Is Jesus God, the Son of God, or a Prophet?
Short Answer
According to both the Bible and the Qur'an, Jesus was a mighty Prophet and Messenger of God — not God Himself nor literally God's son. The Bible records that Jesus prayed to God, called God 'greater than me,' and declared the greatest commandment to be 'The Lord our God, the Lord is one.' The Qur'an honors Jesus as the Messiah, born miraculously, but worships God alone.
Detailed Explanation
Jesus is loved and revered by billions of people worldwide, yet there is significant disagreement about his nature. Some Christians claim Jesus is God or part of a Trinity, while Islam teaches he was a noble Prophet and Messenger. Let us examine the evidence from both the Bible and the Qur'an.
According to the Bible, Jesus was born, ate, slept, prayed, and had limited knowledge — attributes not befitting God. God has attributes of absolute perfection, whereas humans have limitations. How can something be two complete opposites simultaneously?
The Bible itself provides clear evidence that Jesus was not God:
- Jesus 'fell on his face and prayed' (Matthew 26:39). If Jesus was God, to whom was he praying?
- The Bible calls Jesus a Prophet (Matthew 21:10-11). How could Jesus be both God and God's Prophet?
- Jesus said: 'I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than me' (John 14:28).
- Jesus said: 'I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God' (John 20:17). If Jesus was God, why would he refer to 'my God'?
- Jesus disapproved of being worshipped: 'And in vain they worship me' (Matthew 15:9).
As for the term 'Son of God,' this was used symbolically in biblical languages for a righteous person. God says of Israel: 'Israel is my firstborn son' (Exodus 4:22). The Bible also states: 'All who are led by God's Spirit are God's sons and daughters' (Romans 8:14). The term is not exclusive to Jesus.
Similarly, the word 'Lord' (Greek: kyrios) was used in the original Bible for God as well as for people of high esteem — vineyard owners (Matthew 20:8) and masters of servants (Luke 20:42-47). The disciples themselves called Jesus a 'servant' of God: 'The God of our fathers has glorified his servant Jesus' (Acts 3:13).
If Jesus were truly God, he would have clearly told people to worship him. Instead, when asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus answered: 'The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one' (Mark 12:28-29). He affirmed monotheism, not his own divinity.
Islam takes the balanced middle ground: Judaism denies Jesus as the Messiah entirely, Christianity worships him as divine, and Islam honors him as a great Prophet and the Messiah — without worshipping him, because worship belongs to God alone.
If Jesus's miraculous birth proves divinity, then Adam — created without any parent at all — would be even more deserving of worship. As the Qur'an states: 'The likeness of Jesus before God is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: Be, and he was.'
Qur'anic References
مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ سُبْحَانَهُ إِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ
Ma kana lillahi an yattakhidha min waladin subhanahu idha qada amran fa innama yaqulu lahu kun fa yakun
“It is not befitting to the majesty of Allah that He should beget a son. He is Perfect and Flawless! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, 'Be' and it is.”
Read in Qur'an Reader →إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ
Inna mathala 'Isa 'indallahi kamathali Adam khalaqahu min turabin thumma qala lahu kun fa yakun
“The likeness of Jesus before God is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: 'Be', and he was.”
Read in Qur'an Reader →قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا
Qala inni 'abdullahi ataniya al-Kitaba wa ja'alani nabiyya
“[Jesus] said, 'Indeed, I am the slave of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet.'”
Read in Qur'an Reader →إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ
Innallaha huwa Rabbi wa Rabbukum fa'buduhu hadha siratun mustaqim
“Indeed, God — He is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him alone. This is the only Straight Path.”
Read in Qur'an Reader →لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَقَالَ الْمَسِيحُ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ
Laqad kafaral-ladhina qalu innallaha huwal-Masihu ibnu Maryam, wa qalal-Masihu ya Bani Isra'ila u'budullaha Rabbi wa Rabbakum
“They have certainly disbelieved who say, 'Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary,' while the Messiah himself said, 'O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.'”
Read in Qur'an Reader →Hadith References
Narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab
لاَ تُطْرُونِي كَمَا أَطْرَتِ النَّصَارَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا عَبْدُهُ فَقُولُوا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ
La tutruni kama atratin-Nasara ibna Maryam, fa innama ana 'abduhu, fa qulu 'Abdullah wa Rasuluh
“The Prophet said: 'Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a servant. So call me the Servant of Allah and His Messenger.'”
Narrated by Abu Hurairah
وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لاَ يَسْمَعُ بِي أَحَدٌ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ يَهُودِيٌّ وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيٌّ ثُمَّ يَمُوتُ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ إِلاَّ كَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ
Walladhi nafsu Muhammadin biyadihi la yasma'u bi ahad min hadhihil-ummah Yahudiyyun wa la Nasraniyyun thumma yamutu wa lam yu'min billadhi ursiltu bihi illa kana min as-habin-nar
“The Prophet said: 'By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one of this nation, Jew or Christian, hears of me then dies without believing in that with which I was sent, except that he will be one of the people of the Fire.'”