Addressing Islam: Was Jesus Replaced?

Dear Friends,
The following is the most recent exchange from an email dialogue I have been having with a Muslim gentleman who responded to our tract, "Meeting the Messiah".

-Scott
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From Maher:

Dear Scott,

You are using quotes from Bible, so I have quotes from the Quran too.

God said about Jesus, "They did not kill him, they only thought they had done that."

Also, Jesus said when he was 3 days old, "I am God's servant, he sent me as his prophet and messenger and ordered me in praying him and make donations(Zakat) as long as I am alive".

He never said I am the son of God.

Also, God said in the Quran in many locations that He never had a son; whoever claims other wise are NOT telling the truth. God did not create mankind to confuse them, he sent prophets to guide them. This guidance shall be clear enough for all people to understand. If you were a teacher, do you think you are doing your job well if you confuse your students? If your answer in NO, (and I think you will say that), how God will do that mistake; He is the Creator. Would my explanation make sense to you yet? I want you just to be objective and neutral. -Maher

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My Reply:

Hello again, Maher. Thanks for your intelligent thoughts on the subject. I appreciate these quotes from the Qur'an. I think one of the best ways to substantiate the beliefs we have is by pointing to their source or sources when possible. Sometimes people believe things that don't come from any one source, but when they do it's helpful to refer to it.

Before I go any further into this, let me say that there is a book I would like to mail you if you might give me your mailing address. It's not that I want to know where you live, believe me. But this book (in Arabic) has a whole chapter on the subject of whether Jesus died on the cross. It's called Glad News! God Loves You My Muslim Friend, by Samy Tanagho. If I knew your address I would mail it to you. I could also deliver it to your workplace and leave it with the receptionist if you prefer.

For now, let me try to address the main question that I think you have presented: "Did Jesus die on the cross?" The question of whether Jesus was the son of God is a separate one. We can address that, but let me save that for the next time. I will only say this: Whether Jesus actually said he was the Son of God is not the most important question. In the Bible Jesus actually did say he was the Son of God. What is important is whether he showed himself to be a person with divine qualities by what he said and did, and by the relationship that he had with the Almighty God.

Now for the question about whether Jesus died on the cross. Please refer to your last paragraph which I highlighted in blue. In that paragraph you said this: "God does not create mankind to confuse them...If you were a teacher, do you think you are doing your job if you confuse your students?" -Maher

This is an excellent point! No, I don't think God created mankind to confuse them. But this is precisely why Jesus must have died on the cross. Let me try to make some logical points:

First, both Muslims and Christians believe that someone died on the cross. Right? If I am right about this, then the question is who died on the cross? If am not mistaken, Muslims believe that Jesus was replaced on the cross by someone whom God made to look identical to Jesus, maybe Judas or someone else. According to abundant historical accounts--including the Bible's account--it was a man named Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. Judas committed suicide before that. Therefore, everyone thought it was Jesus. Yes, everyone: the Jewish leaders who condemned him, the Roman officials who carried out the execution, all of his personal followers who loved and obeyed him and believed he was a holy man of God, all of his personal friends such as Lazarus (whom he raised from the dead), his mother, his brothers, and anyone who was an historian. Why did they believe it was Jesus who died? Because they were there and were eyewitnesses to the events. They watched him suffer and die, and some handled his body. If this was not Jesus it was the biggest confusion that God ever pulled off! For the same reasons, according to historical accounts, many people believed that he rose from the dead on the third day. Certainly all of his followers believed this, and they talked with him after he had risen. They also gave their lives (as martyrs) for their belief that he died and rose again. There is very strong evidence that someone rose from the dead. If it was Judas who was crucified (or whomever), was it Judas who also rose from the dead? Why would God raise from the dead the man who betrayed Jesus, and why would God allow all of Jesus' beloved and faithful followers to give theirs lives for a complete impostor? Again, if God replaced Jesus on the cross, then it was the probably the worst confusion in history. And God allowed this confusion for at least six centuries. That means that all those millions of people, before the Qur'an, were confused by God himself. Is that the kind of God you believe in? More than confusion, it was deception! That is why we cannot accept the Muslim conclusion. Jesus willingly died on the cross, according to God's plan and his will. Because of love.