Witnessing to Muslims

Why We believe Jesus is the Son of God

Is Jesus really the Son of God? The moment you begin speaking to a Muslim, typically the first and most offensive objection they have is that we say that Jesus is the Son of God. This is because when we say "Son of God", they think we are talking about a physical son (God having sexual relations with Mary), and this is blasphemy. We, too, believe this is blasphemy. You must clarify to th Muslim that when we say "Son of God", we do not believe that God ever had a physical relationship with a woman to have His son.

In explaining the Sonship of Christ to the Muslim, we need to tell them that Jesus is the Son of God from a spiritual point of view, not a physical one. Jesus is not the physical offspring of God. Refer to Luke chapter 1 and read together verses 26 through 35, about how the angel brought the news to Mary that she would conceive and give birth to a son. Pinpoint these important words to him: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you... So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." He is not the physical son of God, but we call him the Son of God because he came from the Spirit of God. Therefore, he is not the physical son, but "He shall be called the Son of God." Underline these words for him.

The second concept you need to understand and explain to the Muslim is that, especially in the Arabic version of th Bible, there is a big difference between the words "son" of God, and "child" of God. In Arabic, there are the words "ibn" and "walad". "Ibn" means "son" and "walad" means "child". "Ibn" refers to the child you adopt; "walad" means it was born to you. This is why we never call Jesus in Arabic "Walad Allah." We call him "Ibn Allah", meaning he came from God. If the person you are sharing with is an Arab, ask him, "What is the difference between 'ibn' and 'walad'?" LEt him think - see what he comes up with, and then explain the difference.

There is one other logical illustration you might give to a Muslim. In Arabic, the phrase "son of..." is used to signify where one is from. For instance, I am from Lebanon, and am often called a "Son of Lebanon." A man from Morocco would be called a "Son of Morocco." And because the Nile is the most famous part of Egypt, an Egyptian will often be called "Son of the Nile." One could also be called "Son of Education", meaning that he is a very well educated person. The phrase may also be used to express one's main interest. In the same way, Christ is called "Son of God" because HE came from the Spirit of God.