The Most Common Question Muslims Ask Christians: Where did Jesus say, "I am God! Worship me!"?

If you any Muslim friend who is apologetically inclined, then the question he would have asked you is this. ‘Where did Jesus say, ” I am God! Worship me!”?’

Now it is an interestingly and intelligently worded question to take unaware any ill-equipped Christian. It assumes that there is a certain way Jesus must express himself “I am God” and if he has not said that then he is not God. The Muslim thinks that Jesus should express his divinity in accordance with his understanding or wish as to how he should express it. Secondly, he assumes that Jesus has not said that.

But Jesus has expressed his divinity in multiple ways.

1. Jesus claim to be deity.

a)”For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24).

b) 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father ‘?10″Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works”

c) 23″He who hates Me hates My Father also. John 15

d)15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16) (Mark 8:29) (Luke 9:20)

2. Jesus accepts Worship

a) “those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” (Matthew 14:33)

b) When they realized it was He, they “came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him” (Matthew 28:9).

3. Jesus exercising Divine Authority in his own name.

“I say unto you….” pattern of delivering message instead of the prophetic “Thus says the LORD….”

4. Jesus asking his Disciples to exercise Divine authority in his name –

a)Casting Demons

Acts 16:18, “And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”
38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.”39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. (Mark 9:38)

b)Forgiveness of Sins

5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

5. Jesus asking Disciples and his followers to pray in his name –

a) John 14:13-14 – “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

b) John 16:24 – “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

c) John 14:14 – “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].”

d) John 20:31 – “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

e) John 14:13 -” And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

6. Jesus expressing Divine names to himself given only to God –

a) John 8:24–“I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.”

b) John 8:58–“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’

c)John 10:30-33–“‘I and the Father are one.’ 31 The Jews took up stones again to stone Him.”

7. Jesus expressing Divine attributes – holiness, perfect love, sinless perfection, sins forgiven in his name.

a) Son of God – By this he meant he has the same nature as God but incarnate – Holy and Perfect

b) Messiah – The Anointed One. The one prophesied by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. The Child who will be called Might God and Eternal Father.

c) Demons declare him to be ‘Son of the Most High God’.

“What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” Matthew 8:29

d) God declares publicly that Jesus is His Son.

“And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'” Matthew 3:17

e) Miracles – Raising the dead, healing the sick, calming the storm, feeding the thousands (creating food), casting out demons . He did these miracles in his own authority as God incarnate.

There were a few prophets who did a few miracles that Jesus did. But there is no prophet who claimed to be Son of God or exercised authority over demons or forgave sins or called himself Son of God on a daily basis.

Indeed Christ claimed to be divine, accepted worshiped and warned that those who do not believe in him will die in their sins.

So the most common question which the Muslim raises is answered sufficiently.