Who is Isa, son of Maryam?

A prophet/messenger or something greater?

Who knew Isa? And which historical sources are reliable? Is it the twelve disciples who followed Him for years, eyewitnesses to what He said, what He did and what happened? Or those who came hundreds of years later, never met Isa, witnessed nothing, yet changed the original story about Him?

Isa, called Jesus by his disciples, claimed to be the fulfilment of the ancient Messiah prophecies, the Saviour of the world, the only way to God and Paradise (Jannah) for all people. He said:

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved…” (John 10, 9)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Farther except through Me.” (John 14, 6).

“I, the one speaking to you – I am Messiah.” (John 4, 25)

Jesus’ words and His life were recorded in the Gospels according to His disciples/apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These four authentic writings tell the same essential story, but each has a unique perspective that adds insight and detail to the story. Very few historical figures from ancient times are documented as well as Jesus Christ in these Gospels.

There are scriptures produced hundreds of years later that rewrote the original story of Jesus, redefined, and diminished who He was and who He claimed to be. But these false and inauthentic writings are not part of the biblical scriptures. The Bible contains only the ancient prophetic scriptures that Jesus proclaimed as the Word of God, the four original Gospels and letters according to His closest disciples/apostles.

Jesus predicted and warned against the rise of false prophets in the future:

“Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” (Matthew 24, 11)

His disciples/apostles strongly warned against false preaching about Jesus and the Gospel:

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1, 8)

Did He die? Was He resurrected?

The apostle Paul refers to over 500 witnesses that met Jesus after His resurrection, in addition to His disciples. Most of these lived more than 25 years afterwards and could testify/confirm this (1.Corinthians 15,6). Many people witnessed His death on the cross, including the Romans that carried out the crucifixion. Also, independent historical sources from that time (Josephus & Tacitus) confirms Jesus’ death/crucifixion under the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate.

Jesus called himself the son of man and predicted his own death and resurrection long time before it happened:

“The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.”(Matt. 17, 22-23)

His life, death and resurrection as the Messiah/Saviour were also foretold and recorded many hundreds of years earlier in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. An example is from the prophet Isaiah who lived approx. 700 years earlier and prophesied/expressed the purpose of His suffering by the following words (just a brief extract of the original):

“He was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.” (Isaiah 53, 4-6)

After His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ said to His disciples:

“This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, This is what is written: the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24, 44-48)

Open door to Paradise (Jannah)!

The sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross is not only for people with a Christian background, but equally for all people regardless of background. He died for our sins, to make a way back for us to God, because our sins separate us. (e.g. selfishness, indecency, hatred, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, strife, envy, rivalry, unkindness, etc.).

God is holy and no sinner can enter His kingdom/Paradise. But because of His love for us, He cast all our guilt and sins on Jesus and opened a door to Paradise that no one can close. Jesus, who was without sin and thus the only one who could redeem us from our sins and serve our sentence, was willing to be born as a human being and be our sacrificial lamb before God. What Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, He did for all of us.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2. Corinthians 5, 21)

“He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.” (1.John 2, 2)

“Now, because of this, those who belong to Jesus Christ will not suffer the punishment of sin.” (Rom 8,1)

The only sacrifice that God has accepted for human sin is Jesus’ death on the cross. And God declared his acceptance of this sacrifice by raising Jesus from the dead on the third day. Believing in Jesus as the Saviour, justifies a person one hundred percent. What God requires of you; He has given to you as a free gift through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Only one way!

Jesus is the only way to Paradise (Jannah). There is no other way, no other door to enter. You can live a decent life, do many good deeds like prayer, charity, help the poor and keep the law as best you can, but that will not bring you to Paradise (Jannah) when you die. If your good works far outweigh your bad, you will still have sin in your mind and heart, even if your outward works seem good. You will not be able to justify yourself before God or receive forgiveness of sins without Jesus as your Saviour. You must admit that you are a sinner and that you need Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for your sins.

Justification before God is not what you shall do or what you can achieve, but what Jesus has done and achieved for you. It is not about how good or how bad you have been or what you have done in the past. You can come to Jesus and receive salvation just as you are. It is a simple choice of faith and a matter of sticking to that choice no matter what.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephes. 2, 8)

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name (Jesus) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4, 12)

It is also the will of God that those who receive Jesus as Saviour turn away from what is wrong and become more like Jesus. But not with the intention of being justified and saved, because you cannot achieve that by yourself, and you have already been given it as a free gift. But because you are saved, in gratitude to God and Jesus who saved you, undeservedly and without any demands or conditions.

Receive Jesus as your Saviour

To receive Jesus as your Saviour is a choice that you can express through prayer. Praying is simply talking to Jesus. He knows you. We suggest you pray the following prayer:

“Dear Jesus! I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. I ask your forgiveness. Thank you for dying on the cross for me to set me free from my sins. Please come into my life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me forever. Thank you, Jesus, Amen.”

Is this prayer the desire of your heart? If yes, then we invite you to pray it, and according to the promises of Jesus, He will come into your life.

If you have never been baptized, we recommend that you contact a pastor or Christian congregation and let yourself be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. As it is written:

”Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (The Acts 2, 38)

The Holy Spirit

Jesus promised that when he left this world and returned to His Father, He would send the Holy Spirit / the Spirit of Truth who will testify of him and live within those who believes in Him:

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Farther, The Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Farther, He will testify of Me.” (John 15, 26-27)

And the Holy Spirit came ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven, on the day of Pentecost:

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2, 1-4)

The last instruction Jesus gave the disciples was the missionary assignment:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28, 18-20)

"Seek, And You Will Find"

Jesus promised that if you seek Him, pray to Him and read His words, you will find him:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7, 7-8)

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” (John 8, 12)

“And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Luke 7, 23)

The following words of Jesus summarize the Gospel. It is called “the little Bible”:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not Perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3,16)

When Jesus was crucified, two criminals were crucified along with him. One of them said: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”(Luke 23, 39-43)

If you want to read more about Jesus and the purpose of his life, death and resurrection, we recommend as a starting point: The Gospel according to John and then the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans in the Bible. And the grace and blessing of the Lord be with you.

More – Arabic website: https://cmaa.us/