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Jesus - God ?

As described earlier, although Islam teaches belief in the miraculous birth of Jesus and  holds him at an exalted status with respect to the entire creation, one of the fundamental things that Islam and Christianity disagree upon is the divinity of Jesus.  On this issue we will provide two arguments:
 
1. The divinity of Jesus contradicts monotheistic belief.
2. Jesus never said he was God.
 
Finally, we shall examine whether or not the Bible supports the Christian notion of the divinity of Jesus.  

Monotheistic Belief

Monotheistic belief is to believe in one and only one God. In Islam, this means that :

1. God is One and Only One.
2. God is Perfect.
3. Nothing is similar to Him.

This meaning is expressed in many places in the Quran, such as chapter 112:

"Say:
'He is Allah (God), One; The Self-Sufficient Master (He neither eats or drinks and whom all the creatures need); He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.' " (Quran 112:1-3)

If Jesus Christ is the son of God that would mean that God begets and has a child(ren ?). This contradict the three points above.
 
The Quran states:

" The Messiah (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary) was no more that a Messenger; many were Messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a believing woman. They both used to eat food. Look at how We make the proofs and evidences clear to them, yet look at how they are deluded away."  (Quran 5:75)
 
The above verse states a fact - known to all - about Jesus and his mother. They both used to eat food. They both were dependent on nourishment. They both were part of a system. They depended on food to live and just like other beings in the ecological system,  excreted waste out of their bodies.

If we replace the word Jesus by "God" in the Bible we gather that:
 

• "God" was created from the seed of David (Romans 1:3)
• The Ancestors of "God": "The generations of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." (Matthew 1:1)
• The Sex of "God": "And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus." (Luke 2:21)
• The Country of Origin of "God": "Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king. (Matthew 2:1)
• The Occupation of "God": "Jesus was a carpenter by trade." (Mark, 6:3), "and the son of a carpenter." (Matthew 13:55)
• The Transport of "God": "Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass." (Matthew 21:5)
• The Poverty of "God": "And Jesus saith unto him, the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Matthew 8:20)
• "God" paid his tax regularly. (Matthew 17:24-27)
• The Powerless "God" (Jesus) said: "I can of mine own self do nothing." (John 5:30)
• A Weak "God": "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him." (Luke 22:43)
• The Devil Tempted "God" Continuously: "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." (Luke 4:13)
• "God" Came For The Jews Only: "But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 15:24)
• "God" Walked in Fear of the Jews: "Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews." (John 11:53-54)

 

This contradicts the notion of divinity. But part of what makes many Christians believe in the divinity of Jesus is his miraculous birth. To this point the Quran states:

"Verily, the likeness of I'esa (Jesus) before Allah (God) is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him: 'Be!' - and he was." (Quran 3:59)

In other words, if Jesus was born miraculously without a father, then one should remember that such a task is not difficult for God, Al-Mighty, especially since He has created Adam before him without a father or a mother. 'BE' is all He says for something to be.

What was the Message of Jesus ?

According to the Quran the message of Jesus was 'worship the One God, Who is my God and yours.'

"And when Allah will say (on Judgment Day):

'O I'esa (Jesus), son of Maryam! Did you say to unto the people: 'worship me and my mother as two gods beside Allah?' He will say:

'Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said it, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self, though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You are the All-Knower of all that is hidden and unseen. Never did I say to them aught except what You did command me to say: 'Worship Allah, my Lord and Your Lord.' And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things.' "
(Quran 5:116-117)

In summary, the Quran describes Jesus in the best description and states his miraculous birth, but denies his divinity, something Jesus himself never taught.

The final question is:
 
 
 
 

Does the Bible support the popular belief in the divinity of Jesus ?