A few years ago, I befriended
a Muslim man from Africa at the gym where I worked out. I tried several times
to witness to him about the Gospel. I even had the opportunity to give him a
Bible. I explained to him, “One of the greatest differences between Christianity
and Islam is that your religion says, ‘Do” (pray five times a day, give to the
poor, make a pilgrimage to Mecca, etc.) but Jesus says “Done.” Your religion is
based on works, and how do you know if you’ve ever done enough to merit God’s
love? Meanwhile, Christ is about grace—salvation is a free gift.”
He listened intently and
was kind. I never had the privilege of leading him to Christ, but I hope a seed
was planted in his heart. One of the main objections that he had to the Gospel
was that according to the Koran, Jesus was never crucified. “What?” I thought
to myself, “How could anyone believe that—the crucifixion of Jesus is one of
the best attested facts of history.”
Millions of people across
our globe are professing Muslims and they believe just like my friend did—that Jesus
never went to the cross, and therefore He never rose from the grave. After
hearing about this strange teaching, I started doing some research and sure
enough, in the Koran, Sura 157-159, we read about this alternate explanation to
the Easter story:
“That they said, “We
killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”—but they killed
him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who
differ therein are full of doubts, with no knowledge, but only conjecture to
follow, for of a surety they killed him not—nay, Allah raised him up unto
Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.”
The Koran claims that
rather than allowing Jesus, who was one of Allah’s prophets, to be crucified, Allah
is said to have respected his prophet and saved him by crucifying someone else
who was made to look like Jesus. This is known as the “Substitution Theory.” In
fact, a highly respected Muslim commentator claims that Judas was crucified in
the place of Jesus. According to this scenario, Jesus asked His disciples which
of them would like to have His likeness cast upon him in order to be killed and
enter paradise. Judas volunteered and replaced Jesus on the cross.[i]
Where in the world could
Muhammad have gotten this idea? One theory among historians is that he actually
got it from heretical Christian sects, such as the Gnostics. One of the Gnostic
gospels from the third century, The Apocalypse
of Peter, makes this bizarre claim.
Erwin Lutzer writes, “That
Muhammad reiterated the common fables of the day explains why he taught that
Jesus was born under a palm tree and that Jesus made clay birds come to life as
a boy . . . Being an illiterate merchant, Muhammad got much of his information
for his religion by plundering history and popular tales to solidify himself as
a legitimate prophet of God.”[ii]
There are several problems
with the so-called, “substitution theory.” First, there isn’t a shred of
historical proof to support it. This assertion from the Koran comes more than
600 years after the lifetime of Jesus. How can this source which contradicts
all the eyewitness testimony be considered more trustworthy? Moreover, Muhammad
was illiterate. How could he do a thorough historical investigation? Is your
baloney meter going off yet?
Second, this theory raises
more questions than it answers. If Jesus wasn’t killed, then why was the tomb
of the man who took his place found empty? And if Jesus wasn’t killed and not
raised then why do we have people willing to die for their belief in the
resurrection (i.e. Paul)?
Third and most importantly,
this theory implodes under logic. Interestingly, even the Koran says that Jesus
predicted his death and resurrection, “Peace on me the day I was born, and the
day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive (Sura 19:33).” Since Jesus
predicted his resurrection and Muhammad regards him as a prophet, if Jesus didn’t
die and rise again that makes him a false prophet. If Jesus died a violent
death, the Koran is wrong. If Jesus did not die a violent death and rise, then the Koran
is also wrong. Either way, this puts the Muslim on the horns of a dilemma.
Praise God we don’t make a
pilgrimage to see the occupied tomb of Jesus as the Muslims do Muhammad! Our
God is not dead. While Muhammad's bones are moldering in the ground, Jesus is
alive, seated at the Father’s right hand in power and glory! And one day, every
knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess Jesus as Lord, yes even Muhammad!
What a day that will be! -DM
[i] Norman
Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam
(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1993), 67.
[ii] Erwin
Lutzer, Slandering Jesus (Chicago,
IL: Moody Press, 2007), 42.
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