The Deity of Jesus and Islamic Objections [Sermon]

Outline

1.0 What Does the Quran Say About Jesus

2.0 What Does Jesus Say About Himself

3.0 The Muslim Objections

https://youtu.be/BNFgFKpoO_Y

1.0 What Does the Quran Say About Jesus

Jesus (‘Isa) is a great prophet, born of a virgin, performing miracles, but not divine and not crucified.

Title (English)	Arabic term / phrase	Example Qur’an references
Jesus, son of Mary	ʿĪsā ibn Maryam (عيسى ابن مريم)	2:87; 2:253; 3:45; 4:157–171; 5:110–116; 19:34
Messiah / Christ	al‑Masīḥ (المسيح)	3:45; 4:157, 171–172; 5:17, 72, 75
Messenger of God	rasūl Allāh (رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ) applied to Jesus	4:157, 171; 5:75, 5:110
Prophet	nabī (نبي) applied to Jesus	Implied in 19:30 (Jesus speaking as a prophet); also classed among prophets in 42:13 and 6:85
Word from Him / Word of God	kalimatun minhu / kalimat Allāh (كلمته / كلمة منه)	3:39, 45; 4:171
Spirit from Him / Spirit from God	rūḥun minhu (روح منه)	4:171
Sign for the worlds / for humanity	āyah / āyatan lilʿālamīn (آية للعالمين)	21:91; 23:50; also 19:21
Servant of God	ʿabd Allāh (عبد الله)	19:30 (“Indeed, I am the servant of Allah…”)
Blessed	mubārak (مبارك)	19:31
One brought near / honorable	wajīh (وجيه) – “distinguished, honored”	3:45 (honored in this world and the Hereafter)
One of the righteous	mina al‑ṣāliḥīn (من الصالحين)	3:46; 6:85
Example / pattern / mercy (through his miracles)	described as a mercy and example but not as a fixed title-word	19:21; 43:59

Quran 5:72: Certainly they disbelieve who say: Surely Allah, He is the Messiah, son of Marium; and the Messiah said: O Children of Israel! serve Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Surely whoever associates (others) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden to him the garden, and his abode is the fire; and there shall be no helpers for the unjust.

2.0 What Does Jesus Say About Himself

Jesus really died by Roman crucifixion, rose bodily from the dead, and claimed divine authority.

These events are historically grounded and central to salvation and to Christ’s identity as God the Son.

What did Jesus indicate about himself? He sees himself as more than just a human being.

Aspect of Jesus’ self-understanding	Claim or action attributed to Jesus	Scripture reference(s)
Authority to forgive sins	Considers himself able to forgive sins.	Matt. 9:1–8; Mark 2:5–11; Luke 5:20–24
Worthy of worship	Receives worship from others.	Matt. 2:11; Matt. 14:33; Matt. 28:9, 17
Authority to heal	Heals people in his own authority (by a word or touch).	Matt. 8:3, 13–16; 9:6; Luke 4:40
Honor due to God	Demands the honor that is due to God.	John 5:22–23
Hearing and answering prayer	Hears and answers prayers made in his name.	John 14:13–14; 15:7, 16; 16:23–24
Redemptive death	Ransoms mankind by his death.	Mark 10:45; Matt. 20:28
Pre-existence	Exists even before Abraham was born.	John 8:58
Acknowledged as God	Commends Thomas for calling him “My Lord and my God.”	John 20:28
King of another realm	Claims to be king of a kingdom not of this world.	John 18:36–37
Heavenly origin	Claims to have descended from heaven.	John 3:13
Eschatological judge	Claims to be the judge on the day of judgment.	John 5:22–23
Eternal king	Presented as king over an eternal kingdom.	Matt. 25:34
Judge of mankind	Described as the one who will judge all people.	Matt. 25:32
Authority to grant salvation	Grants salvation (e.g., to the repentant criminal).	Luke 23:43
Election of the saved	Has elected those who will go to heaven.	Mark 13:27
Returning master	His return likened to a master returning to his own house.	Mark 13:35
Heir of God’s throne	Claims to be heir of God’s throne from Psalm 110, seated on God’s throne.	Allusion to Ps. 110 (cf. Matt. 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42–43)
Divine Son of Man	Identified with the Son of Man from Daniel 7, worshiped by all in an eternal kingdom.	Allusion to Dan. 7 (cf. Matt. 26:64; Mark 14:62)

3.0 The Muslim Objections

3.1 The Bible Does Not Claim the Deity of Jesus.

The Quran says that Jesus never claimed to be divine. It was after his ascension that people believed in his divinity.

Quran 5.116–117: And [beware the Day] when Allāh will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as deities besides Allāh?'" He will say, "Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen. 117.I said not to them except what You commanded me - to worship Allāh, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them; but when You took me up, You were the Observer over them, and You are, over all things, Witness.

RESPONSE:

The NT teaches that Jesus is God.

2 Peter 1:1: Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: ESV

Titus 2:13.1: waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ ESV

OBJECTION: The Quran says that the Injil was revealed as the Word of God, and the gospels do not claim that Jesus is God

Quran 3:3–4: 3 He has sent down on you the Book with the truth, confirming what was before it, and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel 4 before (this) as guidance for the people, and (now) He has sent down the Deliverance.

5:44: Surely We sent down the Torah, containing guidance and light.

5:46: And in their footsteps We followed up with Jesus, son of Mary, confirming what was with him of the Torah, and We gave him the Gospel, containing guidance and light, and confirming what was with him of the Torah, and as guidance and admonition to the ones who guard (themselves).

5:68: Say: ‘People of the Book!

This is extremely problematic for Muslims: If they fully follow the Quran, then they have the follow the gospels where the deity of Christ is claimed. If they reject the gospels, then they are rejecting the Quran.

RESPONSE

1. The gospel of John claims the deity of Jesus

Gospel of John	Claim About Jesus
1:1–3	John declares that Jesus is God, that he has always existed, and that he is the very means of all creation.
1:18	Jesus is described as “the only begotten God.”
3:35	He assumes dominion over all things. ​
5:21	He claims to be the enabler of salvation, giving life as the Father does. ​
5:23	Jesus is worthy of the same honor due to God: whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father. ​
8:24	He warns that unless people believe who he truly is, they will die in their sins, making his identity central to salvation. ​
8:58	He claims to have existed before Abraham and uses the divine “I am,” echoing God’s name in the Old Testament. ​
10:30	He says, “I and the Father are one,” making himself equal with God. ​
11:25–26	He declares, “I am the resurrection and the life,” claiming authority over life and death itself. ​
14:1	He calls people to believe in him just as they believe in God. ​
14:8–9	He tells Philip, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father,” claiming to be the visible manifestation of God. ​
14:13	He promises to do whatever people ask in his name, implying divine attributes such as omnipotence and omnipresence. ​
17:5	He asks the Father to glorify him with the glory he had with the Father “before the world existed,” claiming eternal preexistence with God. ​
18:36–37	He says his kingdom is “not of this world,” presenting himself as king from another realm. ​
20:28–29	He accepts Thomas’s confession, “My Lord and my God!” and blesses those who will believe in him without seeing. ​
Whole Gospel	From beginning to end, John’s gospel presents Jesus as truly divine, equal with the Father in name, glory, authority, and works. ​

OBJECTION: John was written 60 years after the events. Jesus is not God in the earlier writings, eg in Mark.

RESPONSE:

1. There is a major problem in denying the message of John.

There are too many verses that are explicit in their claims of the divinity of Jesus, and the purpose of the book is to show Jesus as the Son of God. 20:31.

2. Earliest Gospel. Mark.7

Is the deity of Jesus seen in Mark?

Not only does Mark present Jesus as divine, but the very point of Mark’s gospel is that Jesus is Yahweh.

Mark reference	Divinity of Christ	OT reference(s)
Mark 1:1–3	The task of John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus (Yahweh in the OT)	Isaiah 40:3–5; Malachi 3:1
Mark 2:3–10	Jesus forgives a paralyzed man’s sins, exercising God’s exclusive prerogative to forgive.	Psalm 103:2–3
Mark 2:28	Jesus claims to be Lord of the Sabbath, asserting authority over the Ten Commandments.	Exodus 20:8
Mark 4:35–41	Jesus calms the storm, doing what the Psalms say Yahweh alone does.	Psalm 107:23–30
Mark 6:45–52	Jesus walks on the sea, echoing Yahweh’s unique rule over the waves.	Job 9:8

Mark 14:55–64. The trial of Jesus

Mark 14:61-22: But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. ESV

Daniel 7:13–14: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one

that shall not be destroyed. “ESV

Psalm 110:1: The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ESV

3. Earlier than Mark?

Letters of Paul.

Romans 9:5: To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. ESV

1 Corinthians 8:4-6: Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. ESV

4. Divinity of Jesus in pre-Pauline writings

Phil 2:5-11: Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ESV

Isa. 45:22–23: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ ESV

3.2 The Bible Denies The Deity Of Jesus

Two ways

1. Jesus Is Inferior To The Father

Jesus was sent by the Father

John 17:3

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

The Father is greater

John 14:28: “The Father is greater than I” (ESV).

God is Good

Mark 10:18: And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ESV

RESPONSE:

The Trinitarian model is a monotheistic model with multiple persons.

In this model, the Father is greater than Jesus, who does nothing other than the will of the Father, and both Jesus and the Father are God.

The Father has a different role, a higher office than Jesus, but that does not mean the Father is greater in essence.

They are both equal in essence. They are both God.

2. Inability Of Jesus And Dependence On God

Jesus prayed to God

Mark 1:35: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”ESV

People should worship only God

Matthew 4:10: “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”’ESV

Jesus pleads with the Father

Mark 14:36: “And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’”

Jesus can do nothing apart from God

John 5:19: “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.’” ESV

Jesus could not do miracles in Nazareth

Mark 6:5: “And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.”ESV

Jesus did not know when he would return

Mark 13:32: “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

RESPONSE:

The Christian doctrine of the person of Jesus includes the hypostatic union.

Jesus had a divine nature and a human nature. In line with his human nature, he was restricted by his humanness. he was a real human. Jesus was born. He could grow in wisdom and in stature. He was dependent on the Father, and as such he could pray to the Father.

3.3 Jesus Does Not Directly Claim to Be God

In the Old Testament, God claims to be God.

Isaiah 45:5: “I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me."

If Jesus is the same God in the Old Testament, why doesn’t he make the same overt claims?

John 10:33–36: The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” ESV

Son Of God Is A Generic Phrase

Adam had been called a “son of God” (Luke 3:38), as had David (Ps. 2:7), Solomon (1 Chron. 28:6), and even unnamed strangers (Gen. 6:2). In fact, the Bible taught that even we could become children of God (Rom. 8:14, Gal. 3:26). Therefore, Jesus was a “son of God” in the same sense, a human sense.

Jesus’ Humanness and Preferred Title

Jesus must have been just a human because he ate (John 21:12), wept (John 11:35), slept (Mark 4:38), hungered (Matt. 4:2), thirsted (John 4:7), and even tired (John 4:6).

RESPONSE

1. Messianic Secret

2. Unique Son of God

1 John 4:9–10: the Son is sent as the manifestation of God’s love and as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

No other Son has that role

In John’s Gospel and Hebrews, the Son is worshiped, identified as the Creator, and addressed as God, a designation that goes beyond metaphorical sonship.

3. Third Person Text Narrative

The identity of Jesus was revealed through the gospel writers in the third person.

Reference	Description
Mark 1:1	Identifies Jesus as the Son of God.
Mark 1:11	Shows God himself declaring that Jesus is his Son.
Mark 3:11	Shows a demon declaring Jesus is the Son of God.
Mark 2:5	Records Jesus’ public remission of the paralyzed man’s sin.
Mark 2:28	Asserts Jesus’ sovereignty over one of the Ten Commandments.
Mark 4:38–39	Describes Jesus calming the sea, a miracle only God should be able to do.
Mark 6:48	Describes Jesus walking on the water, a miracle only God should be able to do.

The Quran says that Jesus is the Messiah:

1. Surah 3:45

“O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah].”

2. Surah 4:157

“And [for] their saying, ‘Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.’ And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them…”

3. Surah 4:171

“O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him…”

4. Surah 5:72

“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary’ while the Messiah has said, ‘O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord…’”

4. The Trial of Jesus

The gospel of Mark is essentially a progressive unveiling of Jesus as God and Messiah.

He does deeds that only God can do and says things only God could say, but he is secretive about his identity

Mark 14:61-64: But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.

Acts 7:56 – Stephen’s vision: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.”

Hebrews 2:6 – A quotation of Psalm 8:4: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?”

Revelation 1:13 – John’s vision of Christ: “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man…”

Revelation 14:14 – Another vision: “And behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man…”

5. One Time Is Good Enough

Resources:

Qureshi, Nabeel. No God but One: Allah or Jesus? A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016.

Qureshi, Nabeel. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014.