s literacy,
since these books, which the Quran borrows from are not
considered inspired by either the Jews or Christians.
Objection
6: Evidence the Bible is the Word of God
Muslim Reply: “What evidence exists showing the Bible to be
Allah’s Word?”
Christian Reply: The Bible very
clearly demonstrates itself as the word of God by using
supernatural evidence. Super natural means outside of nature,
for example if a person claimed to be a prophet and told you an
event about an event in the past, an event that already
occurred, nobody would be surprised. If the same person told
you about an event in the present, still nobody would react or
think it special because knowing the past and the present are
natural. If the same person,
however were to talk about future events, clearly foretelling
the future, then this would be “supernatural” because it is
outside of nature.
This is the kind of evidence the Bible a uses, demonstrating it
is a supernatural book, not one contrived by human effort, the
Bible in fact points to this as evidence in the book of Isaiah.
22 "Let them
bring forth and show us what will happen; Let them show
the former things, what they were, That we may consider them,
And know the latter end of them; Or declare to us things to
come. 23 Show the things that are to come hereafter, That we
may know that you are gods; Yes, do good or do evil, That we may
be dismayed and see it together. Isaiah 41:22-23
3 "I have
declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth
from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did
them, and they came to pass. 4 Because I knew that you were
obstinate, And your neck was an iron sinew, And your brow
bronze, 5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you;
Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you
should say, 'My idol has done them, And my carved image and my
molded image Have commanded them.' Isaiah 48:3-5
The Bible is
filled with supernatural evidence, foretelling events revolving
around the nation of Israel, the Messiah and things to come in
the last days. Specifically the Bible declares future
events hundreds and thousands of years before they occur. (see
chart
below)
Prophecy in the Old Testament looked forward to the coming of
the Messiah (Christ) showing he would be killed and rejected by
the nation of Israel 700 years before his birth (Isaiah
52:12-53:13). Daniel foretold the exact day Messiah would be
cut off, 539 years before his birth (Daniel 9:24-27) and what
would happen to Jerusalem and the Temple after Messiah is
killed.
Zechariah foretold 2500-years ago the central focus of Jerusalem
in the last days, as the nations gather together against it
(Zechariah 12:1-3).
2 "Behold, I
will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding
peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 "And
it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very
heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will
surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are
gathered against it. Zechariah 12:2-3 (520 B.C.)
Ezekiel
foretold of the nation of Israel, gathered together in the last
days, from the nations after a long period of desolation, after
Israel is gathered the nations would attack it.
8 "After many days you will be visited. In the latter years
you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword
and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel,
which had long been desolate; they were brought out of
the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. 16 "You will
come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the
land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you
against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am
hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes." Ezekiel 38:8,16
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Description of Evidence |
Significance |
Super-natural nature |
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Greatness of Abraham
Genesis 12:2-3 Abraham
Was promised to:
* Be source for a great nation
* Have a great name
* All peoples on the earth to
Be blessed through Him. |
Genesis was written about 1450 BC by Abraham, was just one
of
Many people who lived on the Earth. Today over ½ the
Earth’s 6 billion
People claim a connection to
Abraham including Muslims, Jews
and Christians. Both Jews and
Arab’s Claim Abraham as the
source their national identity. |
Both Muslims, Christians and Jews
Claim descent and connection to
Abraham. This prophecy was written
Well before the growth of Christianity
And Islam. Abraham name became
great after Christianity spread 100
AD and Islam after 632 AD.
If 15 billion people lived since the
beginning of the Human race, the odds
Of one man have a name of world wide
Distinction is 1 out of 15 billion. If the
Promise was recorded 3400 years
Before the event it is super-natural.
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Israel Scattered
Deuteronomy 28:64
3450 years ago in
the Bible Israel as a nation
is told they will be dispersed
throughout the world and
suffer as a people for being
Disobedient. |
Two times in Israel’s history they
Were scattered as a nation, first
During the Babylonian captivity
(605, 598 and 587 BC) Jer 51.
Second, during the time of Roman
Occupation. 54 BC-638 AD |
For a people to be scattered is a
A common event throughout history
As one people group takes land and
Settles in territory belonging to another.
Israel
as a nation is scattered and
Gathered and then scattered again.
The condition of the people in their
Scattered condition is described in
Detail, yet they remain a distinct people
In the land of their captivity |
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Israel
Gathered
Deuteronomy 30:3
3450 years ago Israel is
promised to be gathered
back into the land promised
to Abraham
after being scattered.
The gathering of Israel as a
Nation from the nations is repeated
throughout the scriptures Isaiah 11,
Isaiah 14:1-2, Isaiah 56:8, Jeremiah 30-31,
Ezekiel 36-37, Zechariah 10:6-12
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Two times Israel has been gathered,
Once following the Babylonian
Captivity after the Persian defeat
Of Babylon in 539 BC by Cyrus
The second in our day with the
Creation of the state of Israel as
Jews from Europe, Africa, Asia,
North and South America founded
the state of Israel |
The creation of the state of Israel was
Result of two world wars. First the
Muslim powers were defeated and
Only after ½ the world’s Jewish
Population was killed in the Holocaust
Would the nations agree to allowing
A Jewish state to exist, in May 1948
Israel
came into existence the first time
A Jewish state existed in 2000 years.
For a people to maintain national
Identity after 1900 years and to be
Gathered back into their land is
Amazing enough…But for the event
To be written about even before they
Were a nation is super-natural. |
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Jerusalem Focus
Of World attention
Zechariah 12:3 foretells
Jerusalem as the
Center of worldwide
Attention |
We are told that Jerusalem will
Be a burden for the world and the
Object of conflict. The nations of the
World will be at war with the
Descendents of Israel. |
Over ½ the Earth population view
Jerusalem as spiritually significant.
2500 years ago when Jerusalem was
just a small regional city Zechariah told
about the coming day when all then
nations will burden themselves with
the possession of the city. |
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Temple
destroyed
The destruction of the
Jewish temple following
The death of Jesus was
Foretold in Daniel 9:26
And Matthew 24:2 |
In 70 AD the Roman empire destroys
The Jewish Temple. Every stone
Was throne down as Roman soldiers
Looked for melted gold.
The destruction of the
Temple
along each stone being
Taken down was recorded 600 years
Before this event, Messiah was to
Be cut off. |
600 years before the event we are told
about the destruction following the
cutting off of the Messiah. Jesus
claimed to be Messiah
and as a result 2 billion
people,1/3 of the earth’s population are
connected to the city of Jerusalem. How
Daniel could know the details of the
Temple’s
destruction as well as it being
Connected with the Messiah being “Cut
Off” is super-natural. |
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Jews from Ethiopia
Gathered. In the
Second gathering
Jews living in Ethiopia are
Foretold to be gathered
to Israel ,2700 years ago in Isaiah 11:11
this gathering was written about. |
Operation Solomon in 1980
and Exodus in 1991 rescued Jews
living in Ethiopia from extermination
and persecution. The Jews there
have been traced back over 2000
years ago. |
Isaiah 11:11 specifically mentions Jews
From Cush (Ethiopia) as part of the
Gathering from the nations. 2700 years
Before the event |
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Exact month & year
Messiah is killed.
70 Weeks of Daniel is a very
specific prophecy foretelling
the rejection and cutting off
of Messiah 570 years before the event.
Daniel 9:24-27 |
The 70 weeks of Daniel foretells the
Exact time Messiah would be cut-off.
Following a 483 year period (69
Weeks) after a command to rebuild
The walls and streets of Jerusalem
Was given to Nehemiah. |
The Christian faith is the largest faith in
The World and centers on the Messiah
Being killed for the sins of the world.
570 before the death of Jesus, Daniel
foretold the exact time of Messiah being
cut-off with the Temple’s destruction
following his death. |
God
demonstrates the supernatural nature of His word by proclaiming
the events before they happen.
Jesus
Objection
7. Jesus did not die on the cross!
Muslim reply:
The Quran teaches Jesus did not die on the cross but was caught
up into heaven, Allah would not allow His prophets to be killed
in such a manner! The Quran is very clear on this issue, for
Jesus to die on the cross would mean the Quran is wrong!!
157. And because
of their saying: We slew the Messiah Jesus son of Mary, Allah's
messenger They slew him not nor crucified, but it appeared so
unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt
thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a
conjecture ; they slew him not for certain,
Surah 4:57
Christian Reply:
I can understand your passion for your prophet, but we need
to understand both Christianity and Islam cannot be correct on
this issue, one of us has to be wrong. Now the evidence you
have is the testimony of Mohammad who lived over 600 years after
Jesus, and hundreds of miles from Bethlehem.
The Bible clearly
foretells of the death of the Messiah, who would die as the
sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Jesus Christ’s death is
recorded in the New Testament, by eyewitnesses who both knew
Jesus and were there when he was crucified. This included the
apostle John who wrote the Gospel of John, the
Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation. Jesus
as recorded in the Gospel of John, told John to watch over this
mother, before He died. His death is not only recorded in John,
but also in
Luke 23:46,
Matthew 27:50 and
Mark
15:37
26 When Jesus
therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved
standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27
Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from
that hour that disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this,
Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the
Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel
full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge
with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So
when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is
finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John
19:26-30
The
Gospels look upon the death of Jesus as fulfilling scripture,
which means before Jesus was even born, in the Old Testament,
the Jewish prophets foretold the death of Messiah, who would die
for the sins of the world. The Messiah would die for the sins
of the world as a sacrifice for sin.
There are two pictures of
the Messiah in scripture; one picture is that of a “Suffering
Servant”, who dies for the sins of the world. The other is a
“Conquering King” who rules the world in glory and power. The
Muslims like the Jews have rejected the death of Messiah as an
atonement for sin, and therefore fulfilled what scripture would
say about Messiah’s death, asking the question “Who has
believed our report?”. Remember what you are about to read,
was written 700-years before Jesus was even born.
13 Behold,
My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted
and extolled and be very high. 14 Just as many were astonished
at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And
His form more than the sons of men; 15 So shall He sprinkle many
nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not
been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they
shall consider. Isaiah 52:13-15
1 Who has
believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord
been revealed?
3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our
faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4
Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we
esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He
was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our
iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by
His stripes we are healed.......8 He was taken from prison and
from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He wascut off from the land of the living; For the
transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made
His grave with the wicked-But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His
mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him
to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall
see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the
Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His
soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant
shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He
shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out
His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the
transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made
intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53: 1,3-5, 8-12
Isaiah wrote 700 years before the birth of Jesus, and clearly
foretells the death of the Lord’s “Servant”, who will be highly
exalted (Isaiah 52:13) after being humbled and marred more then
any man. This same servant’s nature was concealed, later to be
revealed (Isaiah 52:15) in the future, in glory and power. The
kings of the earth will shut their mouth at him, according to
Isaiah who wrote 700-years before the birth of Jesus. Later we
find in the 53rd chapter the following points
regarding this “Righteous Servant” (53:11).
·
He is rejected and despised (Isaiah 53:3)
·
His suffering is payment for our sins (Isaiah 53:4,5,8)
·
He is killed and dies (Isaiah 53:8,9,12)
·
His death was an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10)
·
He is the “Righteous Servant” who justifies many (Isaiah 53:11)
·
He is the one who intercedes for the transgressors (Isaiah
53:12)
In addition to Isaiah 53, clearly prophesying the death of the
Messiah, Daniel openly proclaims not only that the Messiah would
die, but also when he would die, 539 years before he is born.
This prophecy known as the Seventy Weeks establishes the
time of Messiah’s death, and foretells the destruction of
Jerusalem and the Temple after Messiah is killed.
26 "And after
the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for
Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall
destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it
shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations
are determined. Daniel 9:26
The Psalm of David also pictures the crucifixion, 1000-years
before the event. Here David described Messiah being pierced and
the dividing of his garment, both events fulfilled on the day he
was put on the cross.
16 For dogs
have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed
Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all
My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My
garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.
Psalm 22:16-18
Therefore, the death of messiah was no surprise in scripture,
both the Old Testament and New Testament contradict the Quran.
Both Old and New Testaments succinctly proclaim the necessity to
trust in the Messiah who pays for the sins of the world, by His
death.
Objection
8. Jesus cannot be God, he is only a man!
Muslim reply: How can Christians believe such a blasphemous
belief, to believe Allah became a man is beyond reason. This is
what the Quran say,
72. They surely
disbelieve who say : Lo! Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. The
Messiah (himself) said : O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my
Lord and your Lord. Lo! whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah, for
him Allah hath forbidden Paradise. His abode is the Fire. For
evildoers there will be no helpers. Surah 5:72
Christian Reply: Again, regarding the nature of the Messiah, Jesus
Christ, it is not up to us to determine the nature of who the
Messiah should be, but God. God through the prophets, who lived
before Jesus birth, over 1000-years before Mohammad, revealed
who the Messiah would be. The prophets proclaimed His nature,
family line and death.
The prophets tell us the Messiah would
be a descendent of King David and sit on the throne of David. (2
Samuel 7:13). Isaiah also clearly spoke regarding the Messiah,
he would not just be a man, but fully God. Notice, 700-years
before Jesus, the Messiah would be born a child, but also be
Mighty-God, he would rule over the earth forever, not 40-years
as Islam teaches.
6 For unto us
a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the
government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be
called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and
peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over
His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and
justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of
the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:6-7
Jesus came to die for the sins of the world to redeem us back
to Himself. The concept of God appearing in Human form is
throughout the Old Testament. So if God could appear in human
form in the Old Testament, why is it so impossible for Him to
enter the world in the body of a man and die on the cross for
our sins? He appeared in human form to Moses, Joshua and
Ezekiel. Why not
again?
Did God appear
as a man?
To many Jews and Muslims the idea of God coming into the
physical world as Man seems repulsive. However, from the early
chapters of Genesis it is clear that God took upon Himself human
form. In the very first chapter, man is made in the image of
God. Not God in the image of Man but Man in God’s image, later
we see God walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden. In fact,
there are several places in scripture, where God is described as
having human form. So if God could come in human form in the
past, why is it so hard to believe it could not be so at the
time of Christ?
- God appears
at Abraham’s tent as a Man
- God
wrestles with Jacob as a Man
- Moses and
the Elders of Israel see God in Human form
- God
declares that Moses speaks to God in Human form,
- God stands
before Joshua as a Man
- God in
Daniel is called the Ancient of Days and is described in
Human form.
- Ezekiel
describes the Glory of the LORD as a Man
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A. Did God appear as a Man? |
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1. In the Garden
26Then
God said, “Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness; let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and
over the cattle, over all the earth and over
every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis
1:26
8And
they heard the sound of the Lord God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and
Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of
the Lord
God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis
3:8
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2. At the Tent with Abraham
1Then
the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of
Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of
the day. 2So he lifted his eyes and looked,
and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he
saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them,
and bowed himself to the ground, 3and said,
“My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do
not pass on by Your servant. 4Please let a
little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest
yourselves under the tree. 5And I will bring
a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts.
After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to
your servant.”
They
said, “Do as you have said.”
They
said, “Do as you have said.”….16Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went
with them to send them on the way. 17And theLord said,
“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,,…22Then
the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom,
but Abraham still stood before the LORD.
Genesis 18: 1-5, 16-17, 22
1Now
the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and
Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw
them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself
with his face toward the ground. Genesis 19:1
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3. Jacob wrestled with a Man
24Then
Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him
until the breaking of day. 25Now when He saw
that He did not prevail against him, He touched the
socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out
of joint as He wrestled with him. 26And He
said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I
will not let You go unless You bless me!”
27So
He said to him, “What is your name?”He said,
“Jacob.”28And
He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, butIsrael; for you have struggled with God
and with men, and have prevailed.”…..30So
Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:
“For I have seen God face to face, and my life is
preserved.”
Genesis 32:24-28,30
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4. Moses and the Elders of Israel See God
9Then
Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy
of the elders of Israel, 10and they saw the
God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it
were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the
very heavens in its clarity. 11But on
the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His
hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.12Then
the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be
there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law
and commandments which I have written, that you may
teach them.”
Exodus 24:12
11So
the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his
friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant
Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from
the tabernacle.
.…..
22So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I
will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover
you with My hand while I pass by. 23Then I
will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but
My face shall not be seen.”
Exodus
33:11, 22-23
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5. God talks to Moses about his appearance
6Then
He said, “Hear now My words: If
there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to
him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.
7
Not so with My servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My house.
8 I speak with him face to face,
Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;
And he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?”
Numbers 12:6-8
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6. Commander of the Lord’s Army appears to Joshua
13And
it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he
lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood
opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And
Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for
us or for our adversaries?”
14So
He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of theLord I have
now come.”
And
Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and
said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”
15Then
the Commander of theLord’s army
said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the
place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did
so.. Joshua 5:13-15
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7. Ancient of Days & Son of Man
9
“I watched till thrones were put in place,
And the Ancient of Days was seated;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was
like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
Its wheels a burning fire;
10
A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood
before Him.
The court was seated,
And the books were opened.
13
“I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like
the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting
dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel
7:9-10,13-14
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8. 26And
above the firmament over their heads was the
likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire
stone; on the likeness of the throne was a
likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.27Also from the appearance of His waist and
upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the
appearance of fire all around within it; and from the
appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were,
the appearance of fire with brightness all around.
Ezekiel 1:26-27 |
In
the New Testament era, God was incarnated into humanity, and
took a body to become our redeemer, who would die for our sins.
Objection
9. How can God have a son?
Muslim Reply: For God to have a Son is against his nature,
Allah is not associated with anything!
Christian Reply: The word “Son”
does not mean the product of sexual relations, the word “Son”
here means one of same nature. God becoming man, is what God
did in the time of Abraham, he appeared to Abraham in the form
of a man. In the New Testament God veiled Himself in human
flesh, to take upon Himself the sins of humanity.
Is the “Son of
God” God?
Nathan the prophet in 2nd Samuel 7:14 first introduces the idea
of the Messiah being the “Son of God” to David:. The LORD
through Nathan tells David the Messiah would come through his
family line and the kingdom of David’s descendent would be
forever. Nathan also informs David the coming King would also
be the “Son of God”. Some interpreters have tried to explain
the idea of “Son of God” in a metaphorical sense, the Messiah
proceeded from God therefore he was the “Son of God” in the same
way Adam was the first created Human and is called in Luke the
son of God. (Luke 3:38).
However, in Psalm 2 this relationship between the Messiah and
the LORD is unique. The whole world will one day submit to the
“King” the LORD installs. We told to “Kiss” the “Son”; further,
we are told all who put their “Trust” in Him will be blessed.
In Isaiah, the “Son given” is called “Mighty God”, “Prince of
Peace” and “Everlasting Father”. All terms which if applied to
a human being would be blasphemous if the person was not in fact
God.
The
nature of Messiah, being the Son was prophesied over 1000-years
before Jesus was even born. God prepared the world for the
coming of the Messiah, who would be called “Son of God” when he
came. In the 2nd Psalm, the Messiah (Anointed) is
clearly in focus, as the king earth, who will one day rule the
nations with a rod of iron (vs. 9).
The
nations rage against the “Anointed”, meaning Messiah, and the
LORD. The Messiah is here declared “Begotten”,
when he comes into the world. John 3:16, qualifies the word
“Begotten”
with “Only”, meaning that the “Son of God” is of the same nature
of the Father. One thousand years before Jesus, is even born,
the kings of the earth are told to “Kiss” the Son lest they
perish in His wrath. God demanded the earth worship the Son,
even before the Son was born.
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C. Son of God
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1. The Messiah will be the Son of God
12“When
your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers,
I will set up your seed after you, who will come from
your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He
shall build a house for My name, and I will establish
the throne of his kingdom forever. 14I
will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he
commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men
and with the blows of the sons of men. 15But
My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it
from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16And
your house and your kingdom shall be established
forever before you. Your throne shall
be established forever.”’”
2 Samuel
7:12-16
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2. The Son
of the LORD reigns over the nations
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain
thing?2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers
take counsel together, Against theLord and
against His Anointed,saying,3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away
Their cords from us.”4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; TheLord shall
hold them in derision.5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress
them in His deep displeasure:6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of
Zion.”7 “I will declare the decree: TheLord has
said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I
have begotten You.8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nationsfor Your inheritance, And the ends of the
earth for Your possession.9 You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you
judges of the earth.11 Serve the Lord
with fear, And rejoice with trembling.12 Kiss the Son, lest He be
angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath
is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those
who put their trust in Him.
Psalm
2:1-12
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3.
The Son of the LORD is called Might God
6
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His
name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7 Of
the increase of His government and peace There
will be no end, Upon the throne of David and
over His kingdom, To order it and
establish it with judgment and justice From that time
forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of
hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
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4.
The will grieve over the “Firstborn” Son who was pierced
10“And
I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants
of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then
they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes,
they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his
only son, and grieve for Him as one
grieves for a firstborn. 11In that day
there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the
mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
Zechariah 12:10-11
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Objection
10. Christians believe in three Gods
Muslim Reply: The Quran clearly teaches Christians believe in three
Gods, with Jesus being a third of the three.
73. They surely
disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the third of three; when there
is no God save the One God. If they desist not from so saying a
painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve. Surah
5:73
Christian Reply: The Christian
doctrine of the Trinity does not deny the oneness of God. In
the first place, the Quran has an incorrect understanding of the
Christian doctrine. The Quran teaches Jesus, Mary and Allah is
the “Trinity”, which is incorrect. Mary was never considered a
goddess in Christianity or part of the trinity as quoted in
Surah 5:116
116. And when
Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Didst thou say unto mankind:
Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah? he saith: Be
glorified It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right.
If I used to say it, then Thou knewest it. Thou knowest what is
in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy mind. Lo! Thou, only
Thou art the Knower Surah 5:116
Both in the Old and New Testament the oneness of God is
affirmed, Jesus in
Mark 12;29
quotes from
Deuteronomy 6:4,
declaring the oneness of God.
29 Jesus
answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O
Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Mark 12:29
The Old Testament and the New reveal the nature of who God
is, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the Prophets, God
prepared the world for the incarnation of the Son, and these
prophets declared the Son to be God. God in scripture has
chosen to reveal Himself in three persons, The Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
Holy
Sprit
The term Spirit of the Lord is used 23-times and the
term Spirit of God used 14 times in the Old Testament to
identify the Holy Spirit. Here Ezekiel is told by the Spirit to
speak.
Then the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said to me,
"Speak! 'Thus says the Lord: "Thus you have said, O house of
Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind. Ezekiel
11:5
From the very first verses of Genesis, the Holy
Spirit is seen in the creation of the world, Genesis 1:2, and
later in chapter one in (verse 26) Genesis, God says let “Us”
make man in our image.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on
the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over
the face of the waters.3 Then God said, "Let there be light";
and there was light. Genesis 1:1-2
The presence of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, is the
same in the New, at the start of Jesus ministry, we see the Holy
Spirit descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove, and the Father
proclaim the His love for the Son.
22 And the
Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a
voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in
You I am well pleased." Luke 3:22
Jesus also identified the distinct nature and person of the Holy
Spirit, in John 14, the Spirit is identified as “He”. The
ministry of the Spirit is distinct from the Son, yet the Spirit
is God. The Father sends the Holy Spirit in the name of the
Son. One God, who has revealed Himself in three distinct
persons, this is the essence of the Trinity.
16 "And I
will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that
He may abide with you forever 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him;
but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 26
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and
bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John
14:16-17,26
The Son
As the Holy
Spirit in both Old and New Testaments is demonstrated as God, so
is the Son. As noted above, in the book of Isaiah (9:6) God
revealed the Son as the “Mighty God”. The nature of Jesus as
fully God and yet man is affirmed in both the Old and New
Testaments. From the very first verses of John in the New
Testament, the nature of Jesus is proclaimed.
1 In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were
made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was
made. John 1:1-3
According to the Gospel of John, all of creation was made
through Jesus through who was God and with God in the beginning,
before He entered the world in the body of Man. The book of
Isaiah illustrates this by calling the Messiah, the Arm of
the Lord. In
Isaiah 53:1 and 59:16, the descent of God
into the world as Messiah is foretold, 700-years before the
event. Jesus is identified as the “Arm of the Lord” who enters
the world to Redeem humanity, because there is nobody else who
could fulfill the task. In
Isaiah 53, the very first verse asks the question,
“To whom has the arm of the Lord
been revealed?”. Isaiah then describes the sacrifice of the Messiah, who dies for
the sins of the world. In
Isaiah 59, the Arm of the Lord is identified
as God Himself,
16 He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no
intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him. 17 For He put on
righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His
head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was
clad with zeal as a cloak. Isaiah 59:16-17
The illustration of the Arm of God is an
illustration for us to understand the concept of the Trinity.
For example, when two people meet and shake hands, the hand is
the extension of the person. When flesh of one hand makes
contact with the other. This is exactly what occurred in the New
Testament, God made contact in the world, through the
incarnation, entering the world in the body of man.
We can further illustrate this with a couple of
questions. Let use a cup for example. If I asked you the
question, Can I enter the cup? Most people would say no, you are
much bigger then the cup, how can you enter it? Well, I can
extend my arm and stick my hand in the cup. I would then be in
the cup. All of me is much larger then the cup, but part of me,
my hand could enter the cup. The same point could be used
regarding a fish tank. Can I enter the community of fish in a
10 gallon tank? All of me is too large to enter the tank, but I
can extend my arm into the tank.
In the same way, God is bigger then the Universe,
it is impossible for us to comprehend God, so he made Himself
comprehendable in the Incarnation of the Son. God literally
stuck Himself into our world, and communed with His creation.
W. St. Clair Tisdall, Christian
Reply to Muslim Objections. Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge London 1904
dlyYalad
(yaw-lad'); Verb, Strong #: 3205, to bear, bring forth,
beget, gender, travail (Qal) to bear, bring forth of
child birth.
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