Comment: Muslims claim that the "Isa" in the Qur'an is the "Jesus" of the Bible. This is a serious case of mistaken identity because the name of Jesus carries spiritual authority and it is by the name of Jesus that we have salvation, healing & deliverance and authority to cast our demons. The name of " Isa" carries no such authority so is not "Jesus" (or Yeshua).
Our understanding of the godhead is not intended to be a theological revelation but rather a soteriological revelation. Soteriology is the study of things pertaining to salvation, and there is not greater truth concerning salvation than Jesus Christ is the Almighty God who saves us. It was God himself that delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt and Moses was but an instrument. How many times are we reminded by example of the salvation of God, using human beings as instruments but refusing to allow the glory to be given to the human instrumentality? This pattern of "God, the Savior" was finally brought down to the ultimate salvation. Sinful flesh was useless for this final war against sin and so the human instrumentality could not have been a David, or Samson, or even another Moses.
The reason for the incarnation goes back to the fall of man. Here the greatest of all tragedies occurred when men lost fellowship with their creator. From that time till now, men have striven to restore fellowship, just as the lonely heart of a lost child cries out for its parents. How have they tried to restore this missing feeling of communion with God? Religion has seen one occurrence after another of the raising up of a human prophet and then that prophet being elevated to divine status. The Buddhist may try to say that Buddha was only a prophet that brought enlightenment. They say that it is the enlightenment they actually reach for, or the state of being that is taught, but never the less they have made statues of Buddha and built temples, and worshiped him as a god. Muslims may not officially "deify" Mohammed, but they journey to his grave each year and speak of him in great devotion. "Human Gods" abound both in the more civilized religions and in the heathen religions where ancestor worship abound. In short, men have filled up their longing heart for God by substituting the worship of the creature rather than the creator.
To the Jews, the Messiah was supposed to be a deliverer and king who would be on the order of David. He was to be a man that would restore Israel's greatness as an independent nation. He would deliver the Jews from Roman oppression, their "Egypt". For the Jews, the Messiah was to be a man, not God. They knew better than to deify the flesh and therefore they called it blasphemy when Jesus spoke of himself as the Son of God. They were blinded to a great truth, however, that Messiah was going to be none other than God, himself:
For we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory; which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
If they had known who Jesus was, would they have crucified him? Jesus came to restore a kingdom, but it was not the kingdom that the Jews sought for; it was to restore a kingdom that the Buddhist, and the Muslims, and the heathens sought for…one in which God was again in fellowship with man.
To this kingdom, men need to be saved. Saved, not from the Romans, but from their sins. This was the eternal purpose of God; fellowship with His creation. One thing that God did not want is the relationship that some would have in which God is afar off, not involved with his creation, but only a "maintainer" of creation.
In keeping with the design of God, He would not allow a man or human to be the Savior. Men would trust in the arm of flesh, or they would deify the flesh, and the man would become their "god". I must note that this has happened anyway, because for the majority of Christians, Jesus, the Son of God, has been deified along with Mary, and Peter, and Paul, and many others who become "sainted". The "Son of God" now shares the "glory" with the Father due to a lack of revelation, and this in spite of God's own declaration,
I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. (Why?) For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how will my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory to another. (Isaiah 48:11)
We have already read where God himself said He would come and save us. The Implications of Believing in the Trinity that John the Baptist prepared a highway in the wilderness for his God to come. It was God who said that He alone would be the Savior.
So it is that we find salvation's message being revealed right in the very beginning of the gospels. But this salvation is from sin. And what is the very first element of the gospel that is linked with salvation from sin? It is the name of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, "And thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins." Here we find the name of that human incarnation of God, but linked with his name is the REASON for this name…salvation from sin. Any name could have been given, but it was not; for it was a specific name and the reason was given as to why his name HAD TO BE JESUS. Did his name have to be Jesus because it was poetical? No! Did his name have to be Jesus because it was unique? No, for the name Jesus is not unique. His name had to be Jesus, because it identified who the Savior is. This is the simple reason. In the Hebrew, the name was Joshua (Yeshua), meaning "Jehovah Savior". It is the meaning of the name that is all important. Later we find another name given for Him, Emmanuel, meaning "God with us". The name Jesus was the name that was above every name. It clearly identified Jesus Christ, as "God the Savior".
Salvation is everywhere linked to the name of the Christ. When we say name of Christ, we are saying, the name of the anointed one. Christ was but one title for the Messiah, but his name is Jesus. The scripture declares that power to become sons of God was for those who believe "in his name". We are told that we receive "life through his name". The Bible says that we receive remission of sins only through faith in his name in both Acts 2:38 and Acts 10:43. We cast out devils in the "name of Jesus Christ." Again, it is declared that "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved." I do not believe this means any name of the Lord, but only the name of Jesus. God's Old Testament name of "Jehovah-Jireh" will not save us, neither will his name "Jehovah-Ropheka." Calling him Allah or even Jehovah is not sufficient, for only the name of Jesus is sufficient. That name is all important for salvation for we are told,
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
The name of scriptures pertaining to the power and salvation of the name of Jesus is many, but it should make us aware of one thing. God has a name! Our Savior has a name! Like any son, I may call my father by the title "father", but to the world he must be declared by name. And until a person becomes a son of God by being born into the family, the title father must give way to his name, Jesus. The name of Jesus must be preached to all the world.
This very important fact, that of the name of Jesus being linked with salvation, is a part of the controversy that rages over whether there is a trinity or not. Many may not think it is a worthy issue, but we must be reminded that we are not going to be hated for being called "Christians". But we will be persecuted for declaring to the world what the world does not want to hear; that there is one Lord and his name one. Surely the Romans and Greeks were not offended because another deity came on the scene. They had a whole Parthenon of deities so one more did not matter. But when a Christian declares, "your gods are no gods, for there is but One God," then there is persecution. It is only when Jesus Christ is declared as God does persecution come.
Adopted from "The Implications of Believing in the Trinity" by Hartwell T. Paul Davis
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