Download the attached file to read the full publication on helping muslims find Jesus by Andy Bannister
To understand the historical Jesus of Nazareth you need to understand his preaching about the Kingdom of God, so central was it to his message. Jesus taught that the Kingdom was breaking in now, through his ministry, and that by following him, one could enter that Kingdom:
In his proclamation of the Kingdom of God Jesus was standing firmly on Old Testament ground. At the same time he was proclaiming a subject that made every Jewish heart throb. Yet Jesus took this concept and transformed it from a narrow-minded nationalistic hope to a universal, spiritual order in which humankind could find the fulfilment of its ultimate desires for righteousness, justice, peace, happiness, freedom from sin and guilt, and a restored relationship to God. Given the fact that the basic human problem of sin and alienation from God is as true today as it ever has been, the message of the Kingdom of God ought to have as great a relevance today as it ever had.
Once again, this raises serious questions for Muslims as they consider Jesus, especially in the light
of how the Qur’an presents him. Even laying aside the issue of Jesus’ relation to God — a question
that usually lies at the heart of discussion between Christians and Muslims — the historical Jesus
does not fit the hole into which the Qur’an wishes to file him.
The Quest The
for the Lost Jesus
HELPING MUSLIMS TO DISCOVER THE
HISTORICAL JESUS OF NAZARETH
.
