Jesus (peace be upon him) spent a limited time delivering his message—some estimate it to be no more than three years. During this time, people knew him only as a prophet among the many prophets sent to the Children of Israel.
The first generation of Christians—Jesus’ followers and disciples who lived with him—believed in the oneness of God and recognized that Jesus (peace be upon him) was merely a human being sent by God, just as many other messengers had been sent before him.
Even the current versions of the Gospels—despite the distortions and alterations they have undergone—contain numerous verses explicitly indicating that Jesus was a messenger of God, not a deity. Jesus is quoted as saying:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:16).
If, as Jesus himself states, a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him, and there is a distinction between the sender and the sent, let us examine the Gospels to confirm that Jesus was indeed sent by God as His messenger:
In the First Epistle of John, it is stated:”God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).
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In the story of the Canaanite woman as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said:”I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).This is a clear acknowledgment of his mission as a messenger. If he were divine, how could he have been sent?
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The Gospel of John quotes Jesus:”For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without measure” (John 3:34).Here, Jesus declares himself a prophet speaking God’s words, and emphasizes that the Holy Spirit does not descend upon him alone, but upon all prophets and messengers.
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Jesus said:”I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 5:30).“The Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me” (John 5:37).
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Following one of his miracles, Jesus said:”Father, I thank You that You have heard me. I knew that You always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent me” (John 11:41-42).The purpose of miracles, as performed by all prophets, is to affirm their role as messengers of God.
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In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said:”I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43).His statement, “I was sent,” clearly indicates his role as a messenger tasked with calling people to the truth.
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The Gospel of John further quotes Jesus:”For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49).“As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21).
- John the Baptist also confirmed Jesus’ status as a messenger:”For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God” (John 3:34).
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The repeated mention of the phrase “sent me” in these texts demonstrates a fundamental principle: the one who is sent (messenger) is distinct from the one who sends (God). Jesus himself articulated this distinction, stating:
“No messenger is greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:16).
Thus, the Qur’an speaks the truth when it declares:
“The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers who passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They both ate food. See how We make the signs clear to them; yet see how they are deluded away!” (Al-Ma’idah: 75).
