Expert: Marilyn - 7/20/2009

Question
Quran.

24. Or have they taken for worship (other) gods besides him? Say, "Bring your convincing proof: this is the Message of those with me and the Message of those before me." But most of them know not the Truth, and so turn away.

25. Not an apostle did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me.

26. And they say: "((Allah)) Most Gracious has begotten offspring." Glory to Him! they are (but) servants raised to honour.

27. They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in all things) by His Command.

28. He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they offer no intercession except for those who are acceptable, and they stand in awe and reverence of His (Glory).

29. If any of them should say, "I am a god besides Him", such a one We should reward with Hell: thus do We reward those who do wrong.

Jesus(pbuh) NEVER said he is God or to worship him, I challenge you, to show me a single verse !

note: if believeing that Jesus(pbuh) is God for are salvation, then Jesus(pbuh) would have explicitly said That he is God or to worship him.  

Answer
Hello Daniel;

Why do Muslims insist that Jesus must announce literally, "I am God," as the only criteria acceptable to prove Jesus is God? Why aren't His actions enough to prove He is God? Anybody can say, "I am God," and throughout history some have. Even today there are human beings walking around on the planet who tell others "I am god." Wouldn't proof in deeds be a better proof than uttering words?

However, Jesus does declare Himself God. In John 8:58 Jesus plainly says, "...before Abraham was born, I AM!" The Pharisees understood what He meant because they picked up stones to stone Him.

"I AM" is the Name God gave Himself when Moses stood before Him in the burning bush. Moses said, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His Name?' Then what am I to tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites, "I AM has sent me to you," Exodus 3:13 & 14.

In John 10 the Pharisees and Jesus reach a confrontation on this very issue. Verse 24, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Verse 25, Jesus replied, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in My Father's Name speak for Me, but you do not believe."

Jesus said to look to His miracles as proof that He is God. We may argue about His miracles of giving sight to the blind, healing lepers, healing the paralyzed, casting out demons, raising the dead, but let's look at His resurrection from the dead.

The Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote an entire paragraph about Jesus. He said, my paraphrase, There was this Jewish Rabbi who had a lot of followers. He was really popular. He was claimed to have done many miracles. His disciples said He rose from the dead.

Josephus proves for us that Jesus actually lived on planet earth. Jesus' disciples prove for us that He actually rose from the dead. Every one of them were martyred for preaching Jesus raised from the dead except John who was exiled to the isle of Patmos.

If Jesus did not rise from the dead, the Apostles would be in a position to know, but they claimed to have seen Him and spoken with Him on the earth, to have eaten a meal with Him after His death. They preached Jesus raised from the dead and died for it. A man will not die for a lie, but he will die for the truth. The Apostles prove by their deaths that Jesus was raised from the dead. No ordinary human being could rise from the dead, only One who was also God.

In John 10:30 Jesus said, "I and the Father are One." In verse 38 Jesus says, "...the Father is in Me and I in the Father." The Bible teaches that God is Three in One: The Father, the Son or the Word and the Holy Spirit. These Three form One God. A picture of this is your computer which has hardware, and operating system and programs--all are needed in order for you to have a viable computer. A computer is a picture of three in one.

John 1 says that Jesus is the "Word made flesh." We do not think our words matter, we often toss them out thoughtlessly. But God's Word is alive, a Person of God, a Living Being. And this Word of God became a human being in order to show God to us. Hebrews 1:3 says, "The Son is the Radiance of God's Glory and the Exact Representation of His Being..."

Paul wrote in Philippians 2, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves...Your attitude should be like that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a Servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a Man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross," verses 3, 5-11.

The most important question you will ever answer in your life is the very one you have posted here, "Is Jesus God?" If you are going to demand that Jesus say to you, "I am God," and that nothing else will do for you, not even His declaration of being the "I AM," then you will make that decision based on your belief--by faith. If you decide that Jesus' "I AM" answer and His miracles are proof enough for you, then you will make that decision based on your belief--by faith. God has set up the system whereby all decisions respecting Him must be made by faith. There is no other way. He demands we come to Him on His terms, not our own. Either you will, or you won't. And you must live with the consequences of your choice--that's just the way it is.

But while you muse, remember, Jesus came to earth, emptied Himself of His Kingship, His Heavenly position as equal to God, became God in human flesh in order show God to you to die to pay for your sins, then to be raised from the dead to conquer death so that you also may be raised from the dead if you will receive Him as Lord. He would have done this if you were the only human being on planet earth because He loves you that much.

I have never heard of a family member offering to take a prisoner's sentence--especially not a sentence of death, have you? Yet, Jesus took your death sentence. All you must do is believe He rose from the dead and say, "Jesus is Lord," and this fabulous gift is yours, Romans 10:9 It is my prayer you will do this.

Sincerely,

Marilyn