2/7/13 Mu'adh about 25
How can we explain Jesus’ true nature to Muslims, who view the biblical
concept of the Trinity as a violation of their belief in one God?
A long conversation at the grocery store with Mu'adh, a Muslim from India, led us to focus on Jesus’ true nature. Was Jesus a great prophet, but just a prophet, or was he much more than that?
Mu'adh rejected any notion that God could have a biological son, but on the other hand he accepted that Jesus might be a son of God in the sense that we are all “sons of God”.
“But the Bible teaches that Jesus is much more than another being created by God” I explained. “It teaches us that in the beginning, before creation, God had already existed forever. He has no beginning or end, and Jesus has always existed with Him. Jesus exists with God as the Creator, not just a part of the creation.
This helped Mu'adh understand that Jesus is primarily spiritual, not a biological son of God. “So how can it be that we say we believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, yet we believe in just one God? If two or three beings exist in absolutely perfect agreement, with no shadow of a difference of opinion between them, wouldn’t you say they are perfectly united as one being? Aren’t our differences of opinion and will the very things that separate us as independent people? We understand that among the persons of the Trinity there are different roles but only one will. The Father, Son, and Spirit all act in perfect harmony with one another”.
Mu'adh was very open minded and intrigued by all this. So what is it that allowed us to have such a frank discussion about a topic that has historically divided Christians and Muslims?
I believe it is the foundation I had laid earlier in our conversation. I had focused on God’s justice and eternal worth – two ideas that Mu'adh as a Muslim was absolutely in agreement with.
I had posed the question – “What sort of consequence would be sufficient payment for our sins against an infinitely worthy God?” I had explained how no religious acts could pay the debt that we owe God’s justice. Only a sacrifice of equally infinite worth could be a worthy substitute in our place. “If Jesus was indeed the Son of God as Christians believe, would He not have eternal worth?"
Mu'adh agreed. He was beginning to understand why it is important to Christians that Jesus is whom He claims to be. He was beginning to want a truly worthy Savior.
A long conversation at the grocery store with Mu'adh, a Muslim from India, led us to focus on Jesus’ true nature. Was Jesus a great prophet, but just a prophet, or was he much more than that?
Mu'adh rejected any notion that God could have a biological son, but on the other hand he accepted that Jesus might be a son of God in the sense that we are all “sons of God”.
“But the Bible teaches that Jesus is much more than another being created by God” I explained. “It teaches us that in the beginning, before creation, God had already existed forever. He has no beginning or end, and Jesus has always existed with Him. Jesus exists with God as the Creator, not just a part of the creation.
This helped Mu'adh understand that Jesus is primarily spiritual, not a biological son of God. “So how can it be that we say we believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, yet we believe in just one God? If two or three beings exist in absolutely perfect agreement, with no shadow of a difference of opinion between them, wouldn’t you say they are perfectly united as one being? Aren’t our differences of opinion and will the very things that separate us as independent people? We understand that among the persons of the Trinity there are different roles but only one will. The Father, Son, and Spirit all act in perfect harmony with one another”.
Mu'adh was very open minded and intrigued by all this. So what is it that allowed us to have such a frank discussion about a topic that has historically divided Christians and Muslims?
I believe it is the foundation I had laid earlier in our conversation. I had focused on God’s justice and eternal worth – two ideas that Mu'adh as a Muslim was absolutely in agreement with.
I had posed the question – “What sort of consequence would be sufficient payment for our sins against an infinitely worthy God?” I had explained how no religious acts could pay the debt that we owe God’s justice. Only a sacrifice of equally infinite worth could be a worthy substitute in our place. “If Jesus was indeed the Son of God as Christians believe, would He not have eternal worth?"
Mu'adh agreed. He was beginning to understand why it is important to Christians that Jesus is whom He claims to be. He was beginning to want a truly worthy Savior.
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