Top 10 Reasons Why Jesus Is Not God

Top 10 Reasons Why Jesus (peace be upon him) is Not God

A Conversation with Joshua Evans on The Deen Show

Host: Eddie (The Deen Show)

Guest: Joshua Evans (Former Christian Youth Minister)

Opening Statement

Assalamu Alaikum - Peace be unto you

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to God

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Important Clarification Before We Begin

This discussion addresses a sensitive topic about someone who is beloved to our hearts: Jesus Christ (peace be upon him).

We Love Jesus

Before discussing why Jesus cannot be God, it's essential to understand the Islamic perspective on Jesus:

• Jesus is one of the mightiest messengers that God has sent to humanity
• He was sent to the children of Israel with a divine message
• He performed many mighty miracles by the permission of God:
• Healed the sick, the blind, and the lepers
• Gave life to the dead by God's permission
• Was born miraculously without a father
• He was the Word of God on earth
• He never claimed divinity

A Fundamental Islamic Belief

Believing in Jesus is mandatory in Islam. If you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you cannot be a Muslim. It is a fundamental tenet of Islamic faith to:

• Believe in Jesus as a prophet and messenger
• Love and honor him
• Believe in everything he did and taught

Introduction: Why This Topic Matters

This is an issue of salvation. We want everyone to be saved. This discussion is important for Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike, as it addresses the fundamental question:

Can God Almighty, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, be a man?

The answer to this question has profound implications for how we worship, how we understand God, and ultimately, for our eternal destiny.

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The Top 10 Reasons (Counting Down to #1)

Reason #10: God Cannot Be Born

God did not come into existence. He has always existed.

• God was not born
• God was not created
• He has always been before there was even time itself
• He did not come into existence from nonexistence

Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) was born:

• He was born without a father (which was indeed one of his true miracles)
• He was in the womb for nine months
• He came into existence at a specific point in time

Conclusion: By the very nature of Jesus being born, he does not have the same qualities and characteristics that God has. God cannot be born, and Jesus was born. Therefore, they cannot be one and the same.

Reason #9: There Are No Explicit Verses Stating Jesus is God

When God speaks about Himself, He is very, very explicit.

Examples from Scripture:

Isaiah 46:9:

"I am God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like me."

The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) - quoted by Jesus:

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is but one God and there is none else."

The Principle of Clarity

When God describes His characteristics and who He is, He is always explicit. If it were such a crucial matter that Jesus was God—if this were the very way to salvation—God would have been crystal clear about it because it is an issue of eternal consequence.

God does not beat around the bush about issues of salvation.

What About John 1:1 and "Before Abraham Was, I Am"?

Some point to verses like:

• John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God..."
• John 8:58: "Before Abraham was, I am"

Response: These verses can be interpreted in multiple ways:

1. Muslims believe Jesus was God's Word made manifest - God said "Be" and he was
2. Context matters - When you read these verses in light of everything else God has said about His nature, they become clear
3. You can make any text say anything if you pick and choose verses out of context
4. No explicit statement exists where Jesus says: "I am your Creator, worship me"

If Jesus being God were essential for salvation, he would have stated it explicitly in a way even a five-year-old child could understand.

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Reason #8: No One Has Ever Seen God

The Bible is very clear on this point:

John 1:18:

"No man has seen God at any time."

1 John 4:12:

"No man has seen God at any time."

Jesus' own statement (John 5:37):

"And the Father himself which has sent me, hath borne witness of me. You have neither heard His voice nor seen His face at any time."

The Key Point: Jesus was standing right there among them when he said this. If he had been God, why would he say "you have never seen God at any time"?

What About "Whoever Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father"?

When we read the full context of such verses, Jesus was speaking about being one in purpose with God:

• "Just as no one can pluck the children of God out of God's hand, no one can pluck them out of my hand because I and my Father are one [in purpose]"
• "We have the same exact mission"
• "I am God's representative"
• "Anything that He wants is my will"

The Islamic Perspective

In the Quran, Moses asked to see God. God told him to look at the mountain: "If the mountain can bear my sight, then you can see me."

When God showed Himself to the mountain, it crumbled into pieces. Moses repented and said he no longer wanted to see God.

We cannot stand to see God. God is not something that can come in the form of a human being. You cannot contain God's essence inside of a physical form. That is to lessen God beyond extent.

He is too great to be put in any form, any parameters, any dimensions, any box.

Reason #7: This Concept Was Not Taught by Jesus or His Disciples

The early followers of Christianity did not believe Jesus was God.

Historical Evidence

When archaeologists found the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran, they discovered that the early Christians were still part of Judaism.

From the Book of Acts:

Even after Jesus departed from this earth, the disciples:

• Still daily attended the synagogue
• Still went to the temple in Jerusalem
• Worshiped as the Jews worshiped

Why is this significant? If the disciples were teaching people that Jesus was God, they would have been:

• Banished from the temple immediately, or
• Started their own church

But they didn't. Jesus himself:

• Went to the temple
• Did not build his own church saying "worship me"
• Worshiped God in the same way that Moses, Abraham, David, and Zechariah worshiped God

The disciples followed his example. The first and second-century Christians did the same thing. They considered themselves practicing Jews who followed Jesus as their prophet.

When Did the Trinity Doctrine Emerge?

The Trinity did not come about until the third century and was not formulated as a required doctrine until:

325 A.D. - The Council of Nicaea

• All the bishops and scholars of Christianity gathered
• They formally established the Trinity as doctrine

Who First Taught the Trinity?

Paul the Apostle was the first person to:

• Come up with the title "Christian"
• Formulate the concept of the Trinity
• Teach the "godship" of Jesus
• Use the phrase "only begotten Son"

Important fact: Paul never:

• Saw Jesus Christ himself
• Walked with Him
• Talked to Him
• Ate with Him
• Learned from Him

Paul formulated these doctrines based on a vision he claimed to have while on the road to Damascus—where he was actually going to persecute Christians.

Is the Word "Trinity" in the Bible?

No, it does not exist in the Bible.

There is only one verse (1 John 5:7) that comes close to mentioning it:

"There are three that bear record on earth: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..."

However: Almost all biblical scholars have removed this verse from modern translations because:

• It is not found in any manuscript before 1200 A.D.
• It was never part of the original Bible

Reason #6: Jesus Ate, Slept, and Prayed

God, by His very nature, is self-sufficient. He does not need anything to continue His existence.

God's Self-Sufficiency

• God does not need to eat
• God does not need to sleep
• God does not need to pray
• If He needed something, He would not be God

Any need would mean He depends on something else to exist, which would contradict His nature as God.

Jesus Had Human Needs

We know from Scripture that Jesus:

• Was born
• Ate food
• Slept
• Prayed

If Jesus had not eaten, slept, or drunk water, he would have died. Therefore, he was not self-sufficient. He needed something to continue his existence.

The Significance of Prayer

Jesus prayed constantly:

• Whenever he had an issue, he would pray
• He would tell the disciples: "Wait here while I pray"
• He would go to the temple and pray
• He would prostrate his face on the ground in prayer

The essence of prayer is showing that you are in need of someone greater than yourself.

Even people who worship idols believe that idol is greater than them—that's why they pray to it.

If Jesus was God:

• Who was he praying to?
• Why did he need to pray?
• He would have told people: "Pray to me. I don't need to pray to anyone."

By his very nature of being in need, Jesus could not be God.

Reason #5: Jesus Said God's Knowledge Was Greater Than His

Jesus openly admitted that God knew things he did not.

About the Day of Judgment

Mark 13:32 / Matthew 24:36:

"Of that day knoweth no man, nor the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father has knowledge of that hour."

The Logical Problem:

If the Trinity were true, and God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were all the same person, then:

• If God knows the hour, Jesus should know it
• If they are all one, how can one not know what the other knows?

Jesus Said the Father is Greater

John 14:28:

"The Father is greater than I."

The Question:

If they are equals and both are God, how can one be greater than the other?

Weighing the Evidence

We have:

• Explicit statements: Jesus clearly stating he doesn't have the same knowledge as God
• Ambiguous verses: That can be interpreted different ways

Which should weigh more?

• Point-blank, explicit, clear statements, or
• Statements that require interpretation and can be twisted to mean many things?

These explicit statements cannot be interpreted any other way than that Jesus was not God—he was something less than God.

Reason #4: Jesus Explicitly States He is Not God

While some think Jesus implicitly claims divinity through ambiguous verses, let's examine where he explicitly states he is NOT God.

John 17:3 - The Way to Eternal Life

"And this is life eternal, that they may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent as a messenger."

Jesus said in essence: "This is what I have come to teach that they may know:

1. You (God) - the only true God
2. Jesus Christ - whom you have sent"

This statement perfectly aligns with Islamic faith:

There is no God but one God, and Muhammad is His messenger (and Jesus is His messenger)

The Islamic testimony includes believing in the one true God and in the messengers He sent.

Jesus Ascending to God

John 20:17 - Jesus speaking to Mary Magdalene:

"I ascend unto my Father and your Father, my God and your God."

Jesus very clearly equated:

• Her God and his God as being one and the same God
• He didn't say: "I'm ascending to myself and to your God"
• He didn't claim to BE God

If he had said he was ascending to himself, people would have thought him a fool.

He made it crystal clear: "the one true God" and "I am ascending to my God and your God."

Reason #3: "Son of God" is Not an Exclusive Title

Many people think "Son of God" or "only begotten Son" is a title unique to Jesus. It is not.

Biblical Usage of "Son of God"

The title "Son of God" appears throughout the Bible referring to many people:

• Jacob - called son of God
• Solomon - called son of God
• Israel (Exodus) - called son of God
• Ephraim - called son of God
• Jeremiah - called son of God
• Adam - called son of God in the New Testament
• Common people - called sons of God in both Testaments

Cultural Context

In Jewish culture (especially ancient and Orthodox Jewish culture):

• Being called a "son of God" was a title of esteem, prestige, and honor
• Even "Lord" was used as a respectful title for rabbis
• Eastern Europeans also use "Lord" as a respectful title

This title is not exclusive to Jesus.

What About "Only Begotten Son"?

A pastor once argued: "Yes, but Jesus was the only begotten son of God."

Question: What gives him that exclusive title?

Answer given: "Because he was born miraculously without a father. In Jewish culture, lineage was traced through the father's side. Since Jesus' lineage stopped at Mary (he had no father), therefore God must be his father."

Counter-argument: If that's the characteristic for exclusive sonship (having no father), what about Adam and Eve?

• They had no father nor mother
• They were fashioned by God's own hands from dirt
• Adam was created from nothing
• Eve was created from Adam's rib

If anyone should have the exclusive title of "only begotten son of God," it should be Adam:

• He had no father or mother
• He was the first creation
• He was created directly by God

Why don't we worship Adam as God's exclusive son?

The Miracle of Jesus' Birth

The miracle exclusive to Jesus for the children of Israel was that he had no father at all—he came from a virgin who had never touched another human being.

In the Quran, when Mary brought the child, people accused her of adultery. But God made Jesus speak as a baby in the womb, saying: "I am the messenger of God. Are you surprised that God can do this?"

Why So Many Miracles?

Jesus was given more physical miracles than almost any other prophet:

• Healing the blind
• Healing the sick
• Bringing people back from the dead
• Being born of a virgin

Why? To soften the deadened hearts of the children of Israel at that time. This was one of God's last messages to them.

Jesus was the last prophet sent exclusively to the Jews:

Matthew 15:24:

"I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

When the children of Israel rejected him, God sent Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a mercy to all the world, not just one people.

Reason #2: God Cannot Change

This is one of the most fundamental attributes of God.

God's Own Words

Malachi 3:6:

“I do not change. Therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

God explicitly stated that He does not change in His nature.

• He doesn't change moods (happy one day, sad the next, angry another day)
• His nature is constant and unchanging

God Cannot Be Subject to His Own Creation

God created certain things, therefore He cannot be subject to them:

• God created time → He cannot be subject to time
• He doesn't pass through time
• He doesn't get old
• He doesn't get tired
• He doesn't go through stages
• God created air → He doesn't need it
• God created the sun → He doesn't need its warmth
• He doesn't get hot
• He doesn't get cold

These things do not happen to God.

The Impossibility of God Becoming Human

God cannot:

• Put Himself into a human body
• Come to earth
• Be subjected to time
• Be subjected to hunger
• Be subjected to tiredness
• Be subjected to being whipped, beaten, and hurt

These are things that God cannot by His very nature be.

"Can't God Do Anything?"

Clarification: God can do anything that is permissible to His nature.

God CANNOT:

• Go to hell (He is beyond that)
• Go to heaven (He transcends it)
• Die (He is eternal)
• Be born (He always existed)
• Eat (He is self-sufficient)
• Lie (He is truthful)
• Murder someone unjustly (He is just)
• Steal (He is perfect)

Why can't God do these things?

Because doing them would make Him less than God. They would contradict His perfect nature.

It's like trying to force two powerful magnets together (North and South poles)—they cannot coexist because their natures repel each other.

Natures that are not God-like cannot exist in God. He created those imperfect natures for His creation, but He Himself cannot possess them because He does not change.

The Trinity Would Mean God Changed

If God was one, one, one forever and ever, and then suddenly decided "I'm going to be three today" (or three-in-one), that would mean He changed in the middle of everything.

This contradicts His unchanging nature.

God's Consistent Method of Salvation

God is consistent. He would not change His method of salvation midstream.

The method of salvation has always been the same:

1. Go to God directly
2. Show you are worthy of forgiveness
3. Work and earn forgiveness through good deeds
4. God forgives you

This has always been the way. It will always be the way. Nothing changes in the middle.

When Jesus Returns

Muslims believe Jesus Christ will return to this earth (this is a tenet of Islamic faith).

When he returns, he will make things very clear:

1. He will break the crosses - "I was not crucified"
2. He will kill the swine - "I never broke the law of Moses. I came to teach it, not break it"
3. He will explain - "I am not God, I am not the son of God, do not worship me"
4. He will command people to follow the way of Islam as a Muslim

Reason #1: God is the Essence of Worship, Yet Jesus Said "Do Not Worship Me"

This is the most essential reason why Jesus cannot be God.

God is the Object of Worship

In every religion, whatever they call "God" is their object of worship:

• It's who they give their devotion to
• It's who they pray to
• It's who they make sacrifices to
• It's who they pay charity in the name of
• It's who they direct all acts of worship toward

If Jesus had been God, he would have told people to worship him.

Jesus' Own Words - Matthew 15:18

But instead, Jesus did the exact opposite:

“In vain shall you worship me and teach as doctrine the commandments of men.”

Jesus was predicting the future:

• "You will worship me" (it will happen)
• "But it will be in vain" (it won't count for anything)
• "You will teach as doctrine the commandments of men" (not of God)

What does "in vain" mean? It will not count for anything. It will be worthless.

Examples of What Jesus Predicted

People will teach as doctrines of men:

• The Trinity (which came from men)
• That Jesus is God (which came from men)
• That the law of Moses should be thrown away (which came from men)

But the worship given to Jesus shall be in vain.

The Day of Judgment

We will go before God having worshiped Jesus for 20, 30, 40, 50 years.

On the Day of Judgment, Jesus will deny those people.

In the Quran, God asks Jesus:

“Did you command anyone to worship you?”

Jesus will say:

“No, You know I would not do anything except what You told me to do.”

All prayers and worship made to Jesus are in vain because:

• He does not hear them
• He is not an object of worship
• He never claimed to be
• He explicitly told people NOT to worship him

Jesus Denied Worship During His Life

When someone called him "good master":

“Why do you call me good master? There is none good but one, that's God.” (Mark 10:18)

When they called him "master":

“Why do you call me master and you don't do my Father's works?”

He always denied worship that was directed at him.

Some may have called him "Lord" as a title of respect (which was culturally appropriate), but no one ever gave devoted worship to Jesus without him rejecting it.

The Deception

This is a trick that has come upon us, and unfortunately, it is a trick from the author of all tricks: the devil.

The Quran states that Satan will get people to:

• Worship him falsely
• Worship idols falsely
• Worship created things instead of the Creator

On the Day of Judgment, Satan will say:

“I tricked you. Now I'm free from you. I have nothing to do with you. I already got you to do what I wanted, now it means nothing.”

All those prayers and sacrifices made to anyone other than God will be like dust blown away by the wind—worth nothing.

The Simple Test: Follow the Prophets

Let's go back to the beginning:

Did Adam worship Jesus?

• No. Adam worshiped God alone.

Did Abraham worship Jesus?

• No. Abraham worshiped God alone.

Did Moses worship Jesus?

• No. Moses worshiped God alone.

Did Noah worship Jesus?

• No. Noah worshiped God alone.

Did David worship Jesus?

• No. David worshiped God alone.

Did Jesus worship Jesus?

• No. Jesus worshiped God alone.

Did Muhammad worship Jesus?

• No. Muhammad worshiped God alone.

Therefore, we should follow them and worship God alone.

Understanding Worship in Islam

What Does "Worship God Alone" Mean?

Worship = Complete Submission

The word "Islam" means that you submit your entire self to doing what God wants you to do alone.

This is what Jesus did his entire life - whatever God wanted from him, he did it. That is the essence of being a Muslim.

Practical Application

A Muslim should feel:

• "There's not enough I can do for God for creating me"
• "If He wants me to pray five times a day, I do it out of gratefulness"
• "If He wants me to fast during Ramadan, I fast"
• "If He wants me to abstain from alcohol, I abstain"
• "If He wants me to abstain from sex outside marriage, I do that"

Why? Because that is the way of life that is pleasing to Him.

Making Every Step For God

Worshiping Him means:

• Making every step of your daily life in accordance with what God wants
• Praying only to Him
• Sacrificing only to Him
• Giving charity in His name (not to show off)
• Fasting for Him
• Not lying, stealing, or cheating
• Doing everything for His sake alone

By being a slave to God, you become a perfect human being.

The Lord's Prayer Confirms This

Matthew 6:9-13:

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and lead us not into temptation."

"Thy will be done" = Complete submission to God's will = Islam

The Islamic Declaration of Faith

La ilaha illallah - There is no God but God

Negation and Affirmation:

1. La ilaha (Negation) - There is no God worthy of worship

2. Illallah (Affirmation) - Except the one true God, Allah

This means:

• There is nothing under the heavens or earth
• No angels, no men, no beasts, no idols
• That has the right to be worshiped
• Except the one true God, the Creator of everything

Who is Allah?

"Allah" is the Arabic word for God:

• Jesus said "Allah" (in Aramaic, the word for God is Allah)
• Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians say "Allah" when they refer to God
• Pick up any Arabic Bible and you'll see the word "Allah"

Historical note: The English word "God" didn't even exist until 600 years ago.

The Complete Testimony

After affirming the Oneness of God, we must determine:

• What is His message?
• What does He want from me?

This is where God's messengers come in:

Muhammad is the Messenger of God

For humanity now, that messenger is Muhammad (peace be upon him), whom Jesus foretold in the New Testament as the last and final messenger and mercy unto mankind.

You're Already a Slave to Something

Let's be honest - you're a slave to somebody or something:

• Slave to your boss at work
• Slave to money
• Slave to your desires
• Slave to public opinion

God is saying: Be a slave to Me instead. Let Me dictate your life.

Why Submit to God?

You're not self-sufficient:

• You need a Creator
• You need someone to turn to in distress
• Only God can truly forgive your sins

When you become God's slave:

• You call on Him alone
• You pray only to Him
• You sacrifice only to Him
• You give charity in His name alone (not to show off)
• You fast for Him
• You abstain from harmful things for Him

The result? You become the best version of a human being possible.

God is Good - He Only Accepts Good

By being a slave to God:

• You don't lie
• You don't steal
• You don't cheat
• You strive for excellence in all things
• You embody goodness

Imagine if everyone in humanity lived this way - what kind of world would we have?

The Way Forward: Going Back to the Original

Islam is not weird or new or different.

If you study deeply:

• The way of Jesus
• The way of Moses
• The way of Abraham

You'll see that Islam simply affirms the ways of old.

What Islam Does

Islam has:

• Stepped back to worshiping God the way He needs to be worshiped
• Stepped back to living life the way He wants it to be lived
• Restored the relationship with God that the prophets had

This doesn't mean:

• ☑ Riding camels
• X Rejecting technology
• X Living in the past

Muslims use modern technology: cars, cell phones, computers - these are tools of the time.

But when it comes to our direct relationship with God, we go back to the way the prophets worshiped Him.

Original Sin vs. Unlimited Potential

The Islamic View of Human Nature

Muslims believe:

• We were not born with an innate sin nature
• We are not carrying someone else's sin from birth
• You can be as good as you want to be
• There is no limit to how good you can become

This is fundamentally different from the doctrine that:

• We are born sinners
• We carry Adam's sin
• We need someone to die for our sins

Islamic perspective: You can get better and better, continuously improving, striving for perfection. That's how you achieve excellence as a human being - by submitting to the Creator and living according to His guidance.

A Note on Salvation

The Consistent Method

Throughout all time, salvation has worked the same way:

1. Recognize the One True God
2. Submit to Him alone
3. Follow His guidance through His messengers
4. Do good deeds
5. Repent sincerely when you fall short
6. Ask God directly for forgiveness (no intermediary needed)

God is Most Merciful and Most Loving.

The Divine Promise

A Hadith Qudsi (Divine saying):

"If my slave were to come to me with sins filled up to the heavens, not associating partners with Me, not giving acts of worship to anyone else except Me, I would forgive."

The key condition: Not committing shirk (associating partners with God in worship)

Conclusion: Defending Jesus

The purpose of this discussion is to defend the true nature of:

1. God Almighty - That He cannot be a man

2. Jesus Christ - That he would have abhorred people worshiping him

We love Jesus as he ought to be loved - as a mighty messenger of God.

The Truth Will Set You Free

These points are not meant to hurt anyone's feelings - they are meant to:

• Deliver the truth
• Clarify who Jesus really was
• Clarify who God really is
• Help people find the correct path to salvation

Be honest with yourself:

• This makes sense
• It goes with your innate nature (fitrah)
• God is One - it's embedded inside you already

Watch out for those who try to put wool over your eyes and explain away what you clearly see.

Summary: The Top 10 Reasons

Let's recap why Jesus (peace be upon him) cannot be God:

10. God cannot be born - Jesus was born

9. There are no explicit verses stating Jesus is God

8. No one has ever seen God - but people saw Jesus

7. This concept was not taught by Jesus or his disciples

6. Jesus ate, slept, and prayed - God needs none of these

5. Jesus said God's knowledge was greater than his

4. Jesus explicitly states he is not God

3. "Son of God" is not an exclusive title to Jesus

2. God cannot change - becoming human would be a change

1. God is the object of worship, yet Jesus said "Do not worship me"

The Simple Truth

God is One, not three-in-one.

Worship Him alone.

What anything in creation (that was in creation) can never be the Creator.

Final Message

Have a Direct Relationship with God

Leave off worshiping:

• Men
• Animals
• Idols
• Anything in creation

The Creator said:

"If my slave comes to me with sins filled to the heavens, not associating partners with me, I would forgive.

I am the Most Merciful, the Most Loving."

Love Jesus As He Should Be Loved

Love Jesus as a mighty messenger of God - one of the mightiest prophets, who:

• Delivered the message of monotheism
• Called people to worship God alone
• Performed miracles by God's permission
• Was born miraculously
• Will return at the end of times to clarify the truth

But do not worship him - because he explicitly told us not to, and doing so would be in vain.

Resources

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Peace be unto you