The discussion at the Islam and Christianity Debate Group has continued. Here are the next points (13–21) of the original 38 which I have addressed so far.
13- Jesus always confessed he is just a prophet sent by God (Matthew 21:10-11)
The wording of this objection actually goes against or beyond the evidence found in the Bible when we consider just what Prophet is being referred to, as shown by the cross references for Matthew 21:11.
Mat 21:10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
Mat 21:11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Matthew 21:11
the multitude said. Mat 21:46, Luk 18:36.
This is Jesus. Mat 16:13-14, Deut 18:15-19, Mar 10:47, Luk 7:16; Luk 24:19, Joh 7:39-40; Joh 9:17; Joh 18:5, Act 3:22-23; Act 7:37.
the prophet. Mat 21:46, Mar 6:15, Luk 7:16; Luk 7:39; Luk 9:8; Luk 9:19; Luk 13:33; Luk 24:19, Joh 1:21; Joh 1:25; Joh 4:19; +Joh 6:14; Joh 7:40-42; Joh 7:52; Joh 9:17, +Act 3:22; +Act 3:23; Act 7:37.
of Nazareth. +Mat 2:23, +Mar 1:24; Mar 14:67, Joh 1:45-46; Joh 6:14.
of Galilee. +Mat 2:22; Mat 26:69, +Jos 20:7, +*Joh 7:52, Act 2:7.
A good rule of Bible study and interpretation is to read the context of the verse or verses being studied. Just before this passage, Jesus rode into Jerusalem in what has been titled “The Triumphal Entry” in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 as to the event, and the fulfillment of Psalm 118:26 as to the words sung in Messiah’s praise. Note those words cited by Matthew at Matthew 21:9, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” Mark 11:10, a parallel passage, reads “Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.” Concerning this title “Lord,” Jesus asked a question that silenced the unbelieving Pharisees and others in His day and since who could not answer it:
Mat 22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
Mat 22:42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
Mat 22:43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
Mat 22:44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Mat 22:45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
Mat 22:46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
The question the Pharisees were unwilling to answer, and in their unbelief could not answer, is the question about who, exactly, is Jesus Christ? He is not merely a prophet, or “just a prophet.” The people recognized that Jesus was “that Prophet” (John 6:14) which was to come, as prophesied by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-18,
Deu 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Deu 18:16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
Deu 18:17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
Deu 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
These themes make for a very rich study in the Bible by consulting the cross references given for each verse I have referred to.
By no means does this supposed objection rise to the level of being a refutation of the Bible truth that Jesus Christ is “that Prophet” that should come, and that He as the true Messiah of Israel does not possess the quality of Deity.
Ayigbe Eseme, I shall answer the next of the 38 Bible reasons why Jesus is Not God:
14- God Declared Himself to be God, Jesus didn’t (Ezekiel 20:20)
Once again, to understand any work of literature, and especially the Bible, we must carefully follow the 24 Rules of Interpretation, that I have presented in the October 2010 archives. In this instance, I am referring specifically to my Rule 22,
- Much important truth found in the Bible can only be derived from the Bible by means of necessary inference derived from a careful study and comparison of related Bible passages. (https://realbiblestudy.com/?p=66 )
Recall that I have established, in this discussion, that while God is invisible and has never been seen by man (John 1:18), yet there are many references in the Old Testament to instances where the Bible records or states that men and women have at times seen God (Genesis 32:30; Exodus 24:9, 10; Exodus 33:11; Matthew 5:8). See especially Genesis 12:7 and Genesis 17:1. Careful study of the Bible cross references I have shared before show that Abraham saw God, also named as Jehovah, and the Angel of Jehovah. Further study of related cross references establishes that when people saw God, they saw the Angel of Jehovah, who is sometimes called God, and that these appearances of the Angel of Jehovah to Abraham and to Isaiah were shown to be appearances of Jesus Christ in His pre-incarnate form, witness the claim of Jesus Christ, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). I pointed out that the evidence from Genesis 19:24 demonstrates the existences of two Persons appearing simultaneously on the same scene, each called Jehovah. I have mentioned that the New Testament contains many instances of applying to our Lord Jesus Christ what is said of Jehovah in the Old Testament.
Having these facts in mind, a careful reading of the whole of Ezekiel 20 will show that even in this chapter, reference is made to a Person that we learn from the rest of Scripture is the Person we now know as Jesus Christ.
All this being the case, let us ask the question, If Jesus is truly God, why did he not plainly say so?
The answer is clearly, because people, even His own disciples, were not prepared to hear such profound truth all at once (John 16:12).
Joh 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Jesus followed this remarkable statement with a specific promise that more truth was forthcoming (John 16:13) to them and for them in the immediate future by means of the promised Holy Spirit they would soon receive,
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
God does not force us to believe His truth. Unfortunately, some have used physical force, both in history, and continuing until today, to violate the principle of religious freedom. God, as recorded in His written word, the Bible, pleads with us to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19), but many, exercising their free will unwisely, fail to do so.
When Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, actually appeared in history according to the Messianic Promise given abundantly in many Messianic Prophecies in the Old Testament, he exercised restraint by not forcing people to believe in Him by providing inescapable evidence that would be so overbearing as to thwart their free will. But He did provide enough evidence that the pure in heart would recognize Him for who He is, while the rest, blinded to spiritual truth, walk on in darkness and remain forever lost.
It seems like a long time ago that I last answered one of these 38 Bible reasons Jesus is not God, as kindly provided by Ayigbe Eseme for consideration. Here at last is my answer for reason 15,
15- Jesus told his real mission was to preach not sacrifice Mark 1:38)
Mar 1:38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
To derive from this text of Scripture that the only mission of Jesus was to preach, and not sacrifice Himself for our sins, is to draw inferences from this passage that are not warranted when we consult more statements on this subject in the New Testament.
Such a statement, given as reason 15, violates the rules of Bible interpretation, specifically the rule that when determining what the Bible teaches about any subject it mentions, we must consider all that the Bible says about the subject.
The answer to the question, “Why did Jesus come?” is answered in part by Luke 19:10,
Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Mat 18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Reason 15 violates another important Rule of Interpretation, the rule which tells us we must not “cherry-pick” the evidence, but must include any evidence bearing on the subject at hand, especially evidence that contradicts our position.
In this case, to suggest that the Bible teaches that Jesus came to preach, but not sacrifice, based upon Mark 1:38, is mistaken because this conclusion goes beyond the scope of the context it is cited from in the Gospel of Mark. The same mistake is made when Muslim interpreters try to use Matthew 15:24 to suggest Jesus came only to minister to the “lost sheep of Israel,” which is only asserted by the Bible to be the purpose of that specific mission of the 70 on that one occasion.
To suggest that Jesus came only to preach, and not sacrifice, an assertion drawn from Mark 1:38, is mistaken because other passages, including Matthew 20:28, tell us that Jesus came “to give his life a ransom for many.” There are many more passages in the Bible that confirm this stated purpose of Jesus Christ, including John 1:29,
Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
See also:
Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Joh 11:50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
Joh 11:51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
Joh 11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
Gal 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Gal 1:5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
I have given you a representative sampling of the Bible cross references I have collected for Matthew 20:28 on this subject to show you that from Matthew to Revelation, the New Testament from beginning to end testifies to the historical fact that Jesus came to become a sacrifice for our sins on the cross.
This evidence proves that reason 15 cannot be substantiated from the Bible, and is therefore mistaken.
16- Jesus desired Mercy not Sacrifice (Matthew 9:13)
Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
This is the response Jesus gave to the Pharisees who disapproved of how Jesus was able to keep company with people they frowned upon and were prejudiced against:
Mat 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Mat 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
They thought Jesus should not eat with such people as publicans (tax collectors) and sinners.
Mat 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Jesus let the Pharisees know that they needed to get a better grasp of what the Bible teaches. He directed them to the verse from the Old Testament that He quoted in part from Hosea 6:6,
Hos 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
The Pharisees were lacking in their knowledge of God because their knowledge and understanding of the Bible was flawed.
So, for anyone or for any church or religion to deny that Jesus came to give Himself as a sacrifice for our sins is equally lacking both in knowledge of the Bible and in the knowledge of God.
Jesus must be a man or he could not die for our sins. But Jesus must be deity or God for His sacrifice to have standing with God and to be sufficient for all men for whom He died.
That is what the Bible teaches. If you don’t think the Bible teaches that, then you need to ask me some more questions about the Bible on this point and I will be more than happy to clarify this with more evidence from the Bible.
17- Jesus referred to himself as Servant: Matthew 10:24, 24:45, 12:18 John 13:16
Mat 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
This text has no obvious connection with the idea that Jesus did or did not claim to be God. In the minds of some Muslims, apparently, the fact that Jesus repeatedly took the position of a servant means He could not possibly have ever claimed He was more than a man. This shows a willful disregard for and a willful disbelief in the full record of what is revealed in the New Testament about just Who Jesus is, and a lack of deep knowledge of what the Old Testament prophets predicted about the future Messiah.
Mat 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
The Jehovah Witnesses have totally misunderstood this verse. They stake their claim to be God’s only “good and faithful servant,” divinely authorized to correctly teach the truth of what the Bible says upon this verse. They claim they are the only organization God has authorized “to give them meat in due season.” It may be that some Muslims have been led astray from the truth of the Bible by giving heed to the doctrines of this false cult.
If we consider the context of Matthew 24:45, we learn that Jesus was speaking of the imminence of His Second Coming, for in Matthew 24:44 He said,
Mat 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
The wise servant, Jesus tells us, lives in the expectation of the return of his master, just as believers in Christ should always live in a manner that would be pleasing to Jesus Christ, and not be caught by surprise at His sudden return to be found doing what before the presence of Jesus Christ would be very embarrassing.
Nothing in this text at Matthew 24:45 has anything to do with the issue of whether Jesus Christ possesses true Deity.
Mat 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Matthew 12:18 is a citation of Messianic Prophecy from Isaiah 41:8 and Isaiah 42:1. Notice that this Messianic Prophecy which was fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Christ, as specifically declared in Matthew 12:17, presents Jesus Christ as God’s servant, in Whom God declares He is well pleased, as stated in Matthew 3:17,
Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
This is. “This is my beloved son” was the Divine formula of anointing Messiah for the office of Prophet (Mat 3:17); also for that of Priest (Mat 17:5); and “Thou art My Son” for that of King (Psa 2:7, Act 13:33, Heb 1:5; Heb 5:5).
This corollary passage PROVES that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, for God Himself says so. To deny this is to deny the very words of God Himself, and shows that those who do so have no proper relationship to Him because they are in flagrant unbelief.
A bit more about Matthew 12:18.
Behold. From the Hebrew direct; but the last clause differs, because the Holy Spirit is recording the act of fulfillment, and varying it by way of Divine comment (CB). Note: This prophecy is expressly referred to the Messiah by the Targumist, who renders, “Behold my servant the Messiah,” etc. ha audi mesheecha; and it was amply fulfilled in the gentle, lowly, condescending, and beneficent nature of Christ’s miracles and personal ministry, his perseverance in the midst of opposition, without engaging in contentious disputation, and his kind and tender dealing with weak and tempted believers. >Isa 42:1-4.
The FACT that Isaiah 42:1 is applied as a Messianic Prophecy to Jesus Christ demonstrates that His ministry is not restricted to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” but that His ministry extends to the Gentiles. This directly refutes the false claim of Muslims that Jesus came only for the Jews, a claim based upon their misinterpretation of Matthew 15:24. Muslims hang on to this mistaken interpretation in order to justify their false claim that Mohammed was the promised Prophet to succeed Jesus Christ who would minister to the Gentiles, since, according to them, Jesus did not.
Lastly, as for John 13:16,
Joh 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
This text cannot legitimately be used to suggest that since Jesus is only a servant, He cannot be anything more than a man and a prophet.
Jesus had just given an example of His humility and willingness to serve others in even a very menial task, washing the disciples’ feet.
Jesus was, after all, their Lord and Master.
By divine revelation given to Paul to communicate to us, the fact that Jesus Christ was truly a servant is applied in Philippians 2:5-11,
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Notice carefully that God in His inspired Word comes to a conclusion directly opposite to the conclusion that Muslims do.
18- Jesus referred to himself as Prophet:
Matthew 8:20 13:16, 21:11, Mark 6:15, 6;4, 9;37, Luke 7:16, 9:8, 9:19, John 13:17, 7:16, 6:14, 7:40
Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
the Son of man. He Who has dominion in the earth (CB). The title “Son of Man” occurs here first in the New Testament, where it is only applied to Christ; and always by himself and in the Gospels, with one exception—Act_7:56, It is the title of his human nature, as is the corresponding title, “Son of God,” of his divine; and may be observed to be the name he takes when speaking of himself as acting in connection with earth, as the latter is the name which more immediately connects him with heaven. Accordingly he not only designates himself the Son of Man in those passages which speak of his sufferings and humiliation; as here, and Mat 17:23; Mat 20:18-19; Mat 26:24, Joh 3:14, etc. but also, it is remarkable, in those which speak of his Second Advent and mediatorial reign on earth, as in Mat 16:27-28; Mat 24:27; Mat 24:30; Mat 24:37; Mat 24:39; Mat 24:44; Mat 25:31, Mar 8:38, Luk 21:36, Joh 5:27. See also the prophecy of “The Son of Man” in Dan 7:13-14 (in reference to which no doubt, as the prophecy which expressly so names him, the title was taken by the Savior) where it is given him in this same connection; and compare Psalms 8 all, and Psa 80:17 (De Burgh).
The point our Muslim friends would make from this verse is unclear to me, for it does not appear to be connected with Jesus referring to Himself as Prophet. Nevertheless, since it deals with a topic which will appear later on the list of 38 Reasons Jesus Cannot be God, I present the documentation at this point of the significance of the title Son of Man.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Mat 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Jesus speaks of many prophets and righteous men who have desired to see those things which his hearers were seeing, but they have not been given the privilege to see them, and to hear the things which they were hearing at his mouth, but were never privileged to hear these words of Messiah. But in the context here, Jesus does not include Himself among the rank of prophets which came before Him. In another place Jesus plainly said of Himself, “but a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31).
Mat 21:11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
the prophet. Mat 21:46, Mar 6:15, Luk 7:16; Luk 7:39; Luk 9:8; Luk 9:19; Luk 13:33; Luk 24:19, Joh 1:21; Joh 1:25; Joh 4:19; +Joh 6:14; Joh 7:40-42; Joh 7:52; Joh 9:17, +Act 3:22; +Act 3:23; Act 7:37.
A careful study of the cross references I have furnished which shed light on the words “the prophet” will lead to a more complete understanding of Jesus as Messiah, predicted by Moses, and in that prediction called “that Prophet” which was to be like him.
John the Baptist, highly regarded by the people of his day as a prophet, was asked by the Jewish authorities, “Art thou that Prophet”? To this question he answered “No” (John 1:21). This title is properly applied to our Lord Jesus Christ, as the cross references I shared right above to Matthew 21:11 plainly show.
Some of the references given for Reason 18 are apparently transcribed wrong, so I will not discuss them. The point can be made that the Messiah was to be a Prophet, A Priest, and a King. Jesus Christ fully meets the qualifications to be truly each of these. None of these facts about Jesus Christ diminish the fact that Jesus is both human and divine at the same time, as is taught in the Bible, Old Testament and New.
19A- Jesus referred to himself as Son of Man:
Matthew 5:9, 17:22, 8:20, 18:11, 26:2, Luke 9:22, John 5:27
Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
I have provided the following notes on the title “Son of man” in my recent work, published just last year, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, at Matthew 8:20 where this title first occurs:
the Son of man. He Who has dominion in the earth (CB). The title “Son of Man” occurs here first in the New Testament, where it is only applied to Christ; and always by himself and in the Gospels, with one exception—Act 7:56, It is the title of his human nature, as is the corresponding title, “Son of God,” of his divine; and may be observed to be the name he takes when speaking of himself as acting in connection with earth, as the latter is the name which more immediately connects him with heaven. Accordingly he not only designates himself the Son of Man in those passages which speak of his sufferings and humiliation; as here, and Mat 17:23; Mat 20:18-19; Mat 26:24, Joh 3:14, etc. but also, it is remarkable, in those which speak of his Second Advent and mediatorial reign on earth, as in Mat 16:27-28; Mat 24:27; Mat 24:30; Mat 24:37; Mat 24:39; Mat 24:44; Mat 25:31, Mar 8:38, Luk 21:36, Joh 5:27. See also the prophecy of “The Son of Man” in Dan 7:13-14 (in reference to which no doubt, as the prophecy which expressly so names him, the title was taken by the Savior) where it is given him in this same connection; and compare Psalms 8 all, and Psa 80:17 (De Burgh).
There is much information compressed into this note, so it is worth your careful study. I suspect many Bible believing, Bible reading Christians are not aware of these details about the significance of this Messianic Title, The Son of Man.
Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
I do not understand the bearing of Matthew 5:9 upon the title “Son of Man” because it does not contain the term, nor is it found in the immediate context. It may be a mistaken reference.
Mat 17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
Mat 17:23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Jesus uses the title “The Son of Man” in this very important prediction He made regarding His impending death upon the cross, that he would be raised again to physical life the third day after he was buried, for He predicted here that He would be resurrected from the dead.
These predictions were fulfilled to the letter. Those who deny that Jesus Christ ever died are very mistaken, for they directly contradict the repeated words of Jesus Christ. Those who deny that Jesus was bodily resurrected from the dead likewise deny the very words of Jesus Christ. Such persons or religions do not hold a correct view of Jesus Christ, and are actually antichrist, for no one can be in a right relationship with God who contradicts the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Mat 26:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,
Mat 26:2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
Notice Jesus Christ predicted when and that he would be betrayed, and he predicted the manner of His death: crucifixion. To say Jesus was not killed, to say Jesus did not die, to deny that Jesus was crucified, is to directly deny what Jesus Christ explicitly said and predicted. There is no basis one can properly claim to honor Jesus Christ when His words, His predictions, are denied and contradicted. Those who deny the words of Christ are unbelievers, and unless they repent and believe the words Jesus has spoken, will remain lost and spend eternity in hell. That is what the Bible teaches.
Luk 9:18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
Luk 9:19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
Luk 9:20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
Luk 9:21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Once again, Jesus Christ predicted His death and subsequent resurrection on the third day, and indeed referred to Himself as “The Son of Man.”
Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
God the Father has given Jesus Christ the authority to execute the judgment of all men, and call them forth in resurrection for final judgment, and consign them to either heaven or hell, to experience for all eternity the resurrection of life if they are saved, or the resurrection of damnation if they are lost.
Surely, for Jesus Christ to have this power and authority He must be able to exercise omniscience, a power and divine attribute that only God can possess or exercise. Omniscience is one of the incommunicable attributes: it is an attribute which cannot be shared with or given to someone else for it can only be possessed by God. This PROVES, therefore, that Jesus Christ as the Son of Man is also in His divine nature also God.
19B-Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of God
To make this discussion both more balanced and complete, I have added Point 19B. Not to include a discussion of Jesus as the Son of God when we have discussed Jesus as the Son of Man is to violate the Rules of Bible Interpretation by leaving this closely related central subject out of the discussion.
Dan 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
This is an instance of the appearance of the Son of God who protected Daniel’s three friends who had been cast into the fiery furnace.
Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
The First Class Condition of “If” used here grammatically indicates that Satan had no doubt about Jesus truly being the Son of God.
Mat 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
Note that the demons knew that Jesus Christ was truly the Son of God, and knew that He had the authority to “torment us before the time,” because Jesus had the authority to judge and send them to their final destination in the Lake of Fire. They, therefore, believed in the deity of Christ. Remember that James speaks of the fact that “the devils also believe and tremble” (James 2:19).
Mat 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Under these circumstances, the disciples recognized that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, and they worshipped Him. What this context requires, when Jesus had just saved their lives from a terrific storm by calming the storm with a word, obeisance will not do as a proper translation here. Jesus Christ displayed the divine attributes of Omnipotence and Sovereignty, for He is in control of nature—once again demonstrating Jesus possesses yet another of the incommunicable attributes, PROVING His Deity.
Mat 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
In court, at His trial, the high priest demanded that Jesus tell them whether he is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus strongly affirmed that He was, indeed, and that hereafter He would be seen as the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, that is God, and that He would be seen coming in the clouds of heaven.
These are stupendous claims, and if true—and they are—then Jesus clearly possesses Deity, and is therefore God the Son.
Mat_27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
His enemies clearly knew that Jesus Christ claimed to be the Son of God, and taunted Him, saying that if He is the Son of God, come down from the cross. If you say Jesus Christ did not die on the cross, you’ve got quite a problem with this historical record and eye witness account, for how could the enemies of Christ in mockery suggest that he come down from the cross if He never was on the cross? And don’t suggest the foolishness that they punished and crucified the wrong man!
Mat 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
the Son of God. Note: Since they were Romans that said this, some think it evident that they meant to say that he was not only an innocent, but altogether a just man, as in Luke 23:47, But in fact that expression is explained by this; for, as Jesus was crucified by the Jews for saying that he was “the Son of God;” so if he were a righteous man, and unjustly condemned, he must be “the Son of God.” Some render, “a son of a god,” that is, according to the pagan notions, a hero, or demi-god, such as Hercules, Bacchus, etc. But in this, and in some other places, the article is omitted before uios, son, when it is used in the highest sense; and Bishop Middleton, on the Greek article, has shown, that theou uios, son of God, and uios tou theou, “the son of God,” are used without any exact discrimination. “The centurion,” as he observes, “could not fail to know the alleged blasphemy for which our Saviour suffered; and had he intended, in heathen phraseology, to express his admiration of our Saviour’s conduct, he would not have called our Saviour theou uios.”
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.
begotten. Gr. monogenes, S# G3439, +Luke 7:12, lit. the only one of a family, unique of its kind. Monogenes, applied to Jesus, expresses the unique and eternal relationship of the Son to the Father. As firstborn does not mean born first (Col 1:15 note), neither does only begotten imply a begetting, birth, or origin in time. In His pre-existence, Jesus was always uniquely the Son of God (Psa 2:7, +*Isa 9:6, Heb 1:8). When used of Christ, only begotten speaks of “unoriginated relationship.” Only begotten “indicates that as the Son of God He was the sole representative of the Being and character of the One who sent Him” (Vine, Expository Dictionary, vol. 3, p. 140). It is a word picture which portrays the relationship of the Father to the Son in the terms of a Middle Eastern patriarchal family (**Gen 21:12; Gen 22:2; Gen 22:12; Gen 22:16, Heb 11:17). Isaac, termed Abraham’s only begotten son (Heb 11:17), though Abraham had a prior son Ishmael by Hagar (Gen 16:15) and later sons by Keturah (Gen 25:1-4, 1Ch 1:32-33), sustains a unique relationship to Abraham as the son of promise (Gal 4:23). The same picture, portrayed in parable (Mat 21:37), emphasizes the unique authority of Jesus as sent by the Father (John 20:21, 1Jn 4:9), and our responsibility to receive the truth declared by Him (John 1:14; Joh 1:18; Joh 3:18, Mat 17:5).
20- Jesus referred to himself as a Slave: John 13:16, Matthew 10:24
Mat 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. (KJV)
Mat 10:24 No pupil is better than his teacher, and no slave is better than his master. (Williams NT)
Mat 10:24 “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slave greater than his master. (NET Bible)
Mat 10:24 The disciple is not above his teacher, nor the bondman above his lord. (Darby)
I suspect that the issue in a Moslem’s mind might be the question, “If Jesus is a Slave, how could He be God or equal to God?”
With respect to our Lord Jesus Christ, the term “servant” or as sometimes translated, the term “slave” (though from a cultural perspective more accurately rendered “bondman,” as by the Darby translation), rendered by the KJV as “servant,” the point of the term “servant” is that it marks the voluntary subservience of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Father in His permanent relation to the Father. Thus, Jesus Christ is subordinate to the Father. But subordination does not mean not equal.
The classic passage in the Bible dealing with and applying the truth of this matter is found in Philippians 2:5-11,
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Note that God Himself in Bible prophecy employed the term “servant” in reference to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, as cited at Matthew 12:18 (from Isaiah 42:1, which I discussed thoroughly elsewhere here to prove Jesus Christ was sent not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles),
Mat 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Mat 12:19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
Mat 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Mat 12:21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
Missy Mercy responded: Nice! This is such valuable information.
Thank you and God Bless.
Ayigbe Eseme responded: Jerome Smith and Missy Mercy… The debate is interesting. You agree Jesus is subordinate to God. At the same time they are equal. You quoted from Matthew and Philippians and yet you are happy to say Jesus is God. Please bear with me, I once informed that the more you explain the more contradictions you exposed. The above quotations are bundle of contradictions. Can we kindly change the topic to qualities of a Holy Book. Jerome Smith responded: Changing the topic mid-stream is of course an acknowledgement of defeat in a debate. We don’t jump to another topic when the topic we introduced has not even been fully answered yet.
My above quotations are hardly a bundle of contradictions. They are only regarded as contradictions by those who refuse to truly consider the evidence and draw the conclusions that evidence requires. My quotations might contradict what Muslims believe, but if so, then that proves that on these points Muslims must be wrong.
But your suggestion indicates that you might have been taking the time and effort to read what I have been posting in answer to your challenge. It also may indicate that you understand enough of my presentation for it to make you uncomfortable with this topic and so would like to change it to another. But I am glad you have found this debate to be interesting! So have I. Missy Mercy responded: Ayigbe you underestimate Mr. Jerome Smith. He is not the type to begin an assignment and just quit. He will finish. Jerome Smith responded to explain more about the subordination of the Son. The subject of the subordination of the Son to the Father is not well understood by most Bible readers and even Bible translators. For a bit more insight into this important subject, see John 6:38,
Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
down from heaven. Joh 6:33, *+Joh 3:13; *+Joh 3:31, Eph 4:9.
not. The official subordination of Jesus to the Father does not imply inequality or inferiority (+*Joh 5:18; +*Joh 5:23; +*Joh 10:33; *Joh 17:5, Heb 1:2-3; Heb 1:6). T72. Joh 7:16; Joh 8:29; Joh 10:36; *Joh 12:49; *Joh 14:28; Joh 17:3; Joh 17:8, Rom 1:3-4, *1Co 3:23; +*1Co 11:3; **1Co 15:27; +*1Co 15:28 note.
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
himself be subject. or, subjected. The subordination (the Greek term means either subject or subordinate, so Daniel Waterland, Works, vol. 4, pp. 23, 24) of the Son to the Father is a voluntary though evidently permanent relationship which does not detract from or deny the equal deity of the Son, any more than the divine order of the submission of the wife to the husband (1Co 11:3) in the husband/wife relationship detracts from her essential equality and humanity, or implies her inferiority. The Companion Bible notes: It is the Father Who puts all enemies as a footstool for the feet of the Son. See Mat 22:44, But when this is done, the Son rises up, takes His great power and reigns (Rev 11:17), and putting His feet on the footstool, treads down all that exalts itself against God throughout His millennial reign (See Psa 18:37-50; Psa 60:12; Psa 101:8; Psa 145:20, Isa 63:3; Isa 63:6, Rev 19:15). 1Co 3:23; *1Co 11:3, +*Mat 10:32; *Mat 20:23, Joh 6:38 note. +*Joh 14:28, +*Tit 1:2.
We must go by what the Bible says, not by what another religion six or seven centuries later in its Holy Book has to say about the matter. We learn what the Bible says by reading the Bible. Since the Bible is not written in the form of a theological textbook, to learn what the Bible has to say about any subject we must search the Scriptures for the other passages found in the Bible that mention the subject of our current study. The result of that searching can be recorded in the form of what are called cross references. The true or correct interpretation of the Bible will properly fit and agree with what all the cross references taken together show or teach or prove.
21- Jesus referred to himself as a Student: Matthew 10:24
Mat 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. (KJV)
Mat 10:24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. (ESV)
Mat 10:24 Disciples are not better than their teacher, and slaves are not better than their master. (CEV)
Mat 10:24 No pupil is better than his teacher, and no slave is better than his master. (Williams)
I think it may be that whoever might originally have devised these 38 Reasons from the Bible why Jesus cannot be God or Lord may have been mistaken in selecting this topic and the associated verse as one of the reasons. Jesus Christ is not here called or referred to as a student. But even if He were, that would be no objection because when Jesus became a man and dwelt in human flesh, as a human being subject to the limitations characterized by being actually human, he did indeed have to learn just like we do.
Luk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
A fact about our Lord Jesus Christ which is not understood or believed by Muslims is that by the Rule of Interpretation I have called “necessary inference,” we learn from the Bible that Jesus was one Person but He possessed two natures: (1) a human nature, and (2) a divine nature.
Do we find this stated in these exact words anywhere in the Bible? Of course not. This truth is gathered by comparing Scripture with Scripture, and by the rule of “necessary inference,” we arrive at this explanation and understanding of the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ as the best explanation to the set of facts found in the Bible.