JESUS CHRIST AND MOHAMMED
Louis Farrakhan, retired leader of the nation of Islam, recently commented on the conflict of the world with Islam. He blamed religious divisions for the conflict. His fiery rhetoric and divisive messages are well-documented. However, due to a “near-death” experience related to prostate cancer, he is now urging reconciliation between Christianity and Islam. He added that if Jesus Christ and Mohammed were on the stage behind him, they would embrace one another with love.
There is no doubt that Jesus would express love to Mohammed, as he would to all others. But to imply that Jesus would accept the teachings of Mohammed as acceptable to God and extend the right hand of fellowship is to show a lack of knowledge of the teachings of Jesus Christ and Mohammed. We know what Jesus would say based upon what he has already said. Jesus would not change his views or teaching if he were to speak today. The question is what did Jesus teach and what did Mohammed teach? The answer comes from both the Koran and the Bible.
Islam makes the grave mistake of exalting Ishmael, the son of the flesh of Abraham, over Isaac, the son of promise. This is the great fork in the roads between Christianity and Islam. (Gal. 4:21-31.) The Scripture says, “Cast out the bondwoman and her son (Ishmael).” (Gal. 4:30.) Islam says, Exalt the son of the bondwoman over the son of promise. Jesus would not agree with Mohammed over this; he would firmly and completely reject this teaching. The Bible applies this analogy about Isaac and Ishmael to our spiritual birth. John wrote, We “were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor or the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13.) Islam is of the flesh; Christianity is of promise.
Islam teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross. They maintain that such would have been too shameful and dishonorable. Someone else, maybe Simon of Cyrene, died that day. This theory is based on Islam’s distorted view of honor. Their practice of “honor-killings” reveals an absence of love and an ever present heart of vengeance and hate. Yes, it was shameful and humiliating for Jesus to die on the cross, but Jesus bore it for our salvation. He bore our shame and guilt and sin. Islam is a religion without a Savior; as are all other world religions outside of Christianity. God highly exalted Jesus after the cruel death on the cross by giving him a name that is above every name. At the name of Jesus (not Mohammed) every knee shall bow. (Phil. 2:10.)
Islam teaches that Jesus is not the Son of God, but that he was just a prophet of God. Mohammed, born in the sixth century AD, has now replaced Jesus Christ as the prophet that we should follow, Islam declares. If Jesus were just a prophet and a man, he committed sins. But the Bible maintains his sinlessness. (Heb. 4:15.) The Gospel of John repeatedly declares that Jesus is the Son of God. He is divine, worthy of worship, arid the Savior of mankind. Mohammed cannot save. He is yet in his tomb, but Jesus arose from the dead.
Jesus said I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man comes to the Father, but my me. (John 14:6.) Farrakhan now calls for acceptance of all world religions. The great problem of pluralism (many world religions acceptable to God) is that it denies what Jesus taught. If what Jesus said is true, then pluralism is false. If pluralism is true, then what Jesus taught is wrong. Both cannot be true.
Mural Worthey
Hopewell, Virginia