Mohammad and Jesus Christ are two prominent names in the history of world religions. These two individuals are most followed religious leaders in its history itself. Jesus Christ was born about 6 B. C. ; crucified about 29 A. D. ), the founder of Christianity. The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means “God saves. ” Christ is the title, and is the Greek term for the Hebrew Messiah, “the Anointed One. ”
There are two basic conceptions of Jesus Christ as the founder of Christianity: (1) that he is the Son of God, one of the Trinity; and (2) that God sent him into the world to live as human beings live, to suffer as they rise in glory from the grave. The belief is that Jesus Christ was both divine and human, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He was tempted as men are tempted but lived without sin. Christians regard Jesus as Redeemer and savior, who was sent to atone for the sins of mankind and to open the door to eternal life for everyone.
They believe that he will come to earth again at the Last Judgment to judge the living and the dead and to bring the present world order to an end. Information about Jesus’ life comes from the New Testament, Mark, Luke, and John. The purpose of the Gospels is not to record the life of Jesus, but to proclaim the “good news” (the literal meaning of gospel) of salvation in Christ. They represent only highlights of Jesus’ life and teachings, with emphasis on his Crucifixion and Resurrection. On the other hand, Mohammad or Mahomet or Muhammad was an Arabian prophet and the founder of Islam, the religion of the Moslems.
A brilliant religious teacher, a wise governor, and a successful military leader, he was one of the most influential men (second to Jesus Christ) in history. The Koran, Islam’s sacred book, consists of Mohammad’s teachings as recorded by his followers. Moslems believe that Allah (God) is the author of the Koran, and that he spoke to the Arabians through Mohammad, the last of his prophets. Moslems do not regard Mohammad as being divine and for that reason they object to the terms Mohammedanism and Mohammedans, sometimes used by Westerners for Islam and Moslems.
Less is known of Mohammad’s personal life from the Koran than from early biographies, and from sayings and deeds traditionally attributed to him. This study investigates the life between Jesus Christ and Mohammad. II. Discussion a) Jesus Christ Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a village in Palestine five miles (8km) south of Jerusalem. Palestine was under Roman dominations with Herod the Great as its puppet ruler. There is no way of reckoning Jesus’ exact birth date. The Christian calendar, devised in the sixth century, places the Nativity in the year 1 A. D. Most scholars however, believe that Herod died in 4 B. C. and that Jesus was born two or three years earlier.
The Nativity has been celebrated on December 25 since the fourth A. D. Luke tells of the decree of Emperor Augustus that required everyone to go to his native village to be taxed. Mary and her husband Joseph had to go from their home in Nazareth, Galilee, to Bethlehem, Judea. Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room in the inn. A manger (a feeding trough for livestock) serves as a crib.
Luke reports that shepherds came to worship him, and Matthew tells of the wise men from the east, who saw a brilliant star in the sky and came to pay homage to him. Herod, alarmed by the birth of a child described by the wise men as “King of the Jews,” ordered the massacre of all young children in or near Bethlehem in an attempt to kill Jesus. Joseph and his family escaped by fleeing to Egypt (see Schillebeeckx, Edward. Christ: the experience of Jesus as Lord (Seabury Press, 2002). After Herod died, Joseph took his family back to Nazareth.
The parents were devout Jews. Jesus received careful religious instruction and spent much time in studying the Scriptures (Old Testament). His language was Aramaic, a Semitic tongue. Joseph was a carpenter, and Jesus probably learned the trade. Mark (6:3) reports that Jesus had four brothers—James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon (Catholics believe “brothers may refer either to cousins of Jesus or to half-brothers from an earlier marriage of Joseph). • Ministry and Teachings When Jesus was 30 years old, he was baptized by his cousin John the Baptists.
He then went into the wilderness, where he fasted 40 days while he meditated over his mission and was tempted by the devil. He rejected three temptations: that he cater to the physical needs of his people, that he use his miraculous powers to win favor by spectacular methods, and that he use political methods and set up an earthly empire (see Alexander, Patricia, editor. The Life and Words of Jesus (Harper & Row, 1999). o Ministry The work of Jesus as a prophet, teacher, and healer is called his ministry.
He began his ministry shortly after he came back from the wilderness. It is commonly believed that he taught three years. Jesus spent most of his time in Galilee, especially in Capernaum and around the Sea of Galilee. He preached in synagogues and homes, on hillsides and along the lakeshore. Much of his teachings were in parables, such as the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus performed many miracles. He healed many sick and raised several persons from the dead (see Bull, Norman. The Story of Jesus (Abingdon Press, 1999).