Now that the whole world is celebrating the birth of the Savior, there could not be a more appropriate time to respond to a challenge issued to Christians some weeks ago by a Muslim. We are more than happy to attempt to explain the word of God. Who knows what the Lord wanted to accomplish by putting the questions in the mind of the person who issued the challenge?

On September 30, I received a forwarded e-mail message. The title of it was "The God that never was". In it, presumably a Muslim had listed extensive bible quotations to "show" that Jesus was just a prophet of God. He then challenged Christians to prove that Jesus was the Son of God or accept the fact that they (Christians) are polytheists. I assumed that he had a problem with the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Since there was a time when I read the bible and did not understand what I read, I will attempt to help the author and any others in his predicament to understand the quotations he listed.

Before I make my attempt, I will first give the answer that Jesus gave to a similar question. Recall that Jesus told the story of the rich man and poor Lazarus (Luke 16:19+). The rich man lived high on the hog on earth and did not pay attention to the poor beggar at his front gate. After both died, the poor man went to Abraham’s bosom while the rich man went to a horrible place (hell). The poor man on Abraham’s bosom had all the water to drink. The rich man was in torment. He requested that the poor man be allowed to dip his finger in water and bring him a drop to drink because he was very thirsty. The request was denied. His second request sheds light on this need to "prove" that Jesus was the Son of God. The rich man next requested that he be allowed to go back to earth so that he can warn his relatives to change their ways because hell was not the place to spend eternity. He was told that his relatives would not believe him even if he went back to tell them. In addition, his relatives had prophets who were telling them how to mend their ways. They can choose to believe the prophets or not.

Simply put, you have to accept Jesus on faith. Hebrews 11:1 states: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

If you are still inclined to reason it out before you believe, try this.

John 1:1-2 says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." These verses hold the key to the Trinity. Both Christians and Muslims believe that there is only one God and He is all- powerful. Nothing is impossible with Him. He created the heavens and the earth by word of mouth. Jesus is the Word of God, who was with God in the beginning and through whom was everything made. The Word became flesh (certainly God’s Word can become flesh at God’s will), to demonstrate to mankind how the Father had intended for mankind to live.

To corroborate what John 1:1-2 said, please read Proverbs 8:22-36. Observe that Jesus was with the Father before the earth and heavens were created.

The manifestation of the Word in the flesh was prophesied from days of old by numerous prophets. From Moses, Isaiah, Zechariah, etc. Mankind’s disbelief was also prophesied (Isaiah 53:1). It is therefore no surprise that despite the evidence, people still are asking for proof. Thomas, a disciple of Jesus did not believe the resurrected Jesus until he put his finger in the hole left in Jesus’ hand by the crucifixion nail.

Muslims trust the Angel Gabriel. So I will use the messages he brought to different people to "prove" that Jesus is the Son of God. Please read Luke 1:5+. The Angel Gabriel appeared to the priest Zecharias and told him that his wife is about to bear a son whom he should name John. Since both Zecharias and his wife Elisabeth were old, he doubted Angel Gabriel and asked for proof. He was made dumb until after the birth of John. Six months after his visit to Zecharias, Angel Gabriel visited Mary the mother of Jesus to announce Jesus’ upcoming birth. In Luke 1:32 Angel Gabriel states: "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest:" The Angel Gabriel called Jesus the Son of the Highest. The Highest can only refer to God the Father, Creator of the entire universe and all in it. There you have it. Proof Positive! He also revealed to Mary that heretofore- barren Elisabeth was six months pregnant with John. Mary then visited Elisabeth and found that Angel Gabriel’s words were true (there were no cell phones or any phones in those days; besides, Elisabeth went into voluntary seclusion immediately after her conception). Elisabeth was six months pregnant. Certainly therefore, the rest of what Angel Gabriel told Mary must be true. To wit, that Jesus is the Son of the Highest (GOD)!!!

When the Messiah was promised to Israel, they expected Him to be of noble birth, mighty warrior etc. Here God threw us a curve ball because our reasoning cannot comprehend God’s plan. All the verses quoted to demonstrate Jesus’ humanity did just that. He was born poor in the lowest of circumstances. He was the (earthly) son of a working man, a carpenter. He had siblings, experienced peer pressure just as we do today, was hungry, was tempted of the devil, experienced sorrow, learnt through experience, fasted to get things accomplished, etc., etc. All of these were for a purpose, to wit, to remove ANY excuse that anyone, rich or poor, might give for having failed to heed the warnings to repent. Jesus will answer any excuse by simply reminding the one making the excuse that He had lived on earth and was exposed to the same and overcame it. Remember this point.

When word goes forth from the mouth of God, it does not return empty handed. It accomplishes whatever God had set out to accomplish. The Word of God came to deliver mankind. To accomplish this, He had to be crucified (like Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert), resurrected and returned to the Father. History reports that when He died, previously dead people rose from their graves and were seen walking about. This happened because Jesus went down to Sheol and preached to the righteous dead, who were then liberated. When He arose from the dead, He told His disciples that He had to return to the Father so that the Comforter could come and LIVE with them. Ten days after He had ascended into Heaven, The Comforter promised, The Holy Spirit, descended on an assembled crowd and 3000 people were converted. Illiterates spoke the classical languages and observers thought they were drunk, even though it was only 9 AM. Peter reminded them this was the fulfillment of Joel’s Prophesy. The Comforter had come to dwell within man. The Holy Spirit of God forms the third part of the Trinity - The Father, the Son (Word of God) and the Spirit of God – ONE GOD.

The Spirit of God does not die. Mohammed died and therefore cannot be that Comforter that was promised.

After His ascension into Heaven, Jesus revealed to John (the beloved), the events of the last days and the coming Kingdom of God. This forms the contents of the book of Revelation. There you will find that the ‘time of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24)’ will come to an end and the Temple of God will be in the millennial capital of the world, Jerusalem. There is a court in the Temple given to the Gentiles which the disciple John was shown and not allowed to measure (Revelation 11:2). The streets of the New Jerusalem are pure gold, with a river running through the central boulevard. The Tree of Life is on either bank of this river, yielding its fruit once every month. This description is found in the book of Revelation (22). There is no city on earth today whose streets are pure gold. Not Abuja, not Washington DC, not Tel Aviv, not London. To assert that Mohammed heralded the Kingdom of God and that the Kingdom of God is here and now is a grand delusion. It does not match the words of the prophecy. It does not match the fact that Justice and peace and prosperity will abound in the Kingdom of God. The sentencing of a young woman for out of wedlock sexual affair while the man that got her pregnant goes Scot free can in no way be described as justice. God is no respecter of persons or gender.

Believe it or not!

Copyright 2000, Nigerian Publius