The Lost Message of Jesus Christ
Who was Jesus Christ?
The Jews reject Jesus Christ as an imposter and a false prophet.
The Christians hail him as the begotten son of God.
Between these two extremes, Islam maintains that Jesus Christ was a prophet and messenger of God.
يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَا تَغْلُوا۟ فِى دِينِكُمْ وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْحَقَّ ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُۥٓ أَلْقَىٰهَآ إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌۭ مِّنْهُ
[an'Nisa, ayat 171]
مَّا ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلَّا رَسُولٌۭ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُۥ صِدِّيقَةٌۭ ۖ كَانَا يَأْكُلَانِ ٱلطَّعَامَ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ثُمَّ ٱنظُرْ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
[alMaidah, ayat 75]
Even the New Testament calls him a prophet:
“This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee”
[Matthew, 21:11,46]
“Yet I must be on my way today, tomorrow and the next day; it is not right for a prophet to be killed anywhere except in Jerusalem. Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets, you stone the messengers God has sent you!”
[Luke, 13:33,34]
He never called himself Son of God.
They all said, “Are you, then, the Son of God? He answered them, “You say that I am”.
[Luke, 22:70]
He never called himself God either.
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone.”
[Luke, 18:19]
His miraculous birth has been described in the Qur'an:
إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَـٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ ٱسْمُهُ ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ
قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى وَلَدٌۭ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌۭ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ ٱللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمْرًۭا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
[Aal’Imran, ayaat 45,47]
But that does not make Jesus divine. God compares his miraculous birth to that of Adam, who was born without both mother and father.
إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ ۖ خَلَقَهُۥ مِن تُرَابٍۢ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
[Aal Imran, ayat 59]
He performed various miracles by God's will, to prove his prophethood:
أَنِّىٓ أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةًۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
[Aal Imran, ayat 49]
The same can also be read in Maidah, ayat 110]
He was sent as a messenger specifically to the Children of Israel:
وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
[Aal Imran, ayat 49]
Jesus replied, “I have been sent only to the lost sheep of the people of Israel”.
[Matthew, 15:24]
He even instructed his disciples thus:
“Do not go to any Gentile territory or any Samaritan towns. Instead, you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. Go and preach, “The Kingdom of Heaven is near”.
[Matthew, 10:5-7]
Why was he sent to the People of Israel?
وَمُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَجِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
[Aal Imran, ayat 50]
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ عِيسَىٰ بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ قَالَ قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ وَلِأُبَيِّنَ لَكُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى تَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ ۖ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُوهُ ۚ هَـٰذَا صِرَٰطٌۭ مُّسْتَقِيمٌۭ
[Zukhruf, ayaat 63,64]
شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِۦ نُوحًۭا وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِۦٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰٓ ۖ أَنْ أَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا۟ فِيهِ
[Shura, ayat 13]
Jesus preached, “Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him”.
[Matthew, 4:10]
“Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true. Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least point, nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with - not until the end of all things. So then, whoever disobeys even the least important of the commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be least in the Kingdom of Heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys the Law and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven”.
[Matthew: 5:17-19]
Jesus also prophesised the advent of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَمُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُولٍۢ يَأْتِى مِنۢ بَعْدِى ٱسْمُهُۥٓ أَحْمَدُ
[Saff, ayat 6]
“I have much more to tell you, but now it would be too much for you to hear. When, however, the Parakletos (praised one) comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears, and will tell you of things to come.”
[John, 16:12-13]
Readers might want to read Matthew, 12:15-21 too.
Some people believed in him and became his disciples:
فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَىٰ مِنْهُمُ ٱلْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ ٱللَّهِ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَٱشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ
رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ وَٱتَّبَعْنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ
[Aal Imran, ayaat 52,53]
وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى ٱلْحَوَارِيِّـۧنَ أَنْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِى وَبِرَسُولِى قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَٱشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ
[Maidah, ayat 111]
The Jews rejected him. But God saved him from their nefarious plans to assassinate him:
وَمَكَرُوا۟ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَـٰكِرِينَ
[Aal Imran, ayat 54]
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا ٱلْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًۢا
بَل رَّفَعَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًۭا
[Nisa, ayaat 157,158]
God will eventually send him back to earth, widely known as the second coming of Jesus Christ:
إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَىٰٓ إِنِّى مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
[Aal Imran, ayat 55]
Following his ascension to Heaven, his disciples and followers were persecuted.
One amongst them was a Roman Jew named Saul of Tarsus (modern day Turkey). A few years after the ascension of Jesus Christ, while on his way to Damascus, he reportedly slept and saw Jesus Christ in his dream. Jesus allegedly told him that he should follow him and help him instead of persecuting his followers, and that he was the begotten son of God who had died for their sins, and hence the Mosaic law no longer applies to his followers, the Christians.
He then began preaching this doctrine, essentially upending the entire message of Jesus Christ, and sabotaging Christian faith from within. He preached even to the non-Israelites, creating the first universal church of the new religion that he had founded. Paulism. Paul has written 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament.
Since Christians were no longer bound by Mosaic law, they gave up all the teachings of the Old Testament like circumcision (it is ironical that Jesus himself was circumcised, as told in Luke 2:21), observance of the Sabbath, and began dealing in interest and eating pork.
The false doctirne also led to the creed of Original sin, deliverance from which was simply in believing that Jesus Christ, the begotten son of God, had died for the sins of those who believe in this creed.
“For God loved the world so much that He gave His only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die, but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour. Those who believe in the Son sre not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only son”.
[John, 3:16-18]
Since Jesus was now the son of God, he was dietified. His mother became the mother of God. And the spirit through whom she conceived became God too. This created the creed of Trinity - God, son and Holy Spirit. All three and all one.
But in the same Gospel of John (14:28), Jesus says, “I am going to the Father, for he is greater than I.”
In 325 CE, the Council of Nicea, under Emperor Constantine, approved the Pauline doctrine, and made it the official religion of the Roman Empire. All the gospels that spoke of Jesus being human were destroyed, leaving only 4, attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
In the 7th Century, the Qur'an falsified all the blasphemous allegations of the Jews and Christians, and reinstated the true status of Jesus Christ. The Qur'an confirmed the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary, but rejected his divinity. It also rejected the creed of Trinity.
وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ ثَلَـٰثَةٌ ۚ ٱنتَهُوا۟ خَيْرًۭا لَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱللَّهُ إِلَـٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥٓ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ ۘ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ
[an'Nisa, ayat 171]
وَإِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ءَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ ٱتَّخِذُونِى وَأُمِّىَ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِىٓ أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِحَقٍّ ۚ إِن كُنتُ قُلْتُهُۥ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُۥ ۚ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِى وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِكَ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ
[Maidah, ayat 116]
For the Muslims, believing in Jesus Christ is an essential part of their faith.
Muslims love and adore Jesus Christ and his mother so much that millions have and still name their children Isa and Mariyam, the latter being one of the leaders of women in Paradise. An entire chapter (Surah 19) of the Qur'an has been named after her.
وَمَرْيَمَ ٱبْنَتَ عِمْرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَـٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْقَـٰنِتِينَ
[Tehreem, ayat 12]
Modern Christianity:
Modern day Christianity has nothing to do with Jesus Christ or his teachings. The term Christianity is itslef a misguiding misnomer; it ought to be called Paulism.
But Christians have surpassed Paul too. Christianity has relegated itself to a pagan religion. Emperor Constantine, in order to quell civil war, fused Christianity with Roman paganism, and in doing so, introduced pagan rituals into this faith.
Some of these are:
Christmas on 25th December:
Jesus Christ was not born in the winter; he was born sometime during the summer. The Qur'an tells us that God made fresh ripe dates fall upon Mary during her labour.
وَهُزِّىٓ إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ تُسَـٰقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًۭا جَنِيًّۭا
[Mariyam, ayat 24]
The Gospel of Luke 2:8 tells us that the shepherds were out in the open tending to their flock that night. Bethlehem is so cold during December end that such a thing is inconceivable.
Why 25th December then?
25th December was the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, marking the end of the winter solstice, and the beginning of longer days. Saturn was their god of agriculture. It was a celebration of life over death, of joy over gloom.
Things associated with Christmas are of still later origin.
The Christmas tree:
The tradition of the Christmas tree is a fascinating blend of ancient pagan rituals, medieval religious plays, and 19th-century royal influence.
1. Ancient Roots (Pre-Christian)
Long before Christianity, evergreen plants held special meaning during the winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year fall on December 21 or 22 (the Winter Solstice).
* Symbol of Life: Ancient peoples—including Egyptians, Romans, and Celts—brought evergreen boughs into their homes. These plants served as a reminder that spring would return and that life could endure the harsh winter.
* The Romans: During the festival of Saturnalia, Romans decorated their homes and temples with evergreen garlands to honor Saturn, the god of agriculture.
* The Vikings: In Scandinavia, evergreens were thought to be the special plant of Balder, the god of light and peace.
2. Medieval Origins (The "Paradise Tree")
The modern Christmas tree as we know it likely evolved from the "Paradise Tree" used in medieval German "mystery plays."
* December 24th: In the medieval church calendar, December 24 was the feast day of Adam and Eve.
* The Prop: Plays telling the story of the Garden of Eden used a fir tree hung with apples (representing the forbidden fruit).
* Integration: Over time, Germans began setting up these "Paradise Trees" in their homes, eventually replacing the apples with round ornaments and adding "wafers" (the precursor to cookies) to symbolize the Christian host.
3. 16th Century: The German Tradition
Germany is widely credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition.
* Martin Luther: A popular legend claims that the 16th-century Protestant reformer Martin Luther was the first to add lighted candles to a tree. Walking home one winter evening, he was so moved by the brilliance of stars twinkling through evergreens that he wired candles to a tree in his main room to recreate the scene for his family.
* Guild Celebrations: Early records from the 1400s and 1500s in Latvia and Estonia describe merchants' guilds decorating trees with paper flowers and dancing around them in public squares.
4. 19th Century: Global Popularity
For a long time, the Christmas tree was seen as a "German curiosity." Two major events helped it go global:
* Queen Victoria and Prince Albert: In 1848, a drawing of the British Royal Family (including the German-born Prince Albert) standing around a decorated Christmas tree at Windsor Castle was published in the Illustrated London News.
* American Adoption: Because Victoria was immensely popular, the "royal" fashion spread quickly to the United States. While German immigrants had brought the tradition to Pennsylvania earlier, it wasn't until the mid-1800s that it became a mainstream American staple.
Santa Claus and Stockings:
The history of Santa Claus is a fascinating blend of ancient religious figures, folklore from across Europe, and 19th-century American marketing. It is a story of evolution—transforming a serious bishop into a jolly, gift-giving resident of the North Pole.
1. The Historical Roots: Saint Nicholas
The legend begins with Saint Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-century Greek bishop who lived in what is now modern-day Turkey.
* The Generous Saint: Nicholas was famous for his kindness and secret gift-giving. The most famous legend involves him throwing bags of gold through the window of a poor man’s house to provide dowries for his three daughters, preventing them from being sold into slavery.
* The Stocking Connection: One version of this story says the gold landed in stockings that were hanging by the fire to dry—this is widely considered the origin of the Christmas stocking.
2. From "Sinterklaas" to "Santa Claus"
After the Reformation in the 1500s, many saints fell out of favor in Protestant Europe, but Nicholas remained popular in Holland, where he was known as Sinterklaas.
* Coming to America: Dutch settlers brought the tradition of Sinterklaas to New Amsterdam (which we now call New York City) in the 17th and 18th centuries.
* The Name Change: Over time, English speakers in America adapted the name "Sinterklaas" into the phonetic "Santa Claus."
3. Shaping the Modern Image (19th Century)
The Santa we recognize today was largely "invented" in the 1800s through three major cultural milestones:
* Washington Irving (1809): In his book A History of New York, Irving described Santa as a pipe-smoking figure who flew over the city in a wagon.
* Clement Clarke Moore (1823): Moore wrote the famous poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (better known as "’Twas the Night Before Christmas"). This poem introduced the idea of the sleigh, the eight flying reindeer (naming them for the first time), and a Santa who was "chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf."
* Thomas Nast (1860s): A political cartoonist, Nast drew hundreds of illustrations of Santa for Harper’s Weekly. He gave Santa his home at the North Pole, his workshop, and his iconic red suit (though Nast's Santa was often much smaller, like an elf).
4. The "Coca-Cola" Influence
A common myth is that Coca-Cola "invented" the modern Santa or made him red. While Santa was already wearing red in the late 1800s, Coca-Cola certainly standardized his look.
* Haddon Sundblom (1931): For a holiday ad campaign, Sundblom painted a Santa who was human-sized, incredibly warm, and grandfatherly. This version became so popular in magazines and billboards that it effectively replaced all previous versions of Santa (who were sometimes depicted as stern or even slightly spooky).
Easter:
Since Jesus never died on the cross, and was never resurrected, Good Friday and Easter are competely unfounded. In fact, Easter can be traced back to pagan rituals.
Most historians agree the word "Easter" comes from Eostre (or Ostara), an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility. Her festival was celebrated during the month of April (the "Eostur-monath").
* The Equinox: Because spring is a time of "rebirth" in nature, early Church leaders found it natural to blend the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection with existing spring equinox festivals that celebrated the return of light and life to the earth.
The History of Easter Symbols
Many of our favorite traditions are "blended" customs that gained popularity over hundreds of years.
* The Easter Bunny: This tradition began in Germany with the "Osterhase" (Easter Hare). In folklore, the hare was a symbol of fertility and the companion of the goddess Eostre. German immigrants brought the "Osterhase" to America in the 1700s, where it eventually transformed into the candy-delivering bunny we know today.
* Easter Eggs: Eggs have been a symbol of new life since ancient times (long before Christianity).
* Christian Symbolism: The egg's hard shell became a metaphor for the sealed tomb of Jesus, and the bird breaking out represented the resurrection.
* Lent: Historically, eggs were forbidden during the 40 days of Lent. People would boil and decorate them to preserve them, making the "Easter Egg" a highly anticipated treat once the fast ended.
* The Easter Lily: These flowers bloom in the spring and were adopted as symbols of purity and the resurrection. Their white color is meant to represent the divinity and purity of Christ.
Setting the Date
Why does the date change every year? In 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea established a formula: Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox (March 21). This ensures that the holiday always falls between March 22 and April 25.
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