If you ask a Muslim that you meet, “What do you think about Jesus Christ?” they will often respond that they “believe” in him and even may add “we love Jesus” (maybe even patting their chest). These two statements usually surprise most Christians. 
Now grant you, in addition they may also tell the Christian person what they don’t believe Jesus (e.g. Jesus is NOT the Son of God).
Do Muslims know enough about Jesus from the Quran? Do they have a true revelation of him? We believe that they don’t, that is why they need the perspective about Jesus from the Injil (New Testament).
How can we go beyond their initial declaration to help them explore what the Christian understanding means about him? This leads us to ask, “How do we (as followers of Jesus) share our faith in him as Messiah so that they can really encounter him in ways they didn’t know possible?”
Whenever I ask Muslims about Jesus I recognize that when they tell me they believe in Jesus, it is more limited to the Quranic viewpoint of him.* Why not ask your Muslim friend what they actually believe about him? Listen to what they say and don’t assume that they know much of what the Bible actually teaches. Instead of being defensive, allow them to fill in the gaps. This kind of interaction will give you a first-hand glimpse of the “internalized” view that they have of him.
Why not ask your Muslim friend what they actually believe about him
When Muslims say that they “love” Jesus, do they mean it like we do? Or, do they love him more along the lines of respect, not in the way Christians use the term “believe” as a substance of our faith and hope? Again, ask your friend what they mean by saying that they “love” Jesus”, rather than somehow implying that they have no respect for him. Begin with where they are in their understanding and allow them to interact with you about him. You may make some surprising discoveries.
Muslims talk about Jesus in the Quran in very elevated terms. Jesus is mentioned in the Quran at least 90 times. Some of the titles used are “Messiah”, “the Word of God”, and “a spirit from God”. These titles for Muslims are not to in any way show that he is divine, but rather to express blessings from God upon him. In fact, when Muslims talk about Jesus they add a term afterward, “Peace be upon him” (pbuh). In the Quran there are unique titles for him and yet he is not supreme to them. But don’t underestimate his importance.
In order to ask Muslims what they think, as followers of Jesus, we need to read our Bible well rather than getting into an argument about doctrine alone. Ask them if they would like to know what the Bible says about “Messiah” (Christos in Greek)? What does the Gospel (Injil in Arabic) mean when it calls him the “Word of God”? How did the Spirit (Holy Spirit) manifest through Jesus’ ministry? In addition, look at the sermons in Acts 2, 3 and 10 and consider how the apostles preached Jesus. What were some of the titles that they use for him? These are very expressive ways to share who Jesus is and what it means.
Don’t be afraid to ask Muslims what they think
Christians tend to get into a defensive posture with Muslims or they begin to use polemical arguments to convince them that Jesus is the Son of God. Christians often underestimate the offensiveness of this term and how much Muslims really misunderstand what we mean. Remember, that the term “Son of God” is in the Bible, but point out that it does not means that God had a literal wife and son and somehow had sexual desires (that is absolute blasphemy to us as well). We as followers of Jesus believe in One God! Rather, the term shows a spiritual relationship. No Christian that I know believes what many Muslims attribute to us.
There are many titles in the Injil (New Testament) and by these terms they show us that Jesus is above any of the other prophets.** Our hope is to help our Muslim friends learn about him in a way that leads them towards a deeper and personal discovery of him.
Can we get beyond the initial view of Jesus in the Quran to help our friends gain a deeper perspective from those who follow him? I believe we can.
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* I recognize that Muslims also refer to the Hadith (traditions) to gain meaning about Jesus. I am writing this blog in non-technical terms, so I have chosen not to include that source. The Qur’an is the first and foremost authority in Arabic, whereas the Hadiths are to confirm the Qur’an.
** I am not referring to the prophet of Islam at this point. I will later talk about how we as Christians can be respectful, fair and truthful with Muslims when we are asked about their prophet.
Photo credit: Art4TheGlryOfGod / Foter / CC BY-ND
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Categories: Christian-Muslim Interaction
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