Why Muslims reject Easter: Three Questions every Muslim has about Easter
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Easter is coming soon - and though Muslims believe in Jesus (they call Him “Prophet Isa”), they do reject the truth about His crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Easter, or better called “Resurrection Day,” is not important in Islam, because they do not believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
There are three main points that Muslims argue or question about Easter. Below, we’ve explained each of these arguments so you can understand where your Muslim friend is coming from. Then we outline the best answer for each argument and how to then point your Muslim friend to the gospel.
1. Is there historical evidence for the crucifixion?
Muslims are taught that the crucifixion was not real, a lie made up by Jesus’ disciples. They argue that even if it did happen, it was not Jesus who was on the cross, but Allah saved him and put someone else in His place.
Answer: There are lots of non-Christian and Christian sources that attest to the crucifixion of Jesus as a real historical event. The majority of these sources date back to the first or second century, whereas the Quran was written in the seventh century, 600 years after Jesus’ life on earth.
One thing you can tell your Muslim friend, if you are talking about these theories, is that there are at least 17 non-Christian historical sources that attest to the crucifixion of Jesus, including Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian; Cornelius Tacitus, a Roman citizen; and the Jewish Talmud. These help verify that it was Jesus on the cross, and that he did die.
2. How could you say God died?
Many Muslims are offended by the thought of Jesus dying on a cross, especially since Christians argue that Jesus is Lord. Muslims believe that Christians essentially claim that humans killed God. If your Muslim friend brings this up in conversation, you can discuss it with them.
Answer: If God were to die, the entire universe would cease to exist! When Jesus died on the cross, His physical heart stopped beating, and He physically died. However, Christ’s divine spirit was still alive, which is how He raised Himself from the dead three days later.
You can share the story with them from Matthew 27, especially verses 45-54 that outline the moment Christ died.
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.” Matthew 27:50
3. Do you worship the cross?
Muslims do not have artwork of any kind other than geometric figures. They believe this prevents the worship of anything other than Allah. When Muslims see prominent Christian artwork in churches, especially depicting the cross, they assume this means that we worship the cross.
If your Muslim friend brings this up, you can explain why the image of the cross is so special to you.
Answer: I know you see the cross all over churches and in Christian circles, but we do not worship the cross. We keep images of the cross around to remind us of the sacrifice Jesus made for our sins so He could bring us back into a relationship with God. The only thing significant about the cross is the death of Jesus Christ on it!
You can also explain that the Bible warns about idolatry, and we are only instructed to worship God, never anything else.
Tips to remember when talking to Muslims about Jesus’ death and resurrection
Even if your Muslim friends do believe that Jesus was crucified, this doesn’t change anything for them unless they also believe:
Jesus is the Son of God
He is the sinless sacrifice
He rose from the dead and is now alive
Learn more about sharing the entire gospel story with a Muslim friend: 5 key steps for sharing the gospel with a Muslim in 10 minutes.
The biggest thing to emphasize with your Muslim friend is that Christ is the only sinless person; that's why He is able to pay the price of our sins, and because He loves us, He offered Himself as a sacrifice and physically died on the cross. This is how He brings us back into a relationship with God.
Easter, or more accurately, Resurrection Day, is a season of love and redemption! Let us share this joyous news with our Muslim friends.
