“Greater love hath no man…that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

1)            The microcosm of the entire thirty-one thousand, one hundred and two verses of the Bible is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This verse, which sums up God’s mind and intent for mankind, touches on His love, His gift of the only begotten Son, eternal damnation and the soteriology. The death of the Son is substitutionary: the life of sinless Second Member of the Godhead for the lost Adamic souls. Sin is a curse as we understand Ezekiel 18:4 “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” And Wisdom, the personification of the Christ, makes it clear in Proverbs 8:36 “But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.” Sin, for this scriptural reason, is truly a reproach. Not wanting to destroy sinful man, God designed redemption way out in John 3:16. When Prophet Muhammad began his Islamic campaign, one of the antagonistic teaching of the Islamic protocolary Qur’an against Christianity was an oppugnation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.   

                An-Nisa’ 4:157 And [for] their saying, “Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.

The death of Jesus Christ has irrevocable historical documentation

                This is the shortened commentary: And because of their saying, “We killed Al-Masih, `Isa, son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah,” meaning, we killed the person who claimed to be the Messenger of Allah. The Jews only uttered these words in jest and mockery, just as the polytheists said, (O you to whom the Dhikr (the Qur’an) has been sent down! Verily, you are a mad man!). (15:6). When Allah sent `Isa with proofs and guidance, the Jews, may Allah’s curses, anger, torment and punishment be upon them, envied him because of his Prophethood and obvious miracles; curing the blind and leprous and bringing the dead back to life, by Allah’s leave. He also used to make the shape of a bird from clay and blow in it, and it became a bird by Allah’s leave and flew.

                 `Isa performed other miracles that Allah honored him with, yet the Jews defied and bellied him and tried their best to harm him. Allah’s Prophet `Isa could not live in any one city for long and he had to travel often with his mother, peace be upon them. Even so, the Jews were not satisfied, and they went to the king of Damascus at that time, a Greek polytheist who worshipped the stars. They told him that there was a man in Bayt Al-Maqdis misguiding and dividing the people in Jerusalem….When the king’s deputy in Jerusalem received these orders, he went with some Jews to the house that `Isa was residing in, and he was then with twelve, thirteen or seventeen of his companions. That day was a Friday, in the evening. …They surrounded `Isa in the house, and when he felt that they would soon enter the house or that he would sooner or later have to leave it, he said to his companions, “Who volunteers to be made to look like me, for which he will be my companion in Paradise?”…

                A young man volunteered, but `Isa thought that he was too young. He asked the question a second and third time, each time the young man volunteering, prompting `Isa to say, “Well then, you will be that man.”…..Allah made the young man look exactly like `Isa, while a hole opened in the roof of the house, and `Isa was made to sleep and ascended to heaven while asleep.

No other person has these divine credentials: Way, Truth and Life.

                I have always wondered why Muhammad should call Jesus by the sobriquet of Isa. According to G.J.O. Moshay, the author of the explosive book, “Who Is This Allah?” Isa does not in any way agree etymologically, and even with Arabic way of pronunciation. Moshay believes that, not knowing what to make with Hebraic Yehoshua, Muhammad just slapped the character of the biblical Yehoshua with the sobriquet ‘Isa!’ Did Allah suggest the Arabic Isa for Jesus or Yehoshua? Who, I ask, is this Allah, the purported God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob of Israel? Jehovah of the Bible gave the name of the Saviour as Yehoshua. Muslim scholars refer to an ‘attendant’ of Moses to whom they give the Arabic name, Yusha bin Nun (Joshua the son of Nun). Muhammadan ignorance does not know that Joshua and Jesus are the one and the same Hebraic Yehoshua or Yeshua. Why would Islam not apply the sobriquet ‘Isa to Joshua as well? Ignorance: on whose part, Allah or Muhammad, or both? Selah!  

                Getting born again is a conscious effort on the part of an individual. Get born again. You were born in sin. Say this sinner’s prayer.

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!” 

(…to be continued…)

Read part 2 here

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