What do Muslims think about Jesus? I think ideas are changing.
You might know that Jesus is described in the Koran as a great prophet of God, and that Muslims expect Him to return and judge the world. There are orthodox and approved ideas about Jesus among Muslims:
That’s an interesting topic; what are Muslims taught to believe about Jesus? But my question is; What does each Muslim personally think about Jesus?
What do Muslims think about Christianity? I have heard a saying by some Muslim extremists “We are going to Rome.” When I first heard that, I thought something like, ‘I’m sure the weather is nice at this time of year.’
I missed the point; some radicals believe that their religion will overtake Christianity, and they will triumph. Going to Rome means conquering the other religion. For some Muslims, the Roman Catholic Church is Christianity, and if they conquer Rome, they will control all the Christians.
Probably, educated people today are better informed. The best estimate is that the largest number of people who identify as Christian in one country are in China. The largest number on one continent are probably in Africa. I am a Christian, and I have met many others, and only a few of them identify as Roman Catholic.
Al Jazeera is a news corporation based in the Middle East, with a Muslim perspective on world news. They write about any interesting topic, including stories about Christians. I did a search on their site for news about Christianity, and most of the stories that I found are about the Roman Catholic Church. That is interesting:
- RELATED: Christianity News: Al Jazeera
It’s easy to get lost in history and tradition, but my question is about Jesus, not an organized religion, and not what people are told to believe.
I want to know if they have my experience.
I was raised in a very religious family of Christians. When I was young, I learned how to conform to avoid arguments, but I had my own ideas. Conforming was not believing. My escape was simple; my church had a fleet of buses to bring children to Sunday school, and I became a driver as soon as I was old enough. I liked operating big machines, and drivers didn’t go to church. I returned and parked my empty bus just when the church service ended. That gave me freedom without guilt or arguments at home.
I always knew that I would grow up some day, and I would find my own way. When I finally decided, I made a personal choice to follow Jesus. That was a popular idea in my generation. Some of my friends, in school, became “Jesus Freaks.” If you know the truckers’ country song “Convoy” there is a vehicle travelling in a convoy of rebel truckers “eleven long haired friends of Jesus in a chartreuse micro bus.” The truckers put the friends of Jesus behind the ‘suicide jockey’ the driver hauling dynamite because he needed all the prayers he could get.
We used to laugh about that, but we also appreciated a song that mentioned our friends, and I appreciated the bus. I still like that song. When I made a serious decision to follow Jesus, some of my best friends were long haired friends of Jesus, who had lived without church and Christianity, and then they changed their beliefs to follow Jesus. We all knew the words of Jesus “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). And we believed those words.
So, what do Muslims think about Jesus? You might be surprised.
A few years ago, I had permission to attend a meeting for Muslims who want Jesus in their lives. I had to get security clearance, and I was told about a secret time and place. I decided not to go, but I know the meeting happened. It reminded me of my friends and the long haired friends of Jesus in the song.
Now, one of the fastest growing Christian communities in the world is in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and similar movements are growing in many places. Years ago, I was told that people in villages in North Africa listened to faith-healing preachers and placed their hands on the radio, and prayed for the healing power of Jesus. I learned that from a reliable source and it was a common practice.
Other information is limited and I don’t want to say more because lives could be in danger. It is true, that people are interested in the person of Jesus, and this is not about a church in Rome, or a few approved beliefs. They are looking for the same experience that my friends and I found, in another place and time.
This is one of the greatest hidden movements of our time.
It’s also a very old idea.
Jesus told us:
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
John 6:37
And this was a common experience:
I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.
Philippians 3: 8 and 9
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