Prophet Isa

Isa (Arabic for "Jesus") is a very important prophet in Islam. The Quran mentions Isa in 93 ayat ("verses"); only Adam, Noah and Moses are mentioned more times. The Quran also says that Isa is a prophet who performed miracles, which Muhammad could not perform. But ultimately, Islam deems Isa to have been a prophet and nothing more than a prophet.

To determine whether Isa was just a prophet or more than a prophet, first recognize that Isa - i.e., Jesus - actually claimed to be God:

Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:12-18)

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:13-14)

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM. Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” (John 8:58)

The fact that Jesus was claiming to be God with the words, "I AM" is confirmed by the reaction of His persecutors who immediately tried to stone Him to death for what they thought to be blasphemy.

Next, follow the logic tree on the right. If Jesus' claim was false and he knew it was false, then He would have been a "LIAR." If His claim was false and He didn't know it was false, then He would have been a "LUNATIC." On the other hand, if His claim was true, then He is God - "LORD."

The one thing Jesus couldn't have been is a prophet since a prophet cannot make a statement about himself that is false. Of course, if Jesus was telling the truth in this case, then He is God, not just a prophet.

Wrestle with the diagram above. Logically, you have no choice but to concede that Jesus could not have been a prophet if the above and other Bible passages are true.

This raises questions about Tahrif, the notion that the Bible passages like the one above have been changed by the Jews and Christians, and the Trinity.