Fact a Day: April 22nd

The Facts on Islam (Harvest House, rev. 1998), p. 14

What does Islam teach about Jesus Christ?

Muslims claim that they believe in the true Jesus Christ. Muslims praise Jesus as a prophet of God, as sinless, as “the Messiah,” as “illustrious in this world and the next,* as “the Word of Allah” and as “the Spirit of God.” Muslims cite the Koran in confirmation of their belief in Jesus: e.g., “And we gave Jesus, Son of Mary; the clear signs, and confirmed Him with the Holy Spirit.”*

Unfortunately, however, Islam does not believe in the biblical Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that Jesus is God’s one and only Son. Jesus Himself taught this, e.g., “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.… Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (Jn. 3:16, 18, cf., Mt. 11:27; 26:64)…. In fact, virtually every book in the New Testament either declares or assumes that Jesus is God’s unique Son.

On the other hand, Islam asserts that Jesus was merely one of God’s many prophets or messengers, and not God’s only Son. Muslims strongly reject the idea that Jesus is the Son of God because the Koran repeatedly emphasizes that Jesus Christ is not the literal Son of God.

*For documentation, see The Facts on Islam.