Is extremely simplistic to say: Jesus was a liar, a lunatic, or was the Lord such as some Christian authors. Undoubtedly, Jesus was an eloquent speaker who illustrated the spiritual dimensions of this life in parables and got his wisdom and authority manifest through miracles. When he spoke of the spiritual world, often left his audience stunned, shocked, humiliated and confused. Even today, 2000 years after his departure, there is still confusion about the things he said. The sayings and deeds attributed in the New Testament are susceptible to a number of different interpretations. Some Christian writers claim that Jesus is the Son of God “based on a few selected passages of the New Testament, while completely discarded the rest of the texts. Although the scientific community believes strongly that the New Testament documents have been altered extensively, it is still possible to search through the New Testament passages and find a different kind of interpretations.
Many Christians never consider Jesus a prophet. For them, this would be reduced from the high position which was given him. However, there are many passages that refer to Jesus as a prophet. Jesus himself was considered a prophet, and felt so many of his followers. For example, after hearing news that Herod wanted to kill him, Jesus said:
“However, it is necessary for today and tomorrow and follow my path, because it is impossible that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.” (Luke 13:33). On another occasion, he began teaching in his hometown, when I began, some of his men began to offend, Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own land and among his relatives …” (Mark 6: 1-4).
The author of “Acts of the Apostles’ also calls Jesus a prophet when he quotes the Old Testament explains how God anointed Jesus announced in his holy prophets from ancient times. “Moses said unto the fathers, the Lord your God will raise up a prophet from among your brethren …”. The people of Jerusalem recognized that Jesus was a prophet when Jesus entered the city riding on a donkey “the whole city was moved, saying, Who is this? And people said, ‘This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. “(Matthew 21:10-11). Once, after addressing the high priests and Pharisees in parables “understood that spoke for them. But to get your hands look like they feared the people because it regarded him as a prophet. “(Matthew 21:45,46). On another occasion, Jesus has compassion on entering a city and see the dead being loaded, was the only child of a widow. Jesus commands the man up and he does so. the crowd is shocked “and praised God saying, A great prophet has arisen among us” (Luke 7:16). In another episode, after Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath, people are divided and the blind man asked “What’s that you say you opened your eyes? And he said: He is a prophet. “(John 9:17). Elsewhere we read that after Jesus’ tomb found empty, Jesus appears to two men who traveled to a village near Jerusalem
“It happened that while they conversed and reasoned, Jesus himself came and went with them. But the eyes were veiled from recognizing him and said: What manner of communications are these that ye have with you as you walk and are sad? Answered one of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? Then he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. “(Luke 24:15-19)
It is clear that many people consider Jesus a prophet. And this last passage, which occurred at the end of Jesus’ ministry, is especially revealing, because it comes after the miracles, that challenged the Roman Empire and the leaders of the Synagogue, after the crowds leave your words of wisdom and hope for a kingdom “not of this world,” and after everyone thought he was dead. After he did all these things someone summarizes his life and works … and everyone considered him a prophet.
The “children” of God
Jesus has been given a much higher position from which he could ever imagine. This is due to perpetual misunderstanding of the scriptures of the Old Testament. A detailed analysis of the Old and New Testament will reveal what Jesus really meant when he said he was the son of God [1].
The Jews came to Jesus asking him to tell them directly if he was anointed. He explains that the things he did on behalf of his father testify that he is the anointed. Conclude by saying:
“I and the Father are one.” Then the Jews again took up stones to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shown you from My Father: “Which of these do you stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture can not be broken), whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, you say, ‘You are blaspheming, because I said I am God’s Son “(John 10 :30-36)
The Jews misinterpreted his words when he said: “I and the Father are one.. They assumed that Jesus was equal with God, which was not true. He tried to tell them that he and God were, figuratively, one in purpose. this is illustrated in another passage where Jesus prays for his disciples. He asks God that they are one in purpose, in the same way that he and God are one in purpose. He says: “.. to be one, as we are one. I in them and thou in me, to be complete unity to let the world know that you sent me. “(John 17:22-23). Which is what Jesus meant when he called [2] so that his disciples be one? Certainly, he did not mean that they are equal in a metaphysical sense, but are united in conveying the message that he charged them the same way that Jesus delivered the message he received from God. [3]
The explanation that Jesus gives in the first passage also clarifies that Jesus did not say he is the Son of God literally. He was using the metaphorical title that is given to the prophets and kings in the Old Testament. The writing to which Jesus is referred to in Psalm 82:6,7. in a metaphorical sense, Jesus himself is considered one of the “sons of God.” The translators of the Bible have misinterpreted these words have emphasized increasing the capital, were taken out of context and turned into a title of “Son of God” which Jesus himself would be considered blasphemy.
There are many other places in the Bible where human beings are described as “sons of God.” In the Old Testament are: Genesis 6:2, Exodus 4:22; Deut. 14:1, 1 Chr. 22:10, Job 1:6, Jeremiah 31:9. Also in the New Testament: Matthew 5:9 and finally in Luke 3:38, Adam is called “son of God.” It is easy to see that the title “son of God” was not used in a literal sense and not used only for Jesus, it was commonly used to describe those close to God.
There are many historical events, records of misconceptions and concerns affecting the authenticity of the New Testament and the books chosen to represent the ministry of Jesus. It can give many alternative interpretations of Jesus’ ministry, as opposed to the traditional. If Jesus was just a prophet and not a god, then what was its purpose? and then … Who is God? Islam provides answers to these questions. With a better understanding of Islam can appreciate Christianity and Judaism. The cornerstone for understanding Judaism, Christianity and Islam is in the sgte. N. passage Testament
“… One of the scribes that had heard them, and I knew I had answered them well, asked him: What is the first commandment of all? Jesus replied: The first commandment is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all thy mind and with all your strength … And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, did you say, there is one God and no other out of him .. “(Mark 12:28-32)
Judaism, Christianity and Islam share a common starting point, these three religions claim that there is one God who is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. All three religions hold that God is who communicates through Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Jacob, David and other prophets. In addition, many of the doctrines of the three religions are equal. for example, all believe that the heavens and the earth were created by God, that there are angels and Satan and his followers there, there will be a Judgement Day, to be a Paradise for Hell rewarded and punished for and that only God can forgive sins.
However there are some beliefs that are shared by Islam and Christianity. The New Testament and the Koran, holy book of Islam, both claim that Jesus was a prophet and was born of a virgin, both maintain that Jesus received the Gospel and performed many miracles and signs. Moreover, Christians and Muslims believe that Jesus is a sign of the arrival time of trial. But the biggest difference between Islam and Christianity, while the sticking point is that Christians believe that Jesus is God and that Muslims believe that Jesus was only a prophet of God. For a Muslim is a serious blasphemy, and degrade the majesty of God, that Jesus was the Son of God and that Jesus is God. Muslims believe that Jesus came as a prophet of God, to remind his people that they must have faith in God and obey him. The Quran:
“And we had behind them, following in his footsteps, came Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming what was already in the Torah. And we gave him the Injeel in which was guidance and light and confirmation of what was already in the Torah as well as a guide and a reminder to the fearful. “(5:46)
This verse agrees with the words of Jesus in the N. Testament
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the prophets: I came not to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17)
Despite many parts of N. Testament that are part of the belief of Muslims, the Muslims do not believe that the New Testament is the aplabra of God revealed. Muslims believe that the gospel was communicated by God to Jesus in its pure and original. But the gospel was misunderstood and / or misrepresented the time to put together in one volume.
Muslims recognize the historical records of the crucifixion, but do not believe that Jesus was crucified. The Koran teaches that Jesus was not crucified nor killed by the Jews, but apparently there were some circumstances that impression in the minds of the enemies of the Messiah. The Quran says:
“And their saying: We killed the Messiah, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah. But even so they thought, was not killed nor crucified him, and those who differ therein, have doubts and have no knowledge of what happened, just keep guessing. then surely they killed him not. “(4:157)
Some scholars argue that the death of Jesus on the cross was only apparent, an illusion, others believe that the cross had someone else with the face of Jesus. In John 20, we are told that Jesus himself appeared unrecognizable after the crucifixion. this occurs when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, when he found open and empty, and began to mourn, suddenly turned around and saw Jesus standing, but knew it was Jesus, assumed to be the gardener, spoke briefly with him and Jesus mentioned only when she recognized his name.
Muslims believe that God sent Muhammad, a prophet, to bring the message of Islam to all people. The basic teachings of Islam are contained in the Koran. Islam is the confirmation and continuation of the message given to Jesus and other prophets and messengers.
[1] After meeting so many additions, omissions and misleading stories in the Bible, one comes to doubt rightly, that they were words of Jesus in reality, or if there were any additions or ‘freedom’ to the Word of God.
[2] The obvious question here is: If Jesus was the One God, Who prayed and asked in this text??
[3] If Paul was an apostle, he asked for Jesus was not answered by God. Then we saw that after the arrival of Paul to Christianity as an “apostle” is everything between him and the other “true apostles” has everything: Differences of religion, differences over the law, fights, exchanges of insults and final separation. There was everything except the aforementioned unit. Perhaps there was between the true apostles of course if it were not … Apostle Paul.
