LIFE AND TEACHINGS
“Think not that I (Jesus) have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. . . . Whoever thenrelaxes one of the least of these Commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven;” (Gospel-Mathew;5:17-20).
“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.”(Bible;Acts;2:22).
The Life:
Nazareth:
Nazareth, the Palestinian city was the home of Mary (Luke;2:39), and here the angel announced to the Virgin Mary the birth of the Messiah (Luke;1:26-28). Name Nazareth, separated, generally supposed to be the Greek form of the Hebrew word netser, a "shoot" or "sprout." Some, however, think that the name of the city must be connected with the name of the hill behind it, from which one of the finest prospects in Palestine is obtained, and accordingly they derive it from the Hebrew notserah, i.e., one guarding or watching, thus designating the hill which overlooks and thus guards an extensive region.
Nazareth is situated among the southern ridges of Lebanon, on the steep slope of a hill, about 100 Km north of Jerusalem, while Bethlehem was about 8 Km south west of Jerusalem. The main road for traffic between Egypt and the interior of Asia used to pass by Nazareth to Damascus. Jesus grew up at Nazareth from his infancy to manhood (Luke;4:16); and here he began his public ministry in the synagogue (Mthew;13:54), at which the people were so offended that they sought to cast him down from the cliff whereon their city was built (Luke;4:29). Twice they expelled him from their borders (Luke;4:16-29;Mthew;13:54-58); and he finally retired from the city, where he did not many mighty works because of their unbelief (Mthew;13:58), and took up his residence in Capernaum.
Miraculous Birth:
Jesus the son of Mary was the Messenger of God through His Word which He bestowed on Mary and a Spirit proceeding from Him (spirit as breathed to Adam & every human). He was miraculously born to pious and chaste virgin Marry without father around 6 B.C in Bethlehem in Judea.(Matthew;1:18-25 & Luke; 1:28-35). Bible narrate, the creation by God through His Word or Command : “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”(Genisis;1:3), “And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven” .”(Genisis;1:20). According to the Jewish law he was circumcised and taken for presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem (Luke; 2:21-24).
This incidence of angel Gabriel’s visit to Virgin Mary concerning the birth of Jesus has been narrated in “The Gospel of Jesus” according to his disciple Barnabas: “In these last years a virgin called Mary, of the lineage of David, of the tribe of Judah, was visited by the angel Gabriel from God. This virgin, living in all holiness without any offense, being blameless, and abiding in prayer with fasting, being one day alone, there entered into her chamber the angel Gabriel, and he saluted her, saying: 'God be with thee, O Mary'. The virgin was affrighted at the appearance of the angel; but the angel comforted her, saying: 'Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God, who hath chosen thee to be mother of a prophet, whom he will send to the people of Israel in order that they may walk in his laws with truth of heart.' The virgin answered: 'Now how shall I bring forth sons, seeing I know not a man?' The angel answered: 'O Mary, God who made man without a man is able to generate in thee man with- out a man, because with him nothing is impossible.' Mary answered: 'I know that God is almighty, therefore his will be done.' The angel answered: 'Now be conceived in thee the prophet, whom thou shalt name Jesus: and thou shalt keep him from wine and from strong drink and from every unclean meat, because the child is an holy one of God.' Mary bowed herself with humility, saying: 'Behold the handmaid of God, be it done according to thy word.'
The angel departed, and the virgin glorified God, saying: 'Know, O my soul, the greatness of God, and exult, my spirit, in God my Saviour; for he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden, insomuch that I shall be called blessed by all the nations, for he that is mighty hath made me great, and blessed be his holy name. For his mercy extendeth from generation to generation of them that fear him. Mighty hath he made his hand, and he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of his heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. Him who hath been hungry hath he filled with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away. For he keepeth in memory the promises made to Abraham and to his son for ever'.”(Barnabas:1).
The Christ (Mashiah):
He is called Jesus of Nazareth, (Nazareth being his place of his abode). The name Jesus is derived from a Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Joshua, or in full Yehoshuah (Yahweh is deliverance). The title Christ is derived from the Greek christos, a translation of the Hebrew mashiakh (anointed one), or Messiah. In the Bible, traditionally the Hebrew kings on accession to power used to be consecrated by a touch with holy oil taken from the Temple. This rite became synonymous with ‘king’. Hence in Judaism, mashiah is the expected king of the Davidic line who would deliver Israel from foreign bondage and restore the glories of its golden age. The Greek translation of the New Testament term, Christos, became the accepted Christian designation and title of Jesus of Nazareth, indicative of the principal character and function of his ministry. More loosely, the term messiah denotes any redeemer figure; and the adjective messianic is used in a broad sense to refer to beliefs or theories about an eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world. Thus “Christ” was used by Jesus' early followers, who regarded him as the promised deliverer of Israel and later was made part of Jesus' proper name by the church, which started to regard him as the redeemer of all humanity. Jesus' descent is traced through the family of Armam (father of Moses) through 10th-century B.C. Prophet and king David and great Prophet Abraham the ancestor of Jews and Muslims. Not much information is available about his life, Matthew alone (Mathew;2:13-23) describes the flight into Egypt, when he as a child was taken out of reach of the Judean king Herod the Great.
The Messenger of God:
Jesus was the Messenger of God, which is mentioned at many places in the Scriptures: “And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.”(Mark;6:4),“And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus of Nazareth of Galilee.”(Matthew;21:11),“They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.”(John;9:17);“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.” (Matthew;10:40-41), Jesus said:” And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” (John;17:3), “Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.” (John;4:34).“So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me; if any man's will is to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”(John;7:16-17), “So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true, and him you do not know.”(John;7:28), “So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me: I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me.”(John;11:41-42), and “Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.” .”(John;13:16).
‘Gospel of Jesus’ also Mentions as a Prophet:
The Gospel of Jesus according to Barnabas also mentions Jesus as a Prophet of God, and not His Son:
"Jesus, having received this vision, and knowing that he was a prophet sent to the house of Israel, revealed to Mary his mother, telling her that he needs must suffer great persecution for the honor of God, and that he couldn't any longer abide with her to serve her." (Barnabas:10)
"And when he had said this, the crowed drew high, and when they knew him they began to cry out: ' Welcome to thee, O our God !' and they began to do him reverence, as unto God. Whereupon Jesus gave a great groan and said: ' Get ye from before me, O mad men, for I fear lest the earth should open and devour me with you for your abominable words!' Whereupon the people were filled with terror and began to weep."(Barnabas:92)
"Then Jesus, having lifted his hand in token of silence, said: ' Verily ye have erred greatly, O Israelites, in calling me, a man, your God. And I fear that God may for this give heavy plague upon the holy city.....I confess before heaven, ....that I am stranger to all that ye have said; seeing that I am man, born of a mortal woman, subject to the judgment of God, suffering the miseries of eating and sleeping, of cold and heat, like other men,.. Whereupon when God shall come to judge, my words like a sword shall pierce each one (of them) that believe me to be more than a man," (Barnabas:93)
Public Ministry:
The Gospels mention nothing concerning Jesus from the time he was 12 years old until the time he began his public ministry, about 18 years later. All three Synoptic Gospels record Jesus' public ministry as beginning after the imprisonment of John the Baptist, and as lasting for about one year. The Gospel According to John describes it as beginning with the choosing of his first disciples (John;1:40-51), and as lasting for perhaps three years.
Jesus Performed Miracles, Eased Law:
Jesus performed miracles, eased law (Mathew;4:23,9:35, Luke; 4:22, 9:11, 3:8 and Acts:4:16). Once an adulteress was brought in front of Jesus Christ, to be stoned to death according to Mosaics Law, he said: “.."Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”(John;8:7). His voice rose in the middle of the Temple, making a new law on adultery, for the sinless to judge sin. There was none eligible; Jesus Christ asked her not to do it again. No mortal can judge sin, only God the Most Merciful. Hence Jesus Christ relaxed the Law of stoning to death for adultery.(Jhon;8:1-12).
Preaching:
Capernaum, Nahum's town, a Galilean city is frequently mentioned in the history of Jesus Christ. Capernaum became "own city" of Jesus Christ. It was the scene of many acts and incidents of his life (Mathew;8:5,14-15; 9:2-6,10-17; 15:1-20;etc.). The impenitence and unbelief of its inhabitants after the many evidences Jesus gave among them of the truth of his mission, brought down upon them a heavy denunciation of judgment (Mathew;11:23). This city lay on the great highway from Damascus to Acco and Tyre. Using Capernaum as a base, Jesus, accompanied by his 12 chosen disciples, traveled to neighboring towns and villages, proclaiming the advent of the kingdom of God, as had many of the Hebrew prophets before him.
When the sick and infirm asked help from him, he sought to heal them by divine power. He stressed the infinite love of God for the humble and weak, and he promised pardon and eternal life in heaven to the most hardened sinners, provided their repentance was sincere.
Essence of Teachings; Sermon on the Mount:
The essence of the teachings is presented in the Sermon on the Mount, where he said: “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”(Mathew;5:17-20) also the Beatitudes (Matthew; 5:3-12) and the Lord's Prayer (Matthew; 6:9-13).
Enmity of the Pharisees:
Jesus' emphasis on moral sincerity rather and relaxation in strict adherence to religious ritual incurred the enmity of the Pharisees (Jewish dominant religious party of scholars and priests), who feared that his teachings might lead to disregard for the authority of the Law, or Torah. Others feared that Jesus' activities and followers might prejudice the Roman authorities against any restoration of the Davidic monarchy. Despite this growing opposition, Jesus' popularity increased, especially among social outcasts and the oppressed, which was taken as a threat to their domination and authority by the community of priests.
Conspiracy to Kill Jesus Christ & Ascent:
Jesus continued preaching and performed numerous miracles, particularly the raising of Lazarus in Bethany (John;11:1-44). The most significant moment in Jesus' public ministry, however, was Simon Peter's realization at Caesarea Philippi that Jesus was the Christ (Matthew;16:16; Mark;8:29; Luke;9:20). During final days, he disputed with the chief priests, the scribes, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees questions about his authority, tribute to Caesar, and the resurrection. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, the priests and scribes, concerned that Jesus' activities would turn the Romans against them and the Jewish people (John;11:48), conspired with Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, to arrest and kill Jesus by stealth, “for they feared the people” (Luke;22:2, John;11:47-53) places the conspiracy before Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. A crowd led by Judas Iscariot was sent by the religious authorities to arrest him in Gethsemane. The supreme council of the Jews, the Sanhedrin condemned Jesus to death for false accusation of blasphemy in 30 C.E. Even according to Christians the alleged crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is a mystery, with divergent views with in the disciples and the followers of Jesus.
Neither Killed Nor Crucified:
Jesus Christ was neither killed nor was he crucified, as alleged by the Christians and the Jews, but he was raised up to God.
Ahmed Deedat, an authority on Bible and Christianity in his book ‘CRUCIFIXION Or Cruci-Fiction’ has deliberated on this aspect through references and internal evidence from Bible, summary of salientpoints is mentioned later.
Crucifixion Refuted in ‘Gospel of Jesus’:
Barnabas, the close disciple of Jesus, writes: “..Then God seeing danger of his servant, commanded Gabriel, Michael, Rafael and Uriel, his ministers, to take Jesus out of the world. The holy angels came and took Jesus out by the window that looketh toward the South..." (Barnabas:215)
"Judas truly did nothing else but cry out: 'God, why hast thou forsaken me, seeing the malefactor hath escaped and I die unjustly?' Verily I say that the voice, the face, and the person of Judas were so alike to Jesus, that his disciples and believers entirely believed that he was Jesus; wherefore some departed from the doctrine of Jesus; believing that Jesus had been a false prophet, and that by art magic he had done the miracles which he did: for Jesus had said that he should not die till near the end of the world; for that at that time he should be taken away from the world." (Barnabas:217)
"...And though I have been innocent in the world, since men have called me "God," and "Son of God," God, in order that I be not mocked of the demons on the day of judgment, hath willed that I be mocked of men in this world by the death of Judas, making all men to believe that I died upon the cross. And this mocking shall continue until the advent of Mohammed, the messenger of God, who, when he shall come, shall reveal this deception to those who believe in God's law."(Barnabas:220)
"....Wherefore, when the messenger of God shall come, he shall come to cleanse away all wherewith the ungodly have contaminated my book." (Barnabas:124)
Return to this World:
Jesus was raised up alive to God, he will return before end of the world to prove that he was only a messenger of God, nothing more. He will then establish the Kingdom of God, all submitting to the will of God believing him as only as a Messenger of God and a human being. The life and teachings of Jesus were often matters for dispute and varying interpretations in the Christian history. Early in the life of the church, for example, it became necessary to regularize beliefs about Jesus and his role, to aid in conversion and to answer those Christians who adopted views unacceptable to church leaders. The concepts of Christology, Incarnation, Trinity, and Original Sin are concoction, interpolation and misinterpretations.
Similarity in Birth of Jesus and Adam:
In brief the birth of Jesus resemble in a way with birth of Adam. Prophet Jesus and his mother Marry are Signs of God. Jesus the son of Mary, never claimed divinity, or said, “I am God” or that, “worship me”. He was just a Messenger of God, who was sent to guide his nation, with miracles which he performed with the will of God. He was a sign of God who preached the worship one God, he confirmed the Torah and made lawful some of that which was forbidden to the children of Israel. Once Children of Israel tried to kill him, God saved him and raised him up unto Himself, he is still living in heaven, will reappear before the Final Day, when the world will be purified of sin and unbelief.
The Apostolic Mission in Scriptures:
Jesus clearly announced the nature of his mission that he was sent by God to confirm the then existing Law. This is clearly evident in the statements attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of Mathew:” Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever thenrelaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”(Mathew;5:17-20).
The Bible mentions the prophetic nature of Prophet Jesus task:"… and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me." (John;14:24). "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Prophet Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent."(John;17:3). Thus the essence of the message of Jesus was that only God deserves to be worshipped and that the worship of anyone or anything besides God or along with God is false. Jesus said: ‘It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”(Luke;4:8). Jesus not only called people to this message but he also practically demonstrated it for them by bowing down in prayer and worshipping God himself. In Mark;14:32, it is stated: “And they went to a place which was called Gethsemane; and he (Jesus) said to his disciples, ‘Sit here, while I pray.’ ”And in Luke; 5:16, “But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.” ; "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know."(Acts;2:22). Paul, the self appointed 13th disciple of Jesus, deviated from the prophetic mission of Jesus, his teachings and systematically cancelled the Laws. He never learned any thing from Jesus directly, but claimed to get the revelation (Galatians;1:12), which no one could confirm or deny. In his letter to the Romans, he stated, “But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.” (Romans; 7:6).
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