By
Billow Kerrow
Christians believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God, and worship him.
Most Christians consider Jesus was a divine being, who was both fully human and God. Jews believe Jesus was not the Messiah, nor a Prophet but an imposter. Judaism also negates the concept of the Son of God and rejects the claim that Jesus was divine. Jews consider the worship of a being other than God a form of idolatry.
Muslims believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah prophesied in the Torah, and a Messenger and the Word of God. The main point of departure between Islam and Christianity is the divinity the latter attaches to Jesus. Muslims believe Jesus is one of the greatest Messengers of God, alongside others equally highly revered in the Quran, such as Abraham, Moses, Noah, Jacob, Joseph and Muhammad, may peace be upon them all. Islam totally rejects the concept of the divinity of Jesus which is predicated on the doctrine of Trinity.
Islam emphasizes the oneness of God and refutes the view that God can beget a Son. Muslims, however, believe that Jesus was born miraculously to Virgin Mary, a chaste woman highly devoted to the service of God and after whom a chapter of Quran is named. His miraculous birth is described in the Quran in similar terms as that of our forefather, Adam, who had no father and mother.
Muslims believe Jesus had the power to heal the sick, raise the dead and perform other miracles, with the permission of God, a fact that he alludes to in the scriptures. That he was able to do them with the permission of the Father in heaven makes it apparent that he personally did not have divine powers. In Christianity then, his divinity forms the basis of his worship. Islam disagrees that any human being is worthy of worship, including Prophet Muhammad.
Muslims also believe, as Christians do, that Jesus ascended to Heaven, and that he will return some day before the Day of Judgement. However, the two faiths disagree on his role, and the reason for his return. The Muslims believe that he will return in order to prove his mortality, as indeed every soul has to taste death, and also to refute the false beliefs about him.
Another point of departure between the two faiths is the death and crucifixion of Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus died on the Cross but was resurrected, after which he ascended to Heaven. The Quran teaches that Jesus was not killed by the Romans but was made to appear that way in order to deceive them, and confirms he was raised up to Heaven by God.
Muslims disagree with the concept of the Original Sin, or that Jesus died for our sins and hence he is the Saviour. Islam teaches that all human beings commit sin and must repent to God for forgiveness. It emphasizes that God’s grace alone is not enough to save us from punishment in the Hellfire, and we must have true faith and good deeds. In Quran 39:7, it underscores this doctrine when it states that ‘no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another’.
Muslims also believe that Jesus was sent unto the Jews with the same message of all his predecessors; that of submission to God. Even in the Bible, he confirmed the Torah, lived by its teachings and instructed his disciples to follow them in Mathews 5:17-18 ‘think not that I have come to abolish the law and the (way of) the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to follow them’. The Quran states that his disciples did not desert him, & explains the miracle of the Eucharist (Last Supper) after which a chapter in the Quran is named.
The Quran emphasizes his message: “And indeed, God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path.” Quran 19:36. This was the message of all Prophets, according to Islam. This is similar to Luke 4:8 “You shall worship the Lord your God, & Him only shall you serve.” There is a heavy emphasis on the person, his story, his mission and his message in a very holistic way in the Quran.
Let’s enhance our understanding of each other.
The above article was first published in the writer’s X account.
