What was the common response of Jesus in all the three temptations when Satan asked Him to do something wrong?
(Luke 4:3 NIV) Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
(Luke 4:8 NIV) Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
(Luke 4:12 NIV) Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Jesus resisted the devil with the word of God. If we don’t know the word of God, it is easy to fall into sin because the devil will try to get us to do things that are not right.
(Psalm 119:11 NIV) I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Jesus went into the synagogue and read a passage from the book of Isaiah about the Messiah. He then claimed to be this Messiah. Do you think Muslims also believe that Jesus is the Messiah?
(Luke 4:16-21 NIV) He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
In the Quran, Jesus was called by the title Al-Masih (which means “The Messiah”) in the Quran.
Quran 3.45 PICKTHAL: (And remember) when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto Allah).
What do you understand by the term Messiah?
While the Quran gives Jesus the title Al-Masih (The Messiah), it does not explain further as to what Al-Masih means.
The Messiah that the Old Testament prophesied would come was no ordinary person.
The Jews believed that this Christ would come from Bethlehem. (Christ is Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah)
(John 7:42 NIV) Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?”
The Christ or Messiah that they were expecting to come from Bethlehem was no ordinary prophet but someone whose origin is from ancient days.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Micah 5.2
(The term “from ancient days” talks about eternal existence and is a term applied only to God, see Isa 43:12-13).
You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
The Christ or Messiah that they were expecting to come from Bethlehem is no ordinary prophet but someone whose origin is from ancient days.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Micah 5.2
(The term “from ancient terms” talks about eternal existence and is a term applied only to God, as seen in the next verse.
(Isaiah 43:12-13) You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
According to Jesus, does doing good deeds or fulfilling religious duties save us or not? What is it that saves us?
Luke 8:9-14 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
According to Jesus, it is not the good deeds or religious duties that save us. The Pharisee had performed good deeds but he was not saved. The person who is saved is the one who recognizes that he is a sinner and asks for the mercy of God to save him.
The Quran also teaches the importance of calling upon God’s mercy to save us.
Surah 23:109 Among My servants there were those who said: “Lord, we believe in You.” Forgive us and have mercy on us. You are the best of those that show mercy.”
Do you believe that God should accept us into heaven if our good deeds are more than our bad deeds?
Muslims are very strict in what is clean and unclean food. Would a Muslim be willing to eat food that even has even 1% pork. Of course not.
When we say God should accept us even though we are 49% unclean, but we reject things that are even a little unclean, we are implying that God’s standard is lower than our human standard. This cannot be true.
Christians believe that God will accept us only if we are totally clean. And this happens when we repent before God and ask him to forgive us and not by relying on our good deeds to outweigh the bad ones.
Does that mean God is not interested in us leading holy lives?
No, it does not mean that. God calls us to lead holy lives.
(1 Thess 4:7 NIV) For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
However, it is not the holy life that saves us but our dependence on what Jesus did for us at the cross.
(Galatians 2:21 NIV) I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
If good works are not necessary for salvation, why is the motivation for Christians to lead holy lives?
(Hebrews 13:16 NIV) And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Christians continue to do good not to earn salvation but to please God. It’s like in the office you do work because you need to earn a salary. But at home you continue to do work and attend to your family and household chores not to earn something but out of love.