Jesus and other Religions
Jesus of Nazareth 7–2 BC/BCE to 26–36 AD/CE),[2][3] was a 1st century Jewish teacher who Christians believe is the son of God, and thus is the central figure of Christianity. He is also an important figure in several other religions. Christians name him Christ (Greek: Anointed One, or Messiah).
Islam holds Jesus (Arabic: عيسى `Īsĝ) to have been a messenger of God who had been sent to guide the Children of Israel (banī isrĝ'īl) with a new scripture, the Injīl (gospel).[114] According the Qur'an, believed by Muslims to be God's final revelation, Jesus was born to Mary (Arabic: Maryam) as the result of virginal conception, a miraculous event which occurred by the decree of God (Arabic: Allah). To aid him in his quest, Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles. These included speaking from the cradle, curing the blind and the lepers, as well as raising the dead; all by the permission of God.
Is Jesus God ? : Sikh view
Sikhs do not believe that Jesus is God. Rather Sikhs believe that there is only ONE God and that is God Himself. God is neither born and nor does He die. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and all knowing and thus He is everywhere, in everything and can do anything and everything.
When someone speaks of a man being God, it is wrong because a man cannot be God, but more correctly a man can be one with God. Sikhs do not discount that Jesus may have merged with God, but Sikhs do not believe that Jesus is God.
A much-used analogy to describe this is that of an ocean. A human can become one with God just like a rain droplets mingles with the ocean. God is an ocean of light and His light is disbursed in all His creation represented as souls. Jesus could have been one God but not God himself.
Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Scripture of Sikhs states, “O my friend, you dignity lies in merging in the one whom you originated from”. Guru Granth Sahib further says (page 1426-1429), “The one who is not affected by happiness, pain, greed, emotional attachment and egotistical pride. The one who is beyond praise and slander, and treats iron and gold alike. The one who is not touched by pain or pleasure, and treats his friends and enemies alike. The one who does not terrorize anyone and neither is afraid of anybody. The one who has left all the materialistic things, renounces wealth and have detached himself from this world, The one who recites the name of God day and night. That person becomes the image of Lord, he becomes united with God and merges in the fearless Lord. There no longer remains any difference between that person and God. That person and God become One.” Sikh Gurus had become One with God before they preached about God in this world. The Bible says, “The Father and I are one” (John 10:31). Meaning that Jesus and God are one. Just like Sikh Gurus and God are one. God then sent Gurus to the earth to enlighten people. When Gurus were on earth they were a part of God, in other words the son of God but NOT God.
The answer may come as a shock to many Christians but Jesus never said he is God. Actually, he said over and over that he is the son of God, which means that he is not God. Jesus made it clear in many ways that he is not God; that God is greater. “If you truly loved me you would rejoice to have me go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). Jesus taught the mankind to pray to the Father, our Creator, not to himself. In fact, he did not mention himself in any way, nor did he indicate that we should pray in his name. His instructions were very specific, we are to pray to God alone.
The result of human errors and the misinterpretation of the Bible leads many Christians to believe that Jesus is God. The first verse of John is very misleading in explaining the word of God. “In the beginning was the Word; The Word was in God's presence, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). An objective reading of this verse raises the question: If the “Word” was in “God's presence”, how could it be God? When something is in your presence, it has to be, by definition, separate from you. The logical understanding of these lines is that the “Word” originates from God, or represents God. In addition, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory: the glory of an only son coming from the Father filled with enduring love” (John 1:14). This verse makes a clear distinction between the Word and the Father. In no way does it argue for the divinity of Jesus. The Word comes from God, and thus reflects the glory of the Creator. This understanding is confirmed by the fact that throughout the Gospels, Jesus emphasizes that he did not speak on his own, that God told him what to say. This clearly indicates that Jesus delivered the Word of God, not that he was God. Here is an illustration, “whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me" (John 12:44-50). In John 8:40, Jesus describes himself as "a man who has told you the truth which I have heard from God”. Thus again we see that Jesus delivered the Word of God.
In Luke 9:35 Bible says, “This is my Son, My chosen One; listen to Him!” This clearly explains that when Jesus was on the earth he was the son of God (a soul send to this world by God) but not God Himself. If a person thinks he can sail his ship in a rain droplet then he is in oblivion. But if he believes he can sail his ship in the ocean then he is on the right track. If one worships Jesus then he is in oblivion as Jesus is not God but a part of God. One should not worship Jesus but One God only. The tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji said, “Those who worship me will be destined to hell. Consider me the son of God and worship my Father.” Jesus himself said to worship his father. When Jesus was on earth he refer to a supreme being high above as his Father. If Jesus is God then why would he refer to someone else as God? But even if you still believe that Jesus is God then look it at this way. Suppose he is God, then Christians are worshipping God and Sikhs are worshipping God. Now suppose Jesus is not God, then Sikhs are still worshipping God, are Christians? The answer is No.
Jesus & Nanak
Who is Jesus Christ? I see him as a wonderful parallel with the person of Nanak, the first Sikh Guru. There is no direct connection between Christ and the Sikh Gurus. They do not intersect each other. The two form separate and distinct temporal and spatial points in our history, but when we look closely at them, they illuminate each other. By looking at them as parallel phenomena, we not only learn more about the founders of Christianity and Sikhism, but we also get a better sense of ourselves, of our neighbours, and of the world we live in. Both Christ and Nanak are remembered in almost identical ways. Churches resound with hymns like "Christ is the light of the world," and Sikh Gurdwaras with "satgur nanak pragatia miti dhundh jag chanan hoia -- as Nanak appeared, mist and darkness disappeared into light." The powerful and substanceless light used across cultures and across centuries reveals the common patterns of our human imagination.
Jesus and Nanak ushered a way of life that was illuminating and liberating. It is interesting that both claimed they had no control over their speech. Spontaneously, effortlessly, they revealed what they were endowed with. According to the gospel of John: "I do not speak of my own accord... what the Father has told me is what I speak" And Guru Nanak, "haun bol na janda mai kahia sabhu hukmao jio - I don't know how to speak, I utter what you command me." In each case, then, the Divine is the Voice.
Their message too bears a striking resemblance. Against ceremonial rituals and orthodox formalities, both Jesus and Nanak directed their followers to the human condition. For them cleanliness did not reside in external codes and behavior; it was an inner attitude towards life and living. Just as Christ denounced the superiority of all those who walked about in long robes, Nanak denounced those who wore loincloths and smeared themselves with ashes.
Most importantly, both Jesus and Nanak showed us the path of love. In the Gospels Jesus says, "The greatest commandment of all is this - love your God with all your soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbour as yourself." In the same vein, the Sikh Gurus applauded love as the supreme virtue, "sunia mania, manu kita bhau." Bhau or love is passionate and takes lovers to those depths of richness and fullness where there is freedom from all kinds of prejudices and limitations. But we need to put their words in practice. Love for the Divine would open and expand us towards our families and neighbours; it would enable us to cast aside racism, sexism, and classism so prevalent in our contemporary society. We need to remember their message of love for all our "neighbours" - high and low, black and white, men and women too. In fact Christ revealed himself first to Mary. Throughout his ministry, he healed and helped women, and reminds us of "mother's joy" that a human being has been born into the world. The Mother is an important figure in Sikh scripture, for the transcendent One is both father and mother, and Guru Nanak repeatedly points to the womb in which we are first lodged. Mother's body and joy, and the earth, our common matrix to which we all equally belong, are celebrated throughout the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. But of course, memory is selective and the patriarchs with their access to the words of Christ and Nanak have remembered, interpreted, and kept them for themselves. It is important that each of us begins to see the Christian and Sikh scriptures from our own eyes and experience their rich legacy.
