The Gainesville Sun (Gainesville, Florida) reported Friday, February 25, 2011 on a speech by Ahmed El-Mahdawy who is the administer of the Hoda Center mosque in Gainesville. During the speech El-Mahdawy suggested that people should realize the parallels between Islam and Christianity. “There is not a single thing that you will find in the Koran that is not in the Old Testament or the New Testament,” he said. He further explained that Muslims believe in a single god and that Jesus Christ, Moses and others were Muslim.

 

     Those attending the function were seeking to bridge the gap between the religion of Mohammed and the religion of Jesus. While the efforts are commended for the effort of bringing understanding and peace it should be noted the lack of clarity on the part of El-Mahdawy concerning the teaching of Jesus who understood fully that He was the Christ. Jesus prayed to His Father in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” You will not find that in the Koran.

 

     If the gospel writer Matthew (who was one of the twelve apostles) is to be believed then Jesus knew He was the Christ. Matthew referred to Jesus as the Christ seventeen times in his gospel. Fifteen times in his gospel Matthew makes reference to Jesus fulfilling prophecy including seven times the life of Jesus fulfills the Old Testament writers. The gospel of Matthew is a documentary on the Jewish lineage of Jesus to prove that He is the Christ, the Son of God. “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). You will not find that in the Koran.

 

     Another apostle of Jesus named John wrote of the character of Jesus as being God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5). This sets Jesus apart from any man that has ever lived or ever will live. No man can embrace the character of God as Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 2:22). You will not find that in the Koran.

 

     The apostle John records the great discourse of Jesus before His death (John 13-17). Jesus explained that He would be leaving to prepare a way of salvation and was questioned by another apostle named Thomas. He said to Jesus, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:5-6). This single verse sets Jesus apart from all religious leaders. Jesus unmistakably, undoubtedly, succinctly declared entrance to Jehovah God was through Jesus Christ and no other means is available. There is only one way, one truth and one life and no one – mark His words – no one will be allowed to come before the “Father except through Me”! That eliminates all others – every man who has ever lived.

 

     One man named Jesus Christ is the only hope men have. He is the only one that eternal life can come. Only through His blood can a new life after death be given. And you will not find that in the Koran or any other book written by man.