The last few weeks I have been engaging in a few discussions with Muslims on Facebook. What I keep noticing is how Islamic religious leaders have pitted them against anything that relates to the Trinity, as well as anything that relates to Jesus’ divinity. They have no problem understanding that Jesus is a man, a great teacher, a wonder worker, and even a prophet. They even believe that he will return.
But Jesus can never be the Son of God, because Allah has no children, they say. Jesus can never be God, in their minds. They are just taught to reject this notion that is so Biblical and can be proven from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Even their Qur’an encourages them to believe what these earlier writings say. “Well, they have been corrupted.” You can only say something like that if you choose to deliberately ignore the vast evidence in favor of the Bible and ignore the corruption of your own holy book.
But let’s get back to the Bible. Matthew 26 is the chapter right before Jesus’ crucifixion. In this chapter it is so clear that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. You can see how his human flesh doesn’t want to go through the suffering that is at hand. “Please take this cup away from me.” If you can feel physical pain and agony, would you say something different? This is very understandable!
And then later in the chapter, he gets asked by the religious leaders:
“Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
(Matthew 26:63 ESV).
Jesus’ answer is very clear, especially for Jews well versed in the Tanakh (= the Hebrew Bible = Old Testament):
“You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
(Matthew 26:64 ESV).
The religious leaders knew he was made a deliberate allusion to Daniel 7:
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”
(Daniel 7:13-14 ESV)
The religious leaders clearly understood that Jesus was saying to them that he is the Christ (the anointed Davidic King) and the Son of God, who is God himself:
“Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.””
(Matthew 26:65 ESV)
If he didn’t make himself equal to God it wouldn’t have been blasphemy! Don’t forget that Jews in Jesus’ day (Second Temple Judaism) believed that YHWH appeared here on earth as the Angel of YHWH and the Word in Old Testament times. In their minds, the Angel of YHWH was equal to YHWH. In Daniel, this figure was also presented as the cloud rider and the Son of Man. They understood very well what Jesus was saying!
So don’t buy it when people say to you that Jesus never said he is God. This is one of the most deceptive arguments Muslim apologists use against the divinity of Jesus and the Trinity, and they spread these lies among Christians who do not know their Bibles well.
Do not be deceived! Jesus is 100% God and 100% man!
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