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Shabbir Ally SectionFounder of the Islamic Da'wah Centre, Toronto, Canada.

      »  "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my        God and your God." (John 20:17 RSV 1952)        Jesus, at the end of his mission, made it clear that God        is not only his father, but father of all, and God of        all, and even his own God whom he worshipped throughout        his earthly career.We cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15        KJV 1611)        Here the writer is Paul and he made it clear that anyone        can address God as "Father."        Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:        ". . . Do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for        you have one Father, and he is in heaven. (Matthew 23:1,9        NIV 1984)        According to Matthew, Jesus taught everyone to call        God 'Father'. He said to them:        "This, then, is how you should pray:        'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name . . .'        " (Matthew 6:9 NIV)        Jesus made it        clear that he is not God        "Why do you call me good? No one        is good but God alone." (Mark 10:18)        A man had ran up and knelt before Jesus and called him        "Good Teacher." Jesus used the opportunity to        make it clear to people that they must not praise him        more than a human being deserves to be praised.        Jesus depends        on God for Authority: God depends on no one        "I can do nothing of my own        authority" (John 5:30)        "I do as the Father has commanded me." (John        14:31 RSV)        Needless to say, God does not receive commands from        anyone.        "The words that I say to you I do not speak of my        own authority." (John 14:10 RSV)        "I do nothing of my own authority but speak thus        as the Father has taught me." (John 8:28 RSV)        God has full authority, and full knowledge. He cannot be        taught, but He teaches.        Jesus is not        Equal to "The Father"        "The Father is greater than I." (John 14:28        RSV)        People forget this and they say that Jesus is equal to        the Father. Whom should we believe--Jesus or the people?        Jesus Does Not        Know Everything        Speaking of the Last Day, Jesus said:        "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the        angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."        (Matthew 24:36)        Did Jesus        Raise Himself up?        God raised him up. (Acts 2:24)        Jesus did not have power to raise himself up. God had to        raise him up, as the author of Acts says.        Jesus prayed        to God: God prays to no one        "Abba, Father, all things are        possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I        will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14:32)                Jesus fell on his face and prayed to God, begging God        to save him from crucifixion. This also shows that Jesus        had a will different from God's will. The writers of        Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us that it was Jesus's wish        to be saved from crucifixion, but it was God's will to        let the crucifixion take place.         "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"        (Matthew 27:46)        Jesus did not        know the tree had no fruit        He [Jesus] was hungry. And on seeing in        the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he        could find anything on it. When he came to it , he found        nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.        (Mark 11 12-13)        When he saw that the tree had leaves, he thought that        he might find fruit on it. But when he came up close to        the tree he realised there were no fruits. After all, it        was not even fig season.        Jesus referred        to as Servant of God        "Behold my servant whom I have        chosen." (Matthew 12:18 In this passage God calls        Jesus His servant)        The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of        our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus. (Acts 3:13)        For truly in this city there were gathered together        against thy holy servant Jesus. . . (Acts 4:27)        Everyone, except for God, are God's servants. Jesus, too,        is God's servant.        Who was real        Worker of Miracles?        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 KJV)        People say that since Jesus worked many miracles, he        must be God. But here we see that God did the miracles;        Jesus was the instrument God used to accomplish His work.        Jesus was a man whom God approved of. This means he was a        righteous man.        Jesus cannot        guarantee positions        "To sit at my right hand and at my        left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom        it has been prepared by my Father" (Matthew 20:23)        Therefore if we want to secure our position with God        in the life hereafter we must turn to God and ask Him.        A        Misunderstood saying        I and the Father are one. (John 10:30)        People like to quote this saying, but they forget the        following saying:        John 17:11 Holy Father, keep through thine own name those        whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.                This shows that what was meant was one in purpose, not        one in substance as people think. The disciples could not        become one human, but they can pursue the same goal. That        is to say, they can be one in purpose, just as Jesus and        the Father are one in purpose.        Did Jesus say        everything John says he said?        John 14:9 Whoever has seen me has seen        the Father.        John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of        life.        John 8:12 I am the light of the world.        John 8:58 Before Abraham was, I am.         John 10:7 I am the door of the sheep.         John 11:25 I am the resurrection, and the life.        John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life.         John 15:1 I am the true vine.         Christian scholars tell us that if Jesus had made all        these fantastic claims about himself, the first three        gospels would surely have recorded them. Mark was written        around 70 C.E., followed by Matthew and Luke somewhere        between 80-90 C.E. John, written around 100 C.E., was the        last of the four canonized gospels. The Christian scholar        James Dunn writes in his book The Evidence for Jesus:        "If they were part of the original words of Jesus        himself, how could it be that only John picked them up        and none of the others? Call it scholarly skepticism if        you like, but I find it almost incredible that such        sayings should have been neglected had they been known as        a feature of Jesus' teaching. If the 'I ams' had been        part of the original tradition, it is very hard indeed to        explain why none of the other three evangelists made use        of them." (The Evidence for Jesus, p. 36)        Similarly, the New American Bible tells us in its        introduction, under the heading How to Read Your Bible:        "It is difficult to know whether the words or        sayings attributed to Jesus are written exactly as he        spoke them. . . . The Church was so firmly convinced that        . . . Jesus . . . taught through her, that she expressed        her teaching in the form of Jesus' sayings." (St.        Joseph Medium Size Edition, p.23)        What we have in John, then is what people were saying        about Jesus at the time John was written (about 70 years        after Jesus was raised up). The writer of John simply        expressed those ideas as if Jesus had said them. Rev.        James Dunn says further in his book that, almost        certainly, the writer of the fourth gospel "was not        concerned with the sort of questions which trouble some        Christians today -- Did Jesus actually say this? Did he        use these precise words? and so on." (The Evidence        for Jesus, p. 43)        Scholars have concluded that this gospel was        originally written in a simple form. But this gospel was        later on, as the New Jerusalem Bible says,        "amplified and developed in several stages during        the second half of the first century." (The New        Jerusalem Bible: Introduction to John, p. 1742)        It says further:        "It is today freely accepted that the fourth        Gospel underwent a complex development before it reached        its final form." (p. 1742)        On a previous page, the same Bible says:        "It would seem that we have only the end-stage of        a slow process that has brought together not only        component parts of different ages, but also corrections,        additions and sometimes even more than one revision of        the same discourse." (The New Jerusalem Bible, p.        1739)        The New American Bible says that most scholars        "have come to the conclusion that the        inconsistencies were probably produced by subsequent        editing in which homogeneous materials were added to a        shorter original." (The New American Bible, Revised        New Testament, p. 143)        God Reveals        the Truth About Jesus        O People of the Scripture! Do not        exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning        Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was        only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed        unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and        His messengers, and say not "Three" -- Cease!        (it is) better for you! -- Allah is only One God. Far is        it removed from His transcendent majesty that he should        have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all        that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as        Defender.        The Messiah will not scorn to be a slave unto Allah,        nor will the favoured angels. Whoso scorneth His service        and is proud, all such will He assemble unto Him:        Then, as for those who believed and did good works,        unto them will He pay their wages in full, adding unto        them of His bounty; and as for those who were scornful        and proud, them will He punish with a painful doom.        And they will not find for them, against Allah, any        protecting friend or helper.        O mankind! Now hath a proof from your Lord come unto        you, and We have sent down unto you a clear light;        As for those who believe in Allah, and hold fast unto        Him, them He will cause to enter into His mercy and        grace, and He will guide them unto Him by a straight        road.        (The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'an: 4:171-176)