Third Category

Third Category

These are verses and passages, which declare Jesus’ (PBUH) disciples, his contemporaries and his enemies’ ignorance of the divinity concept. These verses and passages prove that neither Jesus (PBUH) nor his disciples had anything to do with the concept of divinity, but it is an invention, which came much later after his time, and that is sufficient to refute the case.

These passages and verses are many; the following are some examples.

1- His virgin mother’s (PBUH) ignorance of his divinity is one of them. While Jesus (PBUH) was going back with his mother and Joseph the carpenter, something, which proved his mother’s ignorance of his divinity occurred. If his pure mother did not know of his divinity, who else would?

In the Book of Luke, we read,“And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions."Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”(Luke 2:43-48). Their worries about Jesus (PBUH) were meaningless if she knew that he was Allah (S.W).

Jesus (PBUH) answered his mother’s question, saying, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?’(Luke 2:49). Did she and Joseph understand from his words that he meant that he is Allah (S.W) or a real son of Allah (S.W)? Of course not, for they did not know anything about this strange belief. Luke says, “And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.”(Luke 2:50)

When Simon carried the baby – Jesus (PBUH) – and praised Allah (S.W) because he had seen the Messiah, his mother (PBUH) heard and saw the happiness in his face. She and Joseph the Carpenter did not understand what he said and they were surprised and confused. “And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.”(Luke 2:33)

2- Simon Peter, who was the dearest to Jesus (PBUH), said while he was full of the Holy Spirit, "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”(Acts 2:22-23) He did not mention in this important speech, supported by the Holy Spirit, anything about a divine human nor about God incarnate.

3- When Jesus (PBUH) appeared – after his assumed crucifixion- to two of his friends who were upset because of the rumors of his crucifixion, he asked them about the reason for their sadness. They said, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”(Luke 24:19-21). There is nothing in their answer about a murdered divine human, nor anything about incarnated God who had concurred death. What they saw in him was not more than a man, a savior, who was the expected Messiah of whom the prophets had foretold.

Ibrahim Saeed, an Egyptian priest, regarding these two disciples, said, “Until that moment they did not believe in his divinity… but we do not deny that they were believers of his prophethood.” [1]

4- When his disciples witnessed his miracles, they were surprised. If they considered him (PBUH) Allah (S.W), there would have been no surprise in the performance of those miracles. When he passed by the fig tree and did not find any fruit on it, Jesus (PBUH) said, “And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once.When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?”(Matt. 21:18-22). Their surprise was an indication that they knew nothing of what today’s Christians claim, for there is no surprise if Allah (S.W) is able to make a green tree dry.

The disciples' and Jesus’ (PBUH) contemporaries did not think of him as more than the Messiah; the great-expected prophet. They did not even think of his divinity or his son-ship to Allah (S.W).

Bishop Matta El Meskeen said, “The disciples thought of him as only a prophet, but he performed deeds which no prophet had performed… that made them think of him as more than a prophet, but what was he? The disciples had collected sufficient evidence which assured them that he was the Messiah.” 

Seeing Jesus’ (PBUH) miracles, the Samaritan woman said, “"Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.”(John 4:19) and she did not add a word. Jesus’ (PBUH) reaction to her was not of any kind of scolding or correction, he did not correct her because that was what people – including his disciples- believed.

The same happened when Jesus (PBUH) cured the blind man, who witnessed Allah’s (S.W) power after his eyes opened. The people asked him, “"Then how were your eyes opened? He answered, "The man called Jesus.” (John 9:10-11). However, Christians believe from this event more than that man, who confessed that Jesus (PBUH) was just a man.

The crowds, who used to see Jesus (PBUH) in Jerusalem and went to welcome him when he entered like a hero, considered him as human and a prophet. “And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus”(Matt. 21:11)

Even his Jewish enemies thought of him the same. They were asking for a sign, but he told them that they would only see a sign like the sign of Jonah (PBUH). “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you. But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”(Matt. 12:38-39)

Those Jews, without doubt, were asking for a sign, proving his prophethood and not his divinity. If Jesus (PBUH) claimed divinity-- which he did not – the Jews would not accept that sign, and they would ask him to perform miracles that are greater than Jonah’s and the other prophets’.

Doubting Jesus’ (PBUH) prophethood, a Pharisee was watching Jesus (PBUH) while a crying sinful woman came to Jesus and cleaned his feet with her hair, kissed them and applied some perfume on them. He said,“Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”(Luke 7:39)

In his heart, the Pharisee denied Jesus’ prophethood – not divinity- because Jesus (PBUH) did not know the identity of that woman, and that proves that he (PBUH) claimed that he is just a prophet.

In this regard, Matta El Meskeen said, “The Pharisee, when he saw that Jesus had accepted what the woman did, took it as a confession against Jesus that he was not a prophet, like the people said.”[2]

In addition, the Jews wanted to kill him for they considered him a criminal, and they charged him with claiming prophethood, not divinity. They said to Nicodemus, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”(John 7:52). They accused him of lying by saying that he is a prophet, since no prophet came out of Galilee.

The devil also did not consider Jesus (PBUH) more than a man. He dared to seduce him; he took him to the mountain for forty days without food or drink-- testing, seducing and promising him the world if he would prostrate to him just one time. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”(Matt. 4:8-10) Did the devil promise Allah (S.W) – who has everything and everything belongs to him – the world?

In his commentaries in Matthews’s Gospel and quoting Jerome’s words in this regard, priest Tadress Yaakoob Malatee, wrote, “The devil’s intention of doing that was to know whether or not Jesus was truly the Son of God, but the savior was good in his answers, leaving the devil in doubt.” It is clear that the devil was and remained ignorant of Jesus’ (PBUH) claimed divinity.

Furthermore, if Jesus (PBUH) was Allah (S.W), how could one explain Judas’ betrayal?  Can anyone betray Allah (S.W)?

How can one explain Peter’s denial - three times - and condemnation of Jesus (PBUH), the night of his arrest?  What is said of Jesus (PBUH) as divine or God, creates many questions, which will remain without answers.

Finally, not only his contemporaries said that he was human, but also the previous prophecies, which Christians believe, affirm the same. They said that he (PBUH) has fulfilled these prophecies, but as we all know, these prophecies did not foretell about a coming God, but about a noble righteous prophet.