Then Jesus, having lifted his hand in token of silence, said: `Verily ye have erred greatly, O Israelites, in calling me, a man, your God. And I fear that God may for this give heavy plague upon the holy city, handing it over in servitude to strangers. O a thousand times accursed Satan, that hath moved you to this!'
And having said this, Jesus smote his face with both his hands, whereupon arose such a noise of weeping that none could hear what Jesus was saying. Whereupon once more he lifted up his hand in token of silence, and the people being quieted from their weeping, he spake once more: `I confess before heaven, and I call to witness everything that dwelleth upon the earth, that I am a stranger to all that ye have said; seeing that I am man, born of mortal woman, subject to the judgement of God, suffering the miseries of eating and sleeping, of cold and heat, like other men. Wherefore when God shall come to judge, my words like a sword shall pierce each one [ of them] that believe me to be more than man.'
And having said this, Jesus saw a great multitude of horsemen, whereby he perceived that there were coming the governor with Herod and the high-priest.
Then said Jesus: `Perchance they also are become mad.'
When the governor arrived there, with Herod and the priest, every one dismounted, and they made a circle round about Jesus, insomuch that the soldiery could not keep back the people that were desirous to hear Jesus speaking with the priest.
Jesus drew near to the priest with reverence, but he was wishful to bow himself down and worship Jesus, when Jesus cried out: `Beware of that which thou doest, priest of the living God! Sin not against our God!'
The priest answered: `Now is Judaea so greatly moved over thy signs and thy teaching that they cry out that thou art God; wherefore, constrained by the people, I am come hither with the Roman governor and king Herod. We pray thee therefore from our heart, that thou wilt be content to remove the sedition which is arisen on thy account. For some say thou art God, some say thou art son of God, and some say thou art a prophet.'
Jesus answered: `And thou, O high-priest of God, wherefore hast thou not quieted this sedition? Art thou also, perchance, gone out of thy mind? Have the prophecies, with the law of God, so passed into oblivion, O wretched Judaea, deceived of Satan!'
An Islamic Perspective and Commentary
by
Ishaq Zahid
The dialogue between Jesus and God
"Wherefore when God shall come to judge, my words like a sword shall pierce each one [ of them] that believe me to be more than man."
The above words of Jesus (peace be on him) remind us of the Day of Judgement, when Jesus has to answer God if he had called himself son of God. In fact, the dialogue between Jesus and God on that day is given in the Holy Quran, as below.
And behold! God will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God'?"
He will say: "Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. "Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, 'worship God, my Lord and your Lord'; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when Thou didst take me up Thou wast the Watcher over them, and Thou art a witness to all things. "If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant: If Thou dost forgive them, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise."
God will say: "This is a day on which the truthful will profit from their truth: theirs are gardens, with rivers flowing beneath,- their eternal Home: God well-pleased with them, and they with God: That is the great salvation, (the fulfilment of all desires). To God doth belong the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein, and it is He Who hath power over all things. (The Holy Quran, 5:119-123)