Christians share common ground with Muslims and that common ground is their faith in God. That this can be used to build a bridge to Muslim people was explained by Dr. Moucarry at the annual prayer conference of Fellowship of Faith for Muslims last June.
We can explain Christ to Muslims in terms of the attributes of God which we both believe in. Here we look at seven major characteristics of God which can point them to Christ.
God is transcendent
This word 'transcendent' means that God is different from his universe. He is far above us and immensely beyond our comprehension. Muslims have this famous expression: 'Allah Akbar' which conveys this idea. It means 'God is greater' - not great, but greater.
Now is God greater when he rules over human beings from his throne? Is mere mightiness more than we would expect of God? Or is he greater when the Lord of all became a servant to show exactly what divine Lordship means?
Again, there is nothing extraordinary in the idea that God is going to judge humankind on the last day. This is a quite normal religious idea. What nobody would have expected from the judge is to see him bearing the penalty of those who deserved his condemnation! This is what nobody would have imagined. Surely there is no other God but God, as the Islamic creed proclaims, but there is more to the uniqueness of God. His uniqueness also means that there is no god like God. In Christ, God reconciled the world to himself. Who would think God would do such a thing? So God is even more transcendent in the gospel than in Islam.
God is sovereign
That is what Muslims rightly believe. But that means that God is free to do whatever he wants. As his servants, we have no right to challenge our Creator, even if what he reveals seems unbelievable. In the Qur'an, the sovereignty of God notably appears in connection with the revelation of who God is. God can reveal himself as he likes. So he commanded Muhammad to say: 'Had the All merciful a son, I would be the first to worship him' (Sura 43, verse 81).
Now who are we to say that it is not fitting for God to become a human being? If we apply to God our own understanding of majesty, honour and glory, are we not in danger of creating God in our own image? No. If God sovereignly decides to humble himself, who are we to challenge this? Does the Qur'an not say that man is God's 'caliph'? This means that we are God's representatives on earth. Since God created us with such dignity, is it not conceivable for God to identify with us?
God is faithful
This is a third attribute of God which is believed in by both Muslims and Christians. God is faithful to his people and especially to his prophets. He vindicates those who are persecuted.
However, again, it is up to God to decide how he will do this. The Qur'an accuses the Jews of killing many prophets (Sura 4, verse 155) and God did not do anything to stop them. On the day of judgment, God will no doubt honour those prophets.
Now, as for Jesus, Muslims believe that he was not really crucified. They think that God stepped in and that someone else, perhaps Simon of Cyrene, was crucified instead. God, they think, would not have let his prophet be treated in this way. But actually God vindicated Jesus in the way he chose. He vindicated him by raising him from the dead and lifting him up to heaven. So, yes, God did vindicate Jesus, but not in the way Muslims think he did.
Why did God do for Jesus what he did not do for any other prophet? It is because Jesus is more than a prophet. No prophet made the claims Jesus did. At his trial, he was condemned for blasphemy because he claimed to be God's Son (Matthew 26.63-66). This makes the resurrection of Jesus even more meaningful. So God is faithful and did vindicate Jesus, but in a superior way to any other prophet.
God is wise
Why did God rescue Jesus after death and not before? Surely God had a purpose and the gospel makes that purpose plain.
It was for our sakes that Jesus died on the cross. His death was shameful, dying as a criminal hanging between two criminals. Yet the spiritual humiliation was infinitely greater. The beloved Son of God was forsaken and even cursed by his Father as he atoned for the sin of the world. It was shameful, but God was wise. He did it out of love for us and shall we challenge God because he loved us so much?
Some Muslims object that it would be immoral for Jesus, who was sinless, to suffer on behalf of others. But Philippians 2 tells us that it was Jesus' free and willing decision to empty himself. He made himself nothing. He humbled himself. God did not compel Jesus. It was his own loving decision.
God is powerful
His power is shown, Muslims and Christians believe, through his creation of the universe. The Fall of mankind did not take God by surprise. However, the very existence of evil in God's creation was, in a way, a challenge to God's supreme power. Was God still in full control of his world? Evil is a challenge to his power.
This question finds no adequate answer in Islam. The true evidence of God's almighty power is given through his redemption of the world. God's victory over evil and death is displayed through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation demonstrates that God still holds the destiny of his creation in his hands. Because Jesus is raised from the dead, we know that sin, evil, death and Satan do not win.
God is merciful
The mercy of God is an essential doctrine of Islam, parallel to the love of God in Christianity. In Islam, God bestows on humankind material gifts as well as spiritual blessings, all of which point to his mercy. But for Christians, God is much more than merciful. He is love.
Is there any significant difference between mercy and love? I believe there is. The merciful person is not necessarily loving, whereas a loving person is always merciful. Merciful people give help, but they do not necessarily commit themselves. By contrast, true love involves itself with people to the full. Love unreservedly commits itself to those in need. As a result, a love relationship is much closer and more personal than a mercy relationship. The love of God is disclosed in Christ as a suffering, sacrificial and redemptive love. He is more than merciful. He is a loving Father.
God is forgiving
Once again, this is a shared belief of Muslims and Christians. On judgment day, God will show mercy by forgiving people's sins. According to the Qur'an (Sura 4, verse 48), only the monotheists will benefit from God's forgiveness. But because God is sovereign, it will all depend on him whether to grant forgiveness to Muslims or to punish them. Therefore Muslims can hope for forgiveness, but they can never be sure about it.
Many Muslims believe that it would be unjust of God to forgive anything other than minor sins. The scope of God's forgiveness is further reduced by the idea that it is not always possible to distinguish between major sins and minor sins.
Why, during his earthly ministry, did Jesus forgive sins (Mark 2.5, Luke 7.48)? It was because he wanted to make the point that God was now determined to save people from their sins. The very name 'Jesus' means 'God saves' (Matt-hew 1.21). He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1.29). In Christ, God has made us a wonderful guarantee. Jesus died as the atoning sacrifice for all our sins (major and minor) - and God will forgive all who come to Jesus. It is for us to receive God's pardon by believing in Jesus Christ. God has already said unconditionally: 'I will and I want to forgive you.'
We do not have to wait until judgment day to know the verdict of God on our lives. We can enjoy peace with God now.
A question
So let us ask Muslims a question. When a father or mother serves their children (as all loving parents, Muslim and Christian, do) do they demean themselves? Though we are evil, if we delight in what it is to care for our children, how much more will God care, who is the heavenly Father.
Adapted and used by kind permission of FFM, PO Box 5864, Basildon, Essex SS13 3FF.
