By Jordan Rowley, spiritual coordinator, Climbing For Christ
No matter where we GO in the world – like this remote village in China, where we found a mosque – there are people in need of our Savior Jesus. (Photo by Gary Fallesen)
Our Lord Jesus was sent as a Savior for all people of every place.
As an angel once told certain shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night: “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” The Apostle John would later write: “and we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.” The writer of Hebrews agrees, saying, “but we see Jesus, who…by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”
In these and so many other portions of Scripture, we find the declaration that Jesus is the Messiah – the promised Redeemer – for all people, for the world, for everyone.
This is the Good News. This is the Gospel, which is to be proclaimed in every place! This is the most beautiful truth in all of Christianity – in all of the earth!
As we continue to reach out to Muslims in hopes of seeing them receive this Good News, we find yet another bridge in the Qur’an that points to this very truth – that Jesus is the Savior for all people. Yesterday we read Surah 3:45, which points to Isa (Jesus) as the Kalimatullah (or “Word of God”). Interestingly enough, this same portion of the Qur’an also offers another title for Isa that may be helpful for us as we seek to share the truth about Jesus.
In this surah, we see Isa referred to as “Masih,” the Arabic word for “messiah.” That’s right, the Qur’an teaches that Isa is the Messiah!
Of course, the Islamic concept of messiah is likely much different than ours. Still, it’s an amazing claim that we can point to. In addition, Surah 21:91 refers to Isa as a “token for all peoples.”
At this point, we might have many questions to ask our Muslim friend, such as: Why is Isa so different? Why was His birth and life filled with such powerful miracles (see Day 18)? Why did He instruct people to obey Him – and how can we (see Day 19)? Why is He referred to as the Word of God (see Day 20)? And, now, “Why is Isa called the Masih, or Messiah? What does it mean to be a messiah? Why is this title given to Him? How is Isa a “token for all peoples?” And again, Why is Isa so different?
As we’ve mentioned numerous times, the Qur’an is not an inspired book. But, with confidence, we can certainly share where the Qur’an agrees with the Bible and continue to lift up the name and the true nature of Jesus from there. We can use these questions to springboard to the Scriptures so that we might share the life and teachings of Jesus. Prayerfully, God will give us opportunity to do just that.
- Pray for the Lord to use Ramadan, this sacred and sensitive time for Muslims, to draw many from darkness to the Light. May those who are genuinely seeking a deeper understanding of the truth of God find the True and Living God revealed through Isa al-Masih (Jesus the Messiah).
- Pray for opportunities for you to personally share some of these truths you’ve learned so far through Climbing For Christ’s Project Prayer: Ramadan 2017 series. May every word spoken lead our Muslim friends closer to a saving faith in Jesus.
