More Than a Prophet

Muslims believe Jesus was only a prophet. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines prophet as “a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.” A prophet sent from God will tell the truth regardless of the hearer receiving it. So if a true prophet doesn’t lie, let’s examine some of Jesus’ words from the Bible (which was written 500 years before the Koran).

First, Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Notice Jesus said He was THE truth…not a truth. He also said in John 8:31-32, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Followers of Islam argue that Allah (their word for God) had no son. Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of God in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” He later said in John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

The Koran encourages its followers to “kill the infidels” (Surah 9:5). Jesus said a few things contrary to that…

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” - Matthew 5:44

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” - John 10:10

“They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.” - John 16:2-3

Muslims deny that Jesus died on the cross. On the other hand, Jesus stated in Matthew 17:23, “…and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.”

When giving the Great Commission, Jesus said in Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” I’ve seen that power manifest using Jesus’ name, not Muhammed, whom Muslims esteem as the greatest prophet.

Many Muslims are concerned about their good deeds outweighing the bad. A religion (not a relationship) puts people into bondage. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Jesus also said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” One of them is you must be born again. (John 3:3, 7) No amount of good works will remit sin. “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36)

Based on what Jesus said, it’s obvious He is more than a prophet. He is the Son of God who is coming back again. Are you ready for His return?

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12

The Jesus of Islam

Not too long ago during a prayer walk, I stopped to witness to two young men waiting for a bus. Both of them thought they would go to heaven for living good lives. Eventually Sayma told me he was Muslim but still prayed along with his friend Sam to get born again. Since Sayma didn’t have a Bible, I gave him a gospel of John pointing out it reveals a more accurate picture of who Jesus is.

The Koran has some verses about Jesus that agree with the Bible...

Jesus was born of a virgin (Surah 19:19-21)

Jesus taken bodily into Heaven (Surah 3:55)

Jesus was a miracle worker (Surah 2:253)

Jesus said to obey him (Surah 43:63)

However, there are Koranic verses about Jesus that conflict with Scripture...

Surah 3:59 claims Jesus was created. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Surahs 4:171 and 5:75 claim Jesus is no more than a messenger of Allah. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Surah 5:116 says Jesus did not say to worship himself or Mary. This is half-right. Certainly we are not to worship Mary. 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” However, Jesus received worship from people such as the Syro-Phoenician woman in Mark 7:25.

Surah 9:30 claims you are cursed if you say Jesus is God's Son. John 3:36 says the exact opposite, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Muslims also claim Jesus was never crucified and is the Messiah for Jews only. Romans 3:29 says, “Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also”

In these last days, discernment is so important. Even supernatural manifestations of Jesus need to be judged by Scripture. Five years ago at a revival meeting, I heard Pastor John Kilpatrick talk about an incident that happened when he was 15 years old. A figure that looked like Jesus appeared before him in his bedroom. As John was about to fall down and worship this being, a voice inside him asked, “Where are his nail prints?” John then commanded this spirit figure to go away. 

Which Jesus do you preach and worship? Make sure He’s the one described in the Holy Bible. Otherwise, you are bowing down to a false Christ that cannot save you.

“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!” - 2 Corinthians 11:3-4

Giving Away God’s Word

Whenever I lead someone to the Lord, I usually take an extra minute to encourage the newborn believer to pray, read the Bible, and attend a good church. When I specifically talk about the Bible, I will ask if he (or she) has one at home. If he doesn’t, then I ask, “If I give you one, will you read it?” Sometimes people will answer, “Probably not.” In cases like that, my next question for them is, “What would happen if you stopped eating food?” They usually say they will get weak or die. I then point out the same thing can happen to them spiritually. Reading God’s word feeds a person’s spirit.

Don’t think someone’s salvation isn’t legitimate just because he doesn’t immediately get excited about reading the Bible. One reason may be this person thinks he has to read an older translation like the King James Version that can be hard to understand. Another reason might be some people think they are supposed to read the whole Bible like a regular book. Although that’s a good habit for any believer, it can be intimidating for someone not familiar with God’s word. 

A couple of times as a boy, I started reading the book of Genesis but soon lost interest when getting to the genealogies. Years later when my brother-in-law led me to the Lord, he gave me two bibles. One of them was in a comic-book format. For a while, I mostly read that one. The illustrations and the more conversational-like words spoken by the characters made it easy for me to understand Christian principles. 

Nowadays, I encourage new believers to begin reading the gospel of John to better understand what Jesus has done for them. For years I have mostly given away small New Testaments to people who don’t have a Bible. Then one afternoon I stopped at a Wal-Mart and ended up witnessing to a young man smoking in his car. After Jeremy prayed to receive salvation but wasn’t interested in receiving a bible from me, I remembered having gospels of John in my back pocket. Jeremy was more receptive to receiving one of those.

Of course, it’s important for every believer to eventually become familiar with all of God’s Word.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 
- 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)