They cherry pick portions of verses from the New Testament to try to support their claim that Jesus did not die, solely because they choose to believe that their "Allah" replaced Jesus with Judas and (unjustly) crucified Judas instead.
Here is one portion of a verse that they use from Matthew 26:
39 Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me."
They read this and they say, "You see? He prayed that the Father would not make Him go to the cross! And since He was a good man, He knew God would answer His prayer!"
But what Muslims do not quote is the rest of that verse because in it, Jesus says:
"Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Jesus knew what torture and abuse He was going to suffer at the hands of cruel Roman soldiers and even His own people. The Son of God could have simply chosen to stop right in the middle of all the merciless pain and cruelty, call on His Father to send down legions of angels and just destroy these sinful people.
But instead He prayed, "Not as I will, but as You will."
And the Father's will is exactly what Jesus followed. Just as He had told His disciples, the Son of Man did suffer many things at the hands of men and was killed but, as He promised (see Mark 8:31, 9:31 and 10:34, for example), He rose again after three days.
Here is another verse that Muslims use to pretend there was no crucifixion of Jesus. It is found in Hebrews 5:
7 During His earthly life, He offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.
Muslims take this verse to say that the Father answered Jesus' prayer to be spared the cross (though, as we have already seen, that is not quite all of what Jesus prayed), and that Father God answered Him by replacing Jesus with Judas on the cross.
Again, what they do not cite is the next verse from Hebrews 5, because it says:
8 Though He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.
Muslims do not cite this verse firstly because it says Jesus is the Son of God (their prophet Muhammad taught them that Allah cannot have a son because he has no consort), but also because it affirms that Jesus did, in fact, suffer. Jesus suffered all the torture and pain of the cross and He did die, because that is what He had told His disciples He was going to do. If YHWH God does anything, it is to keep His Word.
But the Father did hear Jesus' prayer in the Garden. And He answered Him by not leaving Him to rot in the grave and by raising Him up again after three days, just as He had promised.
In contrast to these two passages, the Gospels are explicit about what happened at the cross. Here is the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of the word "explicit:"
"very clear and complete: leaving no doubt about the meaning"The verses cited below from all 4 Gospels leave no doubt at all as to what actually happened at the cross. See for yourself:
Matthew 27:50
International Standard Version
Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice again and died.
GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Jesus loudly cried out once again and gave up his life.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit.
Mark 15:37
GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice and died.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But Yeshua cried with a loud voice, and he expired.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
But Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed His last.
from Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"
Luke 23:46 GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit." After he said this, he died.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Yeshua called out in a loud voice and he said, “My Father, into your hands I lay down my spirit.” He said this and he expired.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
And Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit." Saying this, He breathed His last.
from Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"
John 19:30
GOD'S WORD® Translation
After Jesus had taken the vinegar, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and died.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
When he took the vinegar, Yeshua said, “Behold, it is finished.” And he bowed his head and gave up his Spirit.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Taking them from all 4 Gospels proves that there was no confusion whatsoever among the Apostles and disciples as to the events which had just changed their lives -- and ours -- forever.
We quoted 3 different English versions to show our Muslim friends that having different versions of the Bible does not mean they say different things.
All the versions tell us the same thing: Jesus died on the cross.
But our story does not end with the death of Jesus' human body, because the whole point of Messiah's mission was to make full and final atonement for the sins of mankind. Three days later outside Jesus' empty tomb, two angels asked His women disciples,
“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?... He is not here, but He has been resurrected!" Luke 24:5-6
If you do not yet know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, this is what He says:
“Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades." Revelation 1:17-18
Jesus is LORD!
See also:
Jesus Teaches About His Coming Death and Resurrection
http://apologika.blogspot.com/2013/12/jesus-teaches-about-his-coming-death.html
Two Old Testament Prophets Who Witnessed to the Coming Crucifixion and Death of Jesus?
http://apologika.blogspot.com/2013/12/two-ot-prophets-who-witnessed-to-coming.html
Who Was Judas' Double?
http://apologika.blogspot.com/2014/06/who-was-judas-body-double.html
Muslims Follow Jesus?
http://apologika.blogspot.com/2014/07/muslims-follow-jesus.html
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