Christ in the Qur’an: Why ‘Isa’ Is Not the Jesus of the Bible

☦️Christ in the Qur’an: The Real Jesus vs. the Islamic ‘Isa’

🕌The Crescent Against the Cross Article 6

---

1. From Counterfeit God to Counterfeit Christ

In our last study, we saw that Allah is not Yahweh. The Qur’an’s god is solitary, arbitrary, and even described as “the best of deceivers.” By contrast, the God of Scripture is Father, Son, and Spirit — the covenant-keeping Lord of steadfast love and truth.

But if Islam has a counterfeit god, it must also have a counterfeit Christ. For the identity of God and Christ cannot be separated. This brings us to one of the greatest deceptions in Islam: the Qur’an’s ‘Isa’—a hollow shadow of the true Jesus.

The apostle John warns: “Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist” (1 John 4:3). The Qur’an’s Isa may bear the name of Jesus, but he is not the Christ of Scripture. He cannot save.

---

2. The Qur’an’s Isa: A Prophet Without a Cross

The Qur’an acknowledges Jesus by name, calling Him ‘Isa ibn Maryam’—Jesus, son of Mary. He is honored as a prophet and miracle-worker. But at every essential point, the Qur’an denies the gospel.

Denial of Deity. “They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary’” (Qur’an 5:72). Isa is not the eternal Son but a created servant.

Denial of Crucifixion. “They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but it was made to appear so to them” (Qur’an 4:157). The very heart of the gospel is cut out.

Denial of Sonship. “It is not befitting for Allah to take a son” (Qur’an 19:35). The Isa of Islam has no relationship to the Father, no claim to divine Sonship.

Stripped of deity, cross, resurrection, and Sonship, Isa is reduced to another prophet in a long line—honored, but not worshiped; remembered, but not Redeemer.

This is not a different perspective on Jesus. It is a counterfeit Christ.

---

3. The True Christ of Scripture: Lord, Savior, and King

By contrast, the Jesus of Scripture is not a shadow but the substance of salvation.

The Eternal Word Made Flesh. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is not a creature but the eternal God who took on flesh.

The Crucified and Risen Savior. “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day” (1 Cor. 15:3–4). The cross is not an illusion but the very power of God unto salvation.

The Image of the Invisible God. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation … and he is the head of the body, the church” (Col. 1:15, 18). Christ is supreme, sovereign, and sufficient.

The Isa of Islam denies all of this. He offers no atonement, no resurrection hope, no union with God. But the Jesus of Scripture offers Himself—the Lamb slain, the risen Lord, the reigning King. Without Him, there is no gospel.

---

4. Why the Distortion Matters

Some might ask: isn’t it enough that Muslims honor Jesus as a prophet? The answer is no. For a Christ without deity is powerless, a Christ without the cross is useless, a Christ without resurrection is lifeless.

The Isa of Islam cannot save. He is a tool of deception, keeping billions from the true Redeemer. As Paul warned the Galatians: “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8). The Qur’an’s Isa is precisely such a false gospel.

This distortion is not a minor difference—it is a matter of eternal life or death.

---

5. Applications for the Church

Clarify. Teach clearly that the Jesus of the Bible and the Isa of the Qur’an are not the same. Do not let the shared name confuse the distinction.

Equip. When sharing the gospel with Muslims, focus on who Jesus truly is—Son of God, crucified, risen, and reigning. Invite them to meet not a shadow, but the Savior.

Encourage. Rejoice in the sufficiency and supremacy of Christ. Where Islam offers a prophet, Christianity offers the Lord of glory.

---

6. Conclusion: Only the True Christ Saves

The Isa of the Qur’an is an empty shell—devoid of cross, resurrection, and deity. He cannot redeem, for he is not the Son of God. The Jesus of Scripture, by contrast, is the eternal Word made flesh, the crucified and risen Lord, the head of the church, and the Savior of the world.

There is no middle ground. Only the true Christ saves.

And this leads us naturally to the next step: If Islam denies the true Christ, what does it leave in His place? Law without gospel, burden without grace, bondage without freedom. That is the subject of our next article: Law Without Gospel: Sharia as Bondage.

---

✍️ Reflection & Application

Personal: Do you rejoice that the Jesus you worship is not a prophet alone, but the crucified and risen Lord?

Church: How can your congregation help members understand and explain the difference between Isa and Jesus?

Mission: How can you speak compassionately but clearly to Muslims about why only the Jesus of Scripture can save?

For Families:

Teach your children that Jesus is not just a prophet—He is God the Son who died and rose again.

Pray together for Muslims, that they might see through the counterfeit Isa and come to know the true Christ.

---

📚 Key Sources Consulted:

Qur’an: 4:157; 5:72–75; 19:35.

John 1:1–14; 1 Cor. 15:1–4; Col. 1:15–20.

Galatians 1:8; 1 John 4:3.

Gerald Bray, The Doctrine of God (1993).

Kenneth Cragg, Jesus and the Muslim (1985).

✒️ The Pilgrim’s Post