LOOK: “When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea, Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” He pressed them, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am.” Matthew 16:13-17 The Message
LEARN: The headline of the Sunday Life section in my local newspaper, Sunday News Journal, was quite surprising. Jesus, Mary and Islam. After recently having a conversation with someone who believes Christians and Muslims all worship the same God, this immediately caught my attention. The following section is taken directly from the article written by Gary Soulsman. If you’d like to read the entire article, it’s available at http://www.delawareonline.com.
“We believe in the goodness and purity of Mary,” says Dr. Sheerin Javed. “And sometimes we talk about this – that Jesus is a special prophet for Muslims so it makes us feel good to see him honored this time of year.” At a time when the birth of Jesus is on the minds of Christians, he is also revered by Muslims. And while they do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, there are many similarities between what the Bible and the Quran say concerning the birth of Jesus. Jesus is in the Quran as the Messiah.
“He’s talked about as the word of truth. It is said that he can heal the sick and has authority to raise the dead. By my count, Jesus is mentioned 110 times,” says former U.S. Rep. Mark Siljander, an evangelical Christian now living in Great Falls, VA. “Mary is highly regarded in the Islamic tradition, and the story of her birth, her dedication to the temple and the miraculous birth of her son, who is also regarded highly, are told in the Quran,” says Umeyye Isra Yazicioglu, assistant professor of theology at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Yet, most Americans don’t know how much there is in the Quran about the goodness of Mary and Jesus, says Vivienne Angeles, a religion professor at LaSalle University in Philadelphia. She often teaches Islam to Christian students who are surprised to find central figures of their faith mentioned in the Islamic Scriptures.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this week, who do you say that He is?
LIVE: WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?
1. What surprises you about the information above, if anything?
2. Although Jesus is mentioned in the Islamic Scriptures, according to the website http://www.allah.org, Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form. Read Matthew 1:22,23 and John 1:1,14. Differentiate between the Islamic and Christian faith.
3. Re-read today’s Scripture in the LOOK section. What do you discover?
4. How might your observations be reflected in your faith and lifestyle?
5. Write a prayer asking God to show you who He really is.