The Real Message

We live in a land of many churches. Since Muslims don't understand separation of church and state, most assume the West is 'Christian'. Its confusing for them when Christians identify themselves as 'Baptist', 'Mennonite', etc. etc. Some wonder, "What is the real Christian message?"

In Unshackled and Growing Nabil Jabbour gives an illustration of "What is the Gospel?" It is written with a Muslim audience in mind.

"I...wrapped a tangerine with paper. I taped it and wrote on the paper, “Change my name from a Muslim name to a Christian name.” Then I wrapped another paper around it and wrote on it, “Abandon my Muslim family and join Christianity.” Then on another paper I wrote, “I need to be ready to attack Islam,” and I continued with another one and another one. By the time I finished, the tangerine became almost the size of a volleyball...I went back to the group telling them there was something inside that symbolized the Gospel. I showed them what I had written on the outer sheet and asked, “Is this the Gospel?” They said, “No.”...I kept unwrapping the layers one after the another until there was only one wrapping sheet left. By then, they could see that there was a tangerine inside, and they started laughing. When I got to the last sheet, I asked them, “Is this the Gospel?” and they shouted, “No!” Finally, I unwrapped the last sheet, leaving only the tangerine, and asked, “Is this the Gospel?” They screamed “Yes!” I surprised them by saying, “No.” Then I peeled the tangerine, threw the peelings away, and said, “This is the Gospel.”

Yes, Jesus is at the core of our message from God. He demonstrated perfectly what God is like. Leaving the political, cultural and even religious wrappings, Muslims can get a better glimpse of what the Gospel is all about.

"One summer, D.L. Moody invited a young English preacher, Henry Moorhouse, to preach at his Chicago church. The young preacher spent the entire week preaching on just one verse--John 3:16: 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." 

Each night, the auditorium was filled to capacity, and many were saved. D.L. Moody was initially puzzled by the incredible response to Moorhouse's sermons but later confided to a friend, "I never knew up to that time that God loved us so much. This heart of mine began to thaw out; I could not keep back the tears. I just drank it in. So did the crowded congregation. I tell you, there is one thing that draws above everything else in the world, and that is love." 

At 11 years old, I responded to a message on this very passage. I said 'yes' to Jesus and He began to change my life! 

My friend Samir was trying to be polite. He didn't want to say anything negative about my faith. I helped him understand terms he knew about Jesus from the Qur'an--Word of God, Messiah, and Jesus had the Spirit of God. I think God used my testimony to help him understand Jesus in a new way. I continue to pray that he and many of my Muslim friends would long for the Jesus we as believers know.

Dear God, help me to communicate the 'heart of the Gospel message'. Amen.

Alive!

"He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs." Acts 1:3

My Muslim friend Asif sniffed the Communion juice cup he held in his hand. Alcohol?? We had taken Asif to a church service one final time before he would return to his homeland. It happened to be 'Communion Sunday'. With camera in hand he moved over to a seat a distance from us while taking pictures of the music portion of the worship service. When the audience was invited to partake together, he nibbled up the piece of bread, smelled the juice again and then drank it. When Asif returned to the area we were seated in after the service I knew I had some explaining to do. I could read his face that he was puzzled with these miniature portions of juice and bread! It opened an opportunity to explain the truth that Jesus suffered and died and came back to life for us. He left Canada with lots to think about.

Thomas in the Bible had serious doubts about rumors that Jesus arose till he miraculously showed up. Jesus invited Thomas to thrust his hand into wounds in his hands and side. He now saw for himself and declared "My Lord and my God." Many have doubted the account of Jesus' death and resurrection. Lee Strobel as one of them in his typical fashion, researches the death and resurrection of Jesus in 'The Case for Easter'. He writes "I started my original investigation as a spiritual skeptic but after having thoroughly investigated the evidence for the resurrection, I was coming to a startlingly unexpected verdict...The disciples didn't merely believe in the resurrection; they knew whether it was fact or fiction. Had they known it was a lie, they would never have been willing to sacrifice their lives for it." Stroebel concludes that there is insurmountable evidence of the death and resurrection of Christ. He adds "There is no heaven without a resurrection."

My friend Kamal awoke with a dream when a man touched his forehead and said "Wake up Kamal, it's Easter." He woke up his wife and asked, "Do you know what Easter is?" She didn't know. He turned on the TV but there was no news about it. When he went downstairs and asked people loafing around, he got confusing answers. When Joy visited them, he asked "Do you know anything about Easter?" She gladly explained the message of Easter. Several years later while laid up in a hospital bed with a life threatening illness, he recalled when Jesus came to him in a dream and how he heard about Easter for the first time. 

Most of our Muslim friends haven't been given the opportunity to process this truth. Since the Qur'an states that the Jews did not actually kill Jesus nor crucify him, Muslims are predisposed to reject this wonderful message. Perhaps we can help them to look at this again. You may ask, "When do I talk about the Easter story?" Throughout the year! This is the heart of the gospel message.

Dear Jesus, you showed your incredible love by coming to earth to reveal God and in dying as the perfect sacrifice. We rejoice that you demonstrated power over everything, including death. We worship you, our risen Lord. Amen.

Mary

"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" Luke 1:42(Elizabeth).

Pastor Joel mentioned that his parents bought a Nativity set. His father had to make one correction before placing them on their lawn. Mary had a halo over her head! So he sawed it off. Catholics and Evangelicals have treated this verse very differently. Evangelicals just kind of ignore the first part. To focus on Mary seems "so catholic".

Mary comes into Luke's narrative when the angel Gabriel breaks the news to her that she'd become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit with Jesus. Mary's response to this shocking news was "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants..." Luke 1:38. Mary had no idea what the future would hold. She didn't know that Joseph had an earthshaking dream with instructions to marry her in spite of the potential fall-out. He was willing to be the safe umbrella Mary needed and the surrogate father to Jesus.

In "A Bonhoeffer Advent Reflection: “Mary”, Joel Willistts writes that Bonhoeffer considers Luke 1:46-55 as the oldest Advent hymn. "...It is the most passionate, most vehement, one might say, most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung. It is not the gentle, sweet, dreamy Mary that we so often see portrayed in pictures, but the passionate, powerful, proud, enthusiastic Mary, who speaks here. None of the sweet, sugary, or childish tones that we find so often in our Christmas hymns, but a hard, strong, uncompromising song of bringing down rulers from their thrones and humbling the lords of this world, of God’s power and of the powerlessness of men. These are the tones of the prophetic women of the Old Testament: Deborah, Judith, Miriam, coming alive in the mouth of Mary."

No wonder we have such a strong claim in The Chaldean Creed: "...of Mary the Virgin, the Godbearer, one and same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures..." Mary has a very esteemed role in fulfillment of the OT prophecies. It took a gutsy, spirit-led woman to be willing to give birth, raise and walk with Jesus right to the end of his earthly life. Mary was Jesus' first disciple!

Muslims have a high regard for Maryam(Mary). In fact, she is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur'an. Surah 19 is dedicated to Maryam. It too confirms the virgin birth. Even though this Surah is considered by Muslims to be somewhat like Luke 1, it lacks the historical details and the reason behind God's intervention. One of the emphasis is on denying the divine nature of Jesus, the Messiah. It wants the listener to be convinced that Jesus was merely another prophet sent with a book.

Pastor Joel summarizes "Why is the virgin birth so important?
1. The virgin birth is a reminder that our salvation is supernatural.
2. If God can work seemingly impossible in the matter of the virgin birth, he is also able to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of granting a new birth to sinners.
3. The uniqueness of the virgin birth reveals the character of the Messiah and the nature of the kingdom."

Dear Lord, birth in me a greater sense of Mary's willingness to be part of your great plan to bring Salvation to Muslims. Amen.