A common question that has been a point of dispute between Muslims and Christians throughout history is: “Is Jesus God?”. Muslims believe he is not God, but a prophet. Christians say that he is God. Now as there is a dispute, there must be a judge to solve this dispute. The judge here is Jesus himself, what did Jesus say in the Bible?
Jesus (Peace be upon him) never said that he is God, the Quran says:
And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, “O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as deities besidesAllah ?'” He will say, “Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen. 117. I said not to them except what You commanded me – to worship Allah , my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them; but when You took me up, You were the Observer over them, and You are, over all things, Witness. 118. If You should punish them – indeed they are Your servants; but if You forgive them – indeed it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. (Holy Quran 5:116-118)
Taking Mary as a god is what the Catholics do concerning the belief in veneration and intercession of Mary, since they pray to her and believe that she can benefit them, we as Muslims consider this as idolatry even if they didn’t say that she is a god. In addition, there was an early Christian sect who was worshiping Mary in Arabia which was called Collyridianism.
God is neither a man nor the son of man
The Bible itself (despite interpolation) testifies that Jesus (Peace be upon him) said that the Father is the only God, and that Jesus is a human being, the Old Testament says:
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent:
While Jesus (Peace be upon him) says that he is a man and a son of man:
John 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham.
Jesus kept on telling that he is the son of man as in Luke 17:22, 7:34, and in many other verses.
The Father is the only true God
Besides Jesus kept on telling that only the Father is God:
John 17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, Joh 17:2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. Joh 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Jesus says that the Father is the only true God. Actually if he said “God” instead of Father in verse 1 (the bolded word), this wouldn’t have been a proof that the Father is the only God, because God could have meant the whole Trinity. By using the word Father, Jesus clearly states that the Father is the only true God, thus excluding the son and the Holy Spirit.
And consider Jesus’ word “this is the eternal life”. Jesus didn’t say that the eternal life is that he is God who came in flesh or that he is the second person in the Trinity, or that he is the Savior who came to be crucified for the sin of Adam. It is simply that the Father is the only God, and that Jesus was sent by God.
The Father is God of Jesus
Also in other verses, Jesus refers to Father as his God, which clearly means that Jesus is not God, and can’t be interpreted by the human nature because the human nature is supposed to be God also:
John 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Joh 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Mar 12:29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Jesus lacks the attributes of God
Jesus explicitly says that the Father is greater than him, which means that he is not equal to God:
John 14:28″You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
This actually addresses what Paul said in Philippians that Jesus is equal to God, Jesus answers him saying that the Father is greater than him.
Jesus is not more than a teacher, a prophet, he is NOT God:
Matthew 23:9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Messiah.
Jesus doesn’t know the hour
Mark 13:32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
God is omniscient, He knows everything, and Jesus refers this to the Father. The Father is the only one who knows the hour neither Jesus nor the angels know anything about it. If Jesus doesn’t know the hour, then he is not omniscient, and since God is omniscient, then Jesus is not God.
Is Jesus omnipotent?
Jesus answers:
John 5:30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
God is not only omniscient, but also omnipotent. God can do everything. This is God whom both Muslims and Christians believe in. Jesus here denies his omnipotence, but refers it to the Father, and this is an answer to what Christians say that the signs and works Jesus made prove that he is God, Jesus here answers this claim saying: “By myself I can do nothing”. In addition, Jesus needs an angel to strengthen him:
Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
God is the Creator; He created everything, including angels. If Jesus is God, and he created everything, why shall he need one of his creatures to strengthen him? Is the creature stronger than the Creator? Let’s think about it!
Christians shall say that Jesus actually said that he is God, the article did Jesus really say “I am God”? shall discuss this in detail and shall prove that Jesus never said that he is God.
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