8. Thinking of the Nature of God (in a Trinity)

Dear Abdullah

 

that you are deeply concerned about your own position before God, is perhaps the (second) best that could ever happen to you. Why? You would not ever bother to search for the Good News, the Gospel, if you knew not the bad news of God’s coming Judgment! Jesus once told a man “Be of good cheer! Your sins are forgiven!” (Matth 9:2). So let us have a look at the cause for the Good News. And that is Jesus. I am aware that you struggle with that. So let us begin with what The Qur’an has to say about Him.

 

He was the Messiah (Surah An-Nisa, 4:171) (Bible: John 1:41, 4:25, 26). The Qur’an does not define the term ‘Messiah’. According to Jewish and Christian understanding the expected Messiah would be sent by God to liberate people from the bondage of sin.

He was a Spirit from God (Surah An-Nisa,  4:171).

He was the Word of God (Surah An-Nisa, 4:171) (Bible: John 1: 1 – 14). We note that the Word of God is the Thought of God and with that, part of God!

He created life and healed the sick (Surah Al-i-Imran, 3:49), (Bible: Matthew 11: 1 – 6).

He is a sign to mankind (Surah Maryam 19:21) (Bible: Luke 2:25 – 32).

He is illustrious in the world and the hereafter (Surah Al-i-Imran, 3:45) (Bible: Hebrews 1 – 3; Colossians 1: 16, 2:9).

He was taken to heaven by God (Surah An-Nisa, 4:158) (Bible: Acts 1:9 – 11).

He will come back to earth for judgement (Surah Az-Zukhruf, 43:61, Mishkat IV. pp. 78 – 80) (Bible: John 14:1 – 6; John 5:22, 25 – 27).

He was holy (Pickthall) or faultless (Yusuf Ali) (Surah Maryam, 19:19) (Bible: Hebrews 7:26).

 

We already noted in this connection that, against popular belief, both the Bible and the Qur’an do not agree that all prophets were sinless. But Jesus was.

 

Does all this not raise the intrinsic question on just how ‘human’ a person can be who unites all the above attributes in himself? Do you actually know of any person who could boast of calling just two of these attributes his or her own? In the case of Jesus, one can only conclude that He is more than human. And that is divine!