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Jesus Christ
Jesus, son of Mary, was born
among the Jews, at Bethlehem, a place six
miles from Jerusalem, probably in 4 BC.
He lived for about 33 years and he preached
the Gospel (meaning good news) for about
three years. He showed some miracles and
admonished the Jews. Common people accepted
him as a Prophet but the chiefs and the
high priests disbelieved and charged him
with blasphemy. They put him before the
Roman governor to obtain his permission
to crucify him. God saved him.
Christ is the Greek word for Messiah, which
means anointed i.e. a person rubbed with
oil and deputed for a special task. The
word Messiah is used for David and even
Cyrus, the king of Persia, in the Bible.
The Jews, however, have been waiting for
a special Messiah who will restore David’s
Throne to them, and they are still waiting
for him. But the Christians say that Messiah
has already come in the form of Jesus ___
although he restored nothing to the Jews.
According to Gospel, Jesus hardly used the
word Messiah for him, but, many a time,
he called himself a Prophet and One sent
by God. However, the word Christ or Messiah
is now commonly used with his name.
The Bible
While God directly speaks in
the Holy Quran, it is admitted by both Jews
and Christians that the Books contained
in the Bible were written by Prophets and
others in their own words. They are sacred
because they are believed to have been written
under inspiration from God.
The Old Testament
They are the Books which were
written prior to Christ. The first five
Books, it is claimed, were written by Moses,
but a simple look on them will show that,
except for Ten Commandments, in which God
spoke, they are written by somebody else,
because they relate the history of the Jews,
including death of Moses, in third person,
and describe a complex system of rituals
and sacrifices developed gradually. In other
books the history of the Jews continues
along with good news and warnings. The Books
and the Prophets of Old Testament end by
100 BC, to show that the preference given
to Jews was reaching its end. As a final
warning, Jesus Christ was sent by God to
them. They rejected him and met their awful
fate.
The New Testament
No book, revealed by God to Jesus
or written or dictated by him, is held by
the Christians. The New Testament contains:
- Four Gospels relating the life-story
and teachings of Jesus Christ.
- Acts of the Apostles, showing details
of work done by some followers of Christ.
- Letters written by Paul and others
explaining Christianity.
- Revelation of John – a vision
indicating events expected to happen.
The Gospels were written by four persons
between 60 AD and 100 AD in Greek language,
i.e. in a language other than that spoken
by Christ and the Jews. The four persons
were Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. Mathew
was a disciple of Christ but Mark and Luke
were not. Luke was not even a Jew and he
wrote it for a Roman chief, as he had heard.
About John, some say that he was a disciple
and some say that he was not.
Thus the first hand knowledge about Christ
and exact words spoken by him are not available.
Translations have also been changed from
time to time so that exact meaning and intentions
cannot be ascertained. However, these Gospels
still contain the truth, and the way Christ
addressed the people proves that he was
indeed a true Messenger of God of great
heights.
Some of his Sermons, which appear to be
against the dictates of Torah, infact show
the inner wisdom of Law and its intentions.
Christ said:
"I will utter things which were
kept secret since the world was made."
(Mathew 13:35)
They are not practicable on their face
value. For instance, if somebody slaps you
on the cheek, you cannot turn the other
cheek to him for a second slap. One has
to consider the spirit behind it before
acting.
The Gospels prophesy the destruction of
the Jews. We may call it a good news as
elimination of an ever-transgressing people
like Jews was beneficial for the world around.
However, Christ also foretold the coming
of another "Comforter" after him,
who will abide with the people forever.
That, no doubt, was a good news.
The other writings added after the Gospels
have no reason to be accepted as part of
the New Testament. They describe the work
done by some of the followers and their
opinions. People may or may not accept them.
In fact any opinion against the teachings
of Christ should be rejected. Unfortunately
the teachings of one of them, viz Paul,
are accepted by Christians now.
While Christ and all the Prophets asked
the people to submit to Law, Paul said that
it was enough to believe in Christ as Son
of God for salvation, because, by his ‘offered’
sacrifice, he has taken over our sins. In
fact he never offered it, but wished to
be saved, and succeeded in avoiding it.
The Christians have taken this false creed
as a license for committing sins and follow
no God-given law. Under cover of such words,
as democracy and secularism, they act at
their will. No wonder then, that their atrocities
on own people and other nations have surpassed
limits in the history of mankind.
Holy Spirit
Spirit (Arabic Rooh) means a
force that moves one to action. When it
moves one in the right direction it is holy,
and when it moves one to bad things, it
is evil.
It is not visible, nor does it speak; it
whispers in the hearts of men.
It was always there and will always be
there. But we cannot depend on it altogether.
Man needs clear-cut guidance. That is why
Prophets were sent and Law was given, and
people were asked to submit to commandments.
According to Gospels, Zacharia, his wife,
Jesus and his disciples, all were filled
up with the Holy Spirit when they were required
to say a difficult thing or face powerful
enemies. Jesus, with no wordly power, spoke
the truth and admonished high priests in
harshest words with the help of Holy Spirit.
The Quran says:
We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Clear Signs
and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.
(2:40)
In the hearts of the Believers God has
imprinted Faith and strengthened them
with a Spirit from Himself. (58:22)
Therefore, when Christ at the time of his
departure says, "I am going and another
Comforter and Spirit of Truth will come
and abide with you", he means someone
in flesh like him, with a final complete
Message, will come.
Jesus No Founder
of a Religion
Jesus gave some sermons for almost
three years and had then to depart. In this
short period he could not found a new religion,
give a complete message and present himself
as a model for posterity. He himself made
no such claims either. He said:
"Think not that I have come to abolish
the Law or the Prophets; I have not come
to destroy but to complete. ---- whosoever
therefore shall break One of these least
Commandments and shall teach men so, he
shall be called the least in the Kingdom
of Heaven." (Matthew 5:17,19)
Jesus No Redeemer
He did come to redeem the Jews, but they
rejected him, and he prophesied their destruction
and left. So he redeamed nobody.
Jesus Prophet
of Israel
He said: I am not sent but to the lost
sheep of the House of Israel. (Matthew
15:24)
These twelve disciples Jesus sent forth
and commanded them saying, "go not
into the way of the gentiles (Non-Jews),
and into any city of the Samaritans (Jews
of mixed blood) enter ye not. But go rather
to the lost sheep of the House of Israel."
(Matthew 10:5-6)
Jesus preceded
by John
To make sure that no argument
shall stand against God’s justice,
John the Baptist was sent before Jesus to
prepare the way for him. He asked the people
to repent, and he baptized them in water
to remove their misconception that, being
the descendants of Abraham, their preference
could not be taken away. John declared:
You vipers’ brood! who warned you
to escape from the coming retribution?
Then prove your repentance by the fruit
it bears, and do not presume to say to
yourselves, we have Abraham for our father."
I tell you that God can make children
for Abraham out of these stones here.
Already the axe is laid to the roots of
the trees; and every tree that fails to
produce good fruit is cut down and thrown
on the fire. I baptize you with water
for repentance; but the one who comes
after me is mightier than I, and I am
not fit to take off his shoes; he will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with
fire. His shovel is ready in his hand,
and he will purge his threshing floor;
the wheat he will gather in his granary,
but he will burn the chaff on a fire that
can never go out. (Matthew 3:7-12)
(It means that after rejecting Christ,
Jews will always burn in fire and will never
have peace.)
The Quran is very clear on it. It says:
When his Lord tested Abraham with certain
things, he fulfilled them; He said, "I
am making thee a leader of mankind;"
he said, "and out of my seed?"
He said, "My Covenant shall not reach
the wrongdoers." (2: 124)
Jesus Last Warner
to Israel
After John came Jesus as the
last warner for the children of Israel.
They were a transgressing people and even
Babylonian Captivity and destruction of
the sacred Temple and Jerusalem had not
reformed them.
Sermon of John proves that they were not
willing to improve themselves. Common men
seeing the miracles and healing power of
Christ and hearing his sermons, full of
wisdom and truth, believed in him, but the
leaders and chief preists refused to believe
him. Instead, they tried to crucify him.
So ultimately. Gods command came into action.
The Quran say:
Thy Lord is not such as would destroy
cities until He raises in their Mother-city,
a Messenger reciting Our signs to them;
and We never destroy the cities except
that their people are wrongdoers. (20:59)
And Jesus said:
"If I had not come and spoken to
them, they would not be guilty of sin.
But they have no excuse for their sin
now." (John 15:22)
His first message was:
Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at
hand. (Matthew 4:17)
But when they did not hear him, he told
them:
Kingdom of God shall be taken from you
and given to a people that yields the
fruit thereof. (Matthew 21:43)
And finally, He prophesied their utter
destruction.
There shall not be left here one stone
upon another that shall not be thrown
down. (Matthew 24:2) (Details later)
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