Dr. Mike Licona Explains Why Islam Gets Jesus Wrong

Core Differences in Understanding Jesus

• 💡 The New Testament presents Jesus as God's uniquely Divine Son, who died by crucifixion and rose from the dead.
• ❌ The Quran, however, denies Jesus' divinity, his death by crucifixion, and consequently, his resurrection.

Historical Evidence for Jesus' Crucifixion

• 🔍 Multiple independent sources, including the New Testament, early oral traditions, and even non-Christian historians like Josephus and Tacitus, report Jesus' death by crucifixion.
• ⚠️ Surviving crucifixion by natural causes was historically improbable, requiring deliberate removal from the cross and significant medical intervention, for which there is no evidence in Jesus' case.
• ✝️ The Quran states Jesus did not die but only appeared to have done so, creating a theological dilemma: if Jesus predicted his death and the Quran denies it, then the Quran is mistaken; if Jesus did not predict his death, he was not the prophet Islam claims.

Evidence for the Resurrection

• 📜 Historians, including atheists and agnostics, generally agree on key facts: Jesus died by crucifixion, his followers experienced what they interpreted as appearances of the Risen Jesus, and a persecutor named Paul was radically transformed after an experience he believed was an appearance of the Risen Jesus.
• 🧠 The hypothesis that Jesus rose from the dead is presented as the most adequate explanation for these undisputed historical facts, refuting alternative explanations like disciples lying, hallucination, or legend.
• ❤️ The narrative of Jesus' death and resurrection is described as an overwhelmingly beautiful story of God's love, where Jesus took humanity's place in punishment.