Explaining Jesus to Muslims
Download PDF version

1. The Life of Jesus

His birth. The man Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem in Judea, a part of present day Israel about 2000 years ago. He is considered to be the most important person ever born and so the date of our year, for example 2002, means that there are 2002 years since the birth of Jesus. His mother's name was Mary. Her husband was called Joseph, but Joseph was not Jesus' father. Before they were married and while Mary was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the power of God's Spirit. For this reason Christians call Jesus the Son of God, while Muslims call Jesus the Son of Mary. Both titles testify to the fact that Jesus did not have a human father, his birth was unique. No other person has been born without a human father. (Luke 2:1-7)

His childhood. King Herod of Judea heard that a child was born who would be king of the Jews. Out of jealousy he planned to kill Jesus. Joseph was warned about this by an angel and so he took Mary and Jesus to Egypt where they stayed until they heard that King Herod had died. When they returned to Israel, they settled in a town called Nazareth where Jesus spent his childhood and  early adult years. Joseph was a carpenter. The only story told about Jesus’ boyhood in the Injil is about him going to Jerusalem at the age of 12. He talked to the religious leaders and amazed them with his intelligent questions and answers. (Luke 2:39-52)

His baptism and temptation. When Jesus was about 30 years of age he went to the prophet John (Yahaya) who was baptizing people in the Jordan river. When Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water and the Holy Spirit descended upon him and gave him the power he needed to serve God. (Luke 3:21-22) After that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where he fasted for forty days and forty nights. The devil came and tempted him to do miracles which were not God's will for him to do, but Jesus did not sin. Satan said that if Jesus bowed down and worshipped him, he would give him all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus refused.

Jesus rejected by the people. Jesus taught in the Jewish synagogues and healed many people of all kinds of diseases. News about him spread throughout the region. Everyone was going to listen to his teaching or to be healed of their diseases. But when Jesus went to his home town Nazareth, he was rejected by them. Jesus said: "A prophet is never welcomed in his home town." They even tried to kill him, but he walked through the middle of the crowd and went on his way. He then continued his ministry of preaching to the people about the Kingdom of God, healing people of every sickness, casting demons out of people and performing miracles which were signs to help people believe in him. (Luke 4:40-44, 6:17-19)

Jesus' disciples Jesus traveled about in this way for three years. There were many people who followed him to hear his teaching and receive healing. Jesus chose twelve men to be his disciples.(Luke 6:12-16) These disciples traveled around with Jesus constantly and he taught them by word and example. They found some of his teaching hard to understand, but they were impressed by his holy life and his authority. These disciples later became the apostles who spread Christianity to the then known world.

The leaders oppose Jesus. Each year Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Jewish religious festivals. He taught there in the temple and performed healing miracles. The religious leaders did not agree with his teaching and were jealous of Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. So they became his enemies and plotted to kill him.

A man of prayer. Jesus prayed often to his Father in heaven. He used to rise very early in the morning and go and pray by himself in a quiet place. Sometimes he spent whole nights in prayer. On one occasion when Jesus went to pray with three of his disciples, he was transformed. His face changed its appearance, his clothes became dazzling white and the prophets Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with him. Then God spoke to the three disciples from heaven and said: "This is my Son whom I have chosen, listen to him." (Luke 9:28-36)

Jesus' teaching. Everywhere Jesus went he taught the people. His main subject was the spiritual kingdom that God was establishing. He often spoke to them in parables, which made it difficult to understand, but he explained everything to his disciples. He also taught people about himself, calling himself the Son of Man. He taught much about true righteousness and true worship and he often criticized hypocrites and people who were thought they were good in God's sight.

The last week of Jesus' life. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey which symbolized his humility and his royalty. His followers proclaimed him to be the Messiah, the expected king of Israel. Jesus wept for Jerusalem, the city of God's temple, because the majority of the people did not believe him or recognize him to be the one who came to be their Saviour. (Luke 19:28-44) On the night before his death, he ate the Passover meal with his disciples. This meal was eaten to commemorate the escape of the Israelites from Pharaoh, king of Egypt. On that occasion a lamb was killed and its blood was a sign to the angel of death to "pass over" the house. In future the disciples would eat this meal in remembrance of Jesus' blood which would be shed for the forgiveness of their sins. (Luke 22:7-30)

Jesus' arrest and judgment. While Jesus was praying secretly with his disciples in a garden near Jerusalem, a disciple named Judas betrayed him and led a band of guards and soldiers to the place. They took Jesus to the house of the Jewish high priest to be judged. Jesus was judged by an illegal meeting of the Jewish leaders in the middle of the night. He was condemned for blasphemy, because he called himself the Messiah and the Son of God. The Jews then took him to Pilate, the Roman governor who alone had power to execute people. Pilate could not find that Jesus had done anything wrong, but fearing a riot, he handed him over to be crucified. (Luke 22:39 - 23:25)

Jesus' death and burial. Jesus was led out of Jerusalem and nailed to a cross which was then erected for him to hang there and die. His mother and some disciples were there, but many disciples ran away. People passing by mocked Jesus and said if he was the Son of God he should come down from the cross. At midday the sun stopped shining for three hours after which Jesus died. After Pilate made sure that Jesus was dead he gave permission for his body to be taken down from the cross. His corpse was laid in a tomb carved out of the rock. (Luke 23:26-56)

Jesus' resurrection and ascension to heaven. On Sunday morning Jesus rose from the dead. Angels announced the resurrection to women who came to the tomb to anoint his body. They looked in the tomb and saw that his body had gone. Later in the day Jesus appeared to two of his disciples as they were walking to a village. In the evening he appeared to the other disciples and showed them his hands where the nails had been driven in and his side where he was pierced with a spear while on the cross. He appeared to his disciples for forty days and then ascended to heaven while his disciples watched. (Luke 24:13-53)