Defending the Christian Faith in Conversation with Islam — Sehemu ya 7: Ufufuo wa YesuDefending the Christian Faith in Conversation with Islam — Unit 7: The Resurrection of Jesus

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Maana, nalitoa kwenu kwanza yale niliyoyapokea mimi, ya kwamba Kristo alikufa kwa ajili ya dhambi zetu, sawasawa na maandiko; na ya kwamba alizikwa; na ya kwamba alifufuka siku ya tatu, sawasawa na maandiko" (1 Wakorintho 15:3-4, SUV)"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza sehemu hii, unapaswa kuweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kueleza Waislamu wengi wanaamini nini kuhusu mwisho wa maisha ya Yesu hapa duniani, na kwa nini, kwao, swali la ufufuo hutegemea swali la msalaba.1. Explain what most Muslims believe about the end of Jesus' life on earth and why, for them, the question of the resurrection depends on the question of the cross.

2. Kuwasilisha ushahidi mkuu wa kihistoria wa ufufuo: kanuni ya imani ya mapema ya 1 Wakorintho 15:3-8, kaburi tupu, kuonekana kwake, na mabadiliko ya wanafunzi.2. Present the main historical evidence for the resurrection: the early creed of 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, the empty tomb, the appearances, and the transformation of the disciples.

3. Kujibu maelezo mbadala makuu, yakiwemo mwili ulioibwa, njozi za akilini, nadharia ya kuzirai, na nadharia ya kuwekwa mtu mwingine mahali pake.3. Answer the main alternative explanations, including the stolen body, hallucinations, the swoon theory and the substitution theory.

4. Kuonyesha kwa nini ufufuo ni muhimu katika mazungumzo na Waislamu na jinsi unavyothibitisha Yesu ni nani.4. Show why the resurrection matters in conversation with Muslims and how it confirms who Jesus is.

5. Kuzungumza kuhusu Kristo aliyefufuka na rafiki Waislamu kwa uwazi, upole na heshima.5. Speak about the risen Christ with Muslim friends with clarity, gentleness and respect.

Kwa Nini Sehemu Hii Ni MuhimuWhy This Unit Matters

Katika sehemu iliyopita tulijifunza kuhusu kusulubiwa. Tuliona kwamba kifo cha Yesu juu ya msalaba wa Kirumi ni mojawapo ya mambo yaliyothibitishwa vizuri zaidi katika historia ya kale. Sasa tunageukia tukio linalopa msalaba maana yake. Kama Yesu alikufa na akabaki amekufa, imani ya Kikristo haina habari njema. Paulo anasema wazi: "Na Kristo asipofufuka, imani yenu ni ubatili, mmekuwa angali bado katika dhambi zenu" (1 Wakorintho 15:17, SUV). Ufufuo si fundisho moja kati ya mengi. Ni jiwe la msingi la kanisa.In the last unit we studied the crucifixion. We saw that the death of Jesus on a Roman cross is one of the best-established facts of ancient history. Now we turn to the event that gives the cross its meaning. If Jesus died and stayed dead, the Christian faith has no good news. Paul says it plainly: "And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!" (1 Corinthians 15:17). The resurrection is not one doctrine among many. It is the foundation stone of the church.

Kwa mchungaji anayehudumu miongoni mwa Waislamu, ufufuo pia ni mojawapo ya mahali penye nguvu zaidi pa kusimama. Waislamu tayari wanaamini kwamba Mungu ana nguvu zote. Tayari wanaamini kwamba Mungu atawafufua wafu siku ya mwisho. Tayari wanamheshimu Yesu kama nabii na kama Masihi. Kwa hiyo swali tunalowawekea si "Je, Mungu anaweza kuwafufua wafu?" Kila Mwislamu anakubali kwamba anaweza. Swali ni "Je, Mungu alimfufua Yesu kutoka kwa wafu siku ya tatu, kama Yesu mwenyewe alivyosema atafanya?" Hilo ni swali la historia, na historia inaweza kuchunguzwa.For a pastor who ministers among Muslims, the resurrection is also one of the strongest places to stand. Muslims already believe that God is all-powerful. They already believe that God will raise the dead on the Last Day. They already honour Jesus as a prophet and as the Messiah. So the question we place before them is not "Can God raise the dead?" Every Muslim agrees that He can. The question is "Did God raise Jesus from the dead on the third day, as Jesus Himself said He would?" That is a question of history, and history can be examined.

Waislamu Wanaamini Nini Kuhusu Mwisho wa Maisha ya YesuWhat Muslims Believe About the End of Jesus' Life

Kabla ya kujibu, ni lazima tueleze imani ya Kiislamu kwa haki, kama Mwislamu mwenye ufahamu angeikubali. Andiko kuu ni Kurani 4:157-158. Mstari wa Kurani huitwa aya (wingi aya), na sura huitwa sura. Aya hizi zinasema kwamba Wayahudi walidai kumwua Masihi, lakini "hawakumwua wala hawakumsulubisha, bali alifananishwa kwao" (Kurani 4:157, Pickthall). Aya inayofuata inasema, "Bali Mwenyezi Mungu alimpandisha kwake" (Kurani 4:158, Pickthall).Before we answer, we must describe Islamic belief fairly, as an informed Muslim would recognize it. The key text is Qur'an 4:157-158. A Qur'an verse is called an ayah (plural ayat), and a chapter is called a sura. These verses say that the Jews claimed to have killed the Messiah, but "they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them" (Qur'an 4:157, Pickthall). The next verse says, "But Allah took him up unto Himself" (Qur'an 4:158, Pickthall).

Kutokana na aya hizi, Waislamu wengi wa Kisunni na wa Kishia wanashikilia mambo matatu. Kwanza, Yesu hakufa msalabani. Pili, Mungu alimpandisha Yesu mbinguni akiwa mzima na hai kimwili bila yeye kufa. Tatu, Yesu atarudi karibu na mwisho wa dunia. Walimu wengi wa Kiislamu huongeza kwamba baada ya kurudi kwake Yesu ataishi maisha yake yote, atakufa kifo cha kawaida, na baadaye atafufuliwa pamoja na watu wote siku ya Ufufuo. Wengine hufasiri Kurani 19:33 hivi, ambapo Yesu anasema, "Amani iwe juu yangu siku nilipozaliwa, na siku nitakayokufa, na siku nitakayofufuliwa nikiwa hai!" (Pickthall).From these verses, most Sunni and Shia Muslims hold three beliefs. First, Jesus did not die on the cross. Second, God raised Jesus bodily and alive into heaven without his dying. Third, Jesus will return near the end of the world. Many Muslim teachers add that after his return Jesus will live out his life, die a natural death, and later be raised with all people on the Day of Resurrection. Some understand Qur'an 19:33 in this way, where Jesus says, "Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!" (Pickthall).

Zingatia maana yake. Kwa Waislamu wengi, Yesu hakuwahi kufa, kwa hiyo hakuweza kufufuliwa siku ya tatu. Mazungumzo yetu kuhusu ufufuo kwa hiyo daima yanajumuisha mazungumzo kuhusu msalaba. Hatuwezi kuruka ushahidi wa Sehemu ya 6. Yesu aliyefufuka ni Yesu aliyekufa kweli kwanza.Notice what this means. For most Muslims, Jesus was never dead, so he could not have been raised from the dead on the third day. Our conversation about the resurrection therefore always includes the conversation about the cross. We cannot skip the evidence of Unit 6. A risen Jesus is a Jesus who first truly died.

Pia kuna kikundi kidogo cha kufahamu. Harakati ya Ahmadiyya, iliyoanza India mwishoni mwa miaka ya 1800, inafundisha kwamba Yesu aliwekwa msalabani lakini hakufa huko. Wanasema alizimia, akapona, na baadaye akasafiri kuelekea mashariki, ambako alikufa kifo cha kawaida. Waislamu wengine wengi hawaikubali harakati ya Ahmadiyya, lakini mafundisho yake kuhusu Yesu yameenea sana katika sehemu fulani za Afrika. Mtazamo huu ni aina ya kile wasomi wanachokiita "nadharia ya kuzirai," nasi tutaujibu hapa chini. Nabeel Qureshi, ambaye hadithi yake tuliikuta katika Sehemu ya 1, alikulia katika familia ya Ahmadi, kwa hiyo alijua mtazamo huu kutoka ndani.There is also a smaller group to know about. The Ahmadiyya movement, which began in India in the late 1800s, teaches that Jesus was put on the cross but did not die there. They say he fainted, recovered, and later travelled east, where he died of natural causes. Most other Muslims do not accept the Ahmadiyya movement, but its teaching about Jesus is spread widely in parts of Africa. This view is a form of what scholars call the "swoon theory," and we will answer it below. Nabeel Qureshi, whose story we met in Unit 1, grew up in an Ahmadi family, so he knew this view from the inside.

Jinsi Tunavyoukaribia UshahidiHow We Approach the Evidence

Wakristo wanaamini ufufuo kwa sababu Neno la Mungu linautangaza. Lakini tunapozungumza na Waislamu, hatuwezi kusema tu, "Biblia inasema hivyo," kwa sababu Waislamu wengi wanaamini kwamba Biblia imebadilishwa. (Tutajifunza dai hilo katika Sehemu ya 8.) Kwa hiyo tunaanza pale pande zote mbili zinapoweza kukutana: zana za kawaida za historia. Tunauliza vyanzo vya mapema kabisa vinasema nini na ni mambo gani karibu wanahistoria wote wanayakubali, hata wenye mashaka.Christians believe the resurrection because God's Word declares it. But when we speak with Muslims, we cannot simply say, "The Bible says so," because many Muslims believe the Bible has been changed. (We will study that claim in Unit 8.) So we begin where both sides can meet: the ordinary tools of history. We ask what the earliest sources say and which facts nearly all historians accept, even sceptical ones.

Msomi Gary Habermas ameufanya mtazamo huu ujulikane vizuri. Anakusanya mambo yaliyoungwa mkono vizuri hivi kwamba wasomi wengi wanaosoma somo hili wanayakubali, wawe waumini au la. Kisha anauliza ni maelezo gani yanayoeleza vizuri zaidi mambo hayo yote kwa pamoja. Sisi tutafuata njia kama hiyo. Nabeel Qureshi alijadili kwa namna kama hiyo. Katika miaka ya mazungumzo ya kirafiki na rafiki yake Mkristo David Wood, alisoma hoja za kihistoria kuhusu kifo na ufufuo wa Yesu, na akaona kwamba ushahidi una nguvu.The scholar Gary Habermas has made this approach well known. He gathers facts that are so well supported that most scholars who study the subject accept them, whether they are believers or not. Then he asks which explanation best accounts for all of those facts together. We will follow a similar path. Nabeel Qureshi argued in a similar way. During years of friendly debate with his Christian friend David Wood, he studied the historical case for the death and resurrection of Jesus, and he came to see that the evidence was strong.

Ushahidi wa UfufuoThe Evidence for the Resurrection

Kanuni ya Imani ya Mapema ya 1 Wakorintho 15:3-8The Early Creed of 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Andiko moja muhimu zaidi ni 1 Wakorintho 15:3-8. Paulo anaandika kwamba "alitoa" kwa Wakorintho yale aliyoyapokea kwanza. Haya yalikuwa maneno ambayo walimu walitumia kupitisha mapokeo yasiyobadilika kwa uangalifu, kama mwalimu anayekabidhi somo la kukariri. Kifungu hiki kina umbo la kanuni fupi ya imani, muhtasari wa imani uliokusudiwa kujifunzwa na kurudiwa.The most important single text is 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. Paul writes that he "delivered" to the Corinthians what he had first "received." These were the words teachers used for passing on a fixed tradition carefully, like a teacher handing down a lesson to be memorized. The passage has the shape of a short creed, a summary of belief meant to be learned and repeated.

Kanuni hiyo inasema kwamba Kristo alikufa kwa ajili ya dhambi zetu, kwamba alizikwa, kwamba alifufuka siku ya tatu, na kwamba alionekana. Kisha Paulo anataja wale waliomwona: Petro (aitwaye Kefa), wale kumi na wawili, zaidi ya ndugu mia tano kwa wakati mmoja, Yakobo, mitume wote, na hatimaye Paulo mwenyewe.The creed says that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, that He rose again the third day, and that He was seen. Paul then lists those who saw Him: Peter (called Cephas), the twelve, more than five hundred brethren at once, James, all the apostles, and finally Paul himself.

Kwa nini kanuni hii ni muhimu sana? Kwa sababu ya tarehe yake ya mapema. Wasomi wengi wanakubali kwamba Paulo aliandika 1 Wakorintho katikati ya miaka ya 50 BK, takriban miaka ishirini na mitano baada ya msalaba. Lakini kanuni ya imani ni ya zamani kuliko barua. Paulo aliipokea mapema zaidi, pengine alipowatembelea Petro na Yakobo huko Yerusalemu takriban miaka mitatu baada ya kuongoka kwake (Wagalatia 1:18-19). Kwa sababu hii wasomi wengi, wakiwemo baadhi ya wenye mashaka, wanaiweka kanuni hiyo ndani ya miaka michache baada ya kusulubiwa. Hii si hadithi iliyokua kwa karne nyingi. Ilikuwa ikifundishwa wakati mashahidi waliojionea walikuwa hai na wakifanya kazi.Why is this creed so important? Because of its early date. Most scholars agree that Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in the mid-50s AD, about twenty-five years after the cross. But the creed is older than the letter. Paul received it earlier, most likely when he visited Peter and James in Jerusalem about three years after his conversion (Galatians 1:18-19). For this reason many scholars, including some sceptics, date the creed to within a few years of the crucifixion. This is not a story that grew over centuries. It was being taught while the eyewitnesses were alive and active.

Paulo hata anaongeza kwamba wengi wa wale mia tano walikuwa bado hai wakati anaandika (1 Wakorintho 15:6). Kwa kweli alikuwa akisema, "Nendeni mkawaulize." Hakuna anayealika uchunguzi wa namna hiyo kama hadithi ni ya kubuni.Paul even adds that most of the five hundred were still living when he wrote (1 Corinthians 15:6). In effect he was saying, "Go and ask them." No one invites that kind of checking if the story is invented.

Kaburi TupuThe Empty Tomb

Injili zote nne zinaripoti kwamba kaburi la Yesu lilikutwa tupu siku ya kwanza ya juma. Mambo kadhaa yanaunga mkono hili.All four Gospels report that the tomb of Jesus was found empty on the first day of the week. Several facts support this.

• Mitume walihubiri ufufuo huko Yerusalemu, mji ule ule ambamo Yesu alizikwa. Kama mwili wake ungalikuwa bado kaburini, viongozi wangeweza kuuonyesha na kuumaliza mwendo huo mara moja.• The apostles preached the resurrection in Jerusalem, the very city where Jesus was buried. If His body had still been in the tomb, the authorities could have shown it and ended the movement at once.

• Mashahidi wa kwanza wa kaburi tupu walikuwa wanawake (Luka 24:1-10). Katika utamaduni ule ushuhuda wa wanawake mara nyingi ulipewa uzito mdogo. Kama wanafunzi wangeibuni habari hiyo, hawangewachagua mashahidi ambao watu wengi wangewatilia shaka.• The first witnesses to the empty tomb were women (Luke 24:1-10). In that culture the testimony of women was often given little weight. If the disciples had invented the account, they would not have chosen witnesses whom many people would doubt.

• Jibu la mapema kabisa la wapinzani lilikuwa kwamba wanafunzi waliuiba mwili (Mathayo 28:11-15). Jibu hilo linakubali jambo kuu: kaburi lilikuwa tupu. Mjadala ulikuwa kuhusu sababu.• The earliest answer of the opponents was that the disciples stole the body (Matthew 28:11-15). That answer admits the key point: the tomb was empty. The debate was about why.

Kuonekana KwakeThe Appearances

Kaburi tupu peke yake linaonyesha kwamba mwili haukuwepo. Kuonekana kwake kunaonyesha kwa nini. Agano Jipya linaripoti kwamba Yesu alionekana kwa watu mmoja mmoja na kwa vikundi, ndani ya nyumba na nje, kwa wanaume na kwa wanawake, kwa muda wa siku arobaini (Matendo 1:3). Alizungumza nao, alikula nao na akawaalika wamguse (Luka 24:36-43; Yohana 20:27).The empty tomb alone shows that the body was gone. The appearances show why. The New Testament reports that Jesus appeared to individuals and to groups, indoors and outdoors, to men and to women, over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3). He spoke with them, ate with them and invited them to touch Him (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:27).

Mashahidi wawili wanashangaza hasa kwa sababu hawakuwa waumini hapo awali. Yakobo, ndugu yake Yesu, hakumwamini wakati wa huduma yake (Yohana 7:5). Hata hivyo baada ya ufufuo akawa kiongozi wa kanisa huko Yerusalemu, na kanuni ya imani inasema Yesu alimtokea. Paulo alikuwa mtesi wa kanisa (Wagalatia 1:13). Akawa mmisionari wake mkuu kwa sababu, kama asemavyo, Kristo aliyefufuka alimtokea (1 Wakorintho 15:8-9). Wenye mashaka na maadui hawashawishiki kwa urahisi.Two of the witnesses are especially striking because they were not believers before. James, the brother of Jesus, did not believe in Him during His ministry (John 7:5). Yet after the resurrection he became a leader of the church in Jerusalem, and the creed says Jesus appeared to him. Paul was a persecutor of the church (Galatians 1:13). He became its greatest missionary because, as he says, the risen Christ appeared to him (1 Corinthians 15:8-9). Sceptics and enemies are not easily convinced.

Mabadiliko ya WanafunziThe Transformation of the Disciples

Usiku wa kukamatwa kwake wanafunzi walikimbia, na Petro alimkana Yesu mara tatu. Majuma machache tu baadaye watu hao hao walisimama mbele ya makutano na watawala wakitangaza kwamba Mungu alimfufua Yesu kutoka kwa wafu (Matendo 2:32; Matendo 4:18-20). Walipigwa, wakafungwa gerezani na kutishwa, na vyanzo vingi vya mapema vya Kikristo vinaripoti kwamba kadhaa wao walikufa kwa ajili ya ushuhuda wao.On the night of His arrest the disciples ran away, and Peter denied Jesus three times. Only weeks later these same men stood before crowds and rulers and proclaimed that God had raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:32; Acts 4:18-20). They were beaten, jailed and threatened, and many early Christian sources report that several of them died for their witness.

Watu wakati mwingine hufa kwa ajili ya kitu cha uongo wanachoamini kuwa kweli. Lakini mitume walikuwa katika nafasi ya kujua kama kweli walimwona Yesu akiwa hai. Mtu hateseki na kufa kwa ajili ya kitu anachojua kwamba alikibuni. Ujasiri wao wa ghafla na utayari wao wa kuteseka vinaelezwa vizuri zaidi na kusadiki kwao kwa dhati kwamba walimwona Bwana aliyefufuka.People sometimes die for something false that they believe is true. But the apostles were in a position to know whether they had truly seen Jesus alive. A person does not suffer and die for something he knows he made up. Their sudden courage and their willingness to suffer are best explained by their sincere conviction that they had seen the risen Lord.

Tunaweza kuongeza jambo moja zaidi. Waumini hawa wa mapema walikuwa Wayahudi wacha Mungu. Hata hivyo walianza kukusanyika kwa ibada siku ya kwanza ya juma, Siku ya Bwana, kwa sababu ndiyo siku ya ufufuo (Matendo 20:7). Badiliko la namna hii katika desturi ya kidini iliyokita mizizi linahitaji sababu yenye nguvu.We can add one more fact. These early believers were devout Jews. Yet they began to gather for worship on the first day of the week, the Lord's Day, because that was the day of the resurrection (Acts 20:7). A change like this in a deeply rooted religious practice needs a powerful cause.

Kujibu Maelezo MbadalaAnswering the Alternative Explanations

Maelezo mazuri lazima yaeleze mambo yote kwa pamoja: kifo, maziko, kaburi tupu, kuonekana kwake kwa marafiki na kwa wenye mashaka, na mahubiri ya ujasiri huko Yerusalemu. Hebu tujaribu mbadala kuu.A good explanation must account for all the facts together: the death, the burial, the empty tomb, the appearances to friends and to sceptics, and the bold preaching in Jerusalem. Let us test the main alternatives.

Mwili UlioibwaThe Stolen Body

Wengine husema wanafunzi waliuiba mwili. Lakini hili linaeleza kaburi tupu tu. Halieleze kuonekana kwake, na halieleze kwa nini wanafunzi wangeteseka kwa ajili ya kitu walichojua kuwa udanganyifu. Pia halieleze kuongoka kwa Yakobo na Paulo.Some say the disciples stole the body. But this explains only the empty tomb. It does not explain the appearances, and it does not explain why the disciples would suffer for what they knew was a deception. It also does not explain the conversion of James and Paul.

Njozi za AkiliniHallucinations

Wengine husema wanafunzi waliona maono yaliyosababishwa na huzuni. Lakini njozi za akilini hutokea katika akili za mtu mmoja mmoja. Vikundi vya watu havishiriki njozi ile ile, ilhali Yesu alionekana kwa wale kumi na wawili pamoja na kwa zaidi ya watu mia tano kwa wakati mmoja. Njozi za akilini pia haziwezi kuondoa mwili kaburini, na adui kama Paulo hakuwa akimhuzunikia Yesu.Others say the disciples saw visions produced by grief. But hallucinations happen in individual minds. Groups of people do not share the same hallucination, yet Jesus appeared to the twelve together and to more than five hundred at once. Hallucinations also do not empty a tomb, and an enemy like Paul was not grieving for Jesus.

Nadharia ya KuziraiThe Swoon Theory

Nadharia ya kuzirai, inayoshikiliwa katika namna fulani na harakati ya Ahmadiyya, inasema Yesu alizimia msalabani na baadaye akazinduka kaburini. Askari wa Kirumi walikuwa wauaji wazoefu, waliona kwamba tayari amekufa, na askari mmoja alimchoma ubavuni, na damu na maji vikatoka (Yohana 19:33-34). Hata kama mtu kwa namna fulani angenusurika kusulubiwa, angekuwa amejeruhiwa vibaya, dhaifu na mwenye kuhitaji uangalizi. Mtu wa namna hiyo asingeweza kuwashawishi wafuasi wake kwamba ameshinda kifo na ni Bwana wa uzima. Na nadharia hii inatuacha tukiuliza Yesu alikwenda wapi na kwa nini aliwaacha wafuasi wake wahubiri ufufuo ambao haukutokea kamwe.The swoon theory, held in a form by the Ahmadiyya movement, says that Jesus fainted on the cross and later revived in the tomb. Roman soldiers were experienced executioners, they saw that He was already dead, and one soldier pierced His side, and blood and water came out (John 19:33-34). Even if a man somehow survived crucifixion, he would have been badly wounded, weak and in need of care. Such a man could not have convinced his followers that he had conquered death and was the Lord of life. And this theory leaves us asking where Jesus went and why He let His followers preach a resurrection that never happened.

Nadharia ya Kuwekwa Mtu Mwingine Mahali PakeThe Substitution Theory

Waislamu wengi wanaamini kwamba Mungu alimfanya mtu mwingine afanane na Yesu, na kwamba mtu huyo alisulubiwa mahali pake, huku Mungu akimpandisha Yesu mbinguni. Tulichunguza hili katika Sehemu ya 6, lakini zingatia jinsi linavyolingana na ushahidi wa ufufuo. Kama lingekuwa kweli, Mungu mwenyewe angewafanya wanafunzi, wanawake na makutano waamini jambo la uongo. Kanisa lote la Kikristo lingekuwa limekua kutokana na udanganyifu ulioanzishwa na Mungu. Hili linaibua swali zito kuhusu tabia ya Mungu, aliye mtakatifu na wa kweli. Nadharia hii pia haieleze kaburi tupu wala kuonekana kwa Yesu aliyefufuka akiwa na alama za misumari mikononi mwake (Yohana 20:25-27). Mwisho, Kurani 4:157 ilitolewa takriban miaka mia sita baada ya matukio hayo, ilhali kanuni ya imani ya 1 Wakorintho 15 inatoka ndani ya miaka michache baada yake. Mwanahistoria hupima vyanzo vya mapema kabisa kwa uzito zaidi.Many Muslims believe that God made someone else look like Jesus, and that this person was crucified in his place, while God took Jesus up to heaven. We examined this in Unit 6, but notice how it fits the resurrection evidence. If it were true, God Himself would have caused the disciples, the women and the crowds to believe something false. The whole Christian church would have grown from a deception that God started. This raises a serious question about the character of God, who is holy and true. The theory also does not explain the empty tomb or the appearances of the risen Jesus with the marks of the nails in His hands (John 20:25-27). Finally, Qur'an 4:157 was given about six hundred years after the events, while the creed of 1 Corinthians 15 comes from within a few years of them. A historian weighs the earliest sources most heavily.

Mbadala zote zinapojaribiwa, maelezo yanayolingana vizuri zaidi na mambo yote ni yale yaliyotolewa na mashahidi wa kwanza: "Yesu huyu, Mungu amemfufua, ambaye sisi sote tu mashahidi wake" (Matendo 2:32, SUV).When all the alternatives are tested, the explanation that best fits all the facts is the one the first witnesses gave: "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses" (Acts 2:32).

Bwana Aliyefufuka Anatuma Mashahidi, Si MajeshiThe Risen Lord Sends Witnesses, Not Armies

Wanafunzi wa kwanza walihubiri Masihi aliyeuawa na ambaye Mungu alimfufua. Watu walitarajia Masihi awe mfalme mshindi, kwa hiyo ujumbe huu ulipingana na mawazo ya watu wengi. Hata hivyo wanafunzi hawakujaribu kuthibitisha dai lao kwa nguvu. Walisimulia yale waliyoamini kuwa waliyaona, walijadiliana na wale waliosikiliza, walivumilia upinzani, na wakakusanya jumuiya kwa ibada. Kwa kumfufua Kristo aliyesulubiwa, Mungu alionyesha kwamba Yesu alikuwa mwenye haki, na akawageuza wafuasi waliokuwa waoga kuwa mashahidi.The earliest disciples preached a Messiah who had been executed and whom God had raised. People expected the Messiah to be a winning king, so this message went against what most people thought. Yet the disciples did not try to prove their claim by force. They told what they believed they had seen, they reasoned with those who listened, they endured opposition, and they gathered communities for worship. By raising the crucified Christ, God showed that Jesus was in the right, and He turned frightened followers into witnesses.

Hoja ya mchungaji si kwamba historia ya Kikristo haijawahi kutumia nguvu; wazi kwamba imetumia. Badala yake, uliza kama nguvu ndiyo kielelezo alichoamuru Yesu. Kristo aliyefufuka aliwatuma wanafunzi kufundisha na kubatiza, si kushinda na kulazimisha (Mathayo 28:18-20). Tunaposema juu ya ushindi wa Kristo juu ya kifo, tunamaanisha kwamba hakuna adui, hata kifo, anayeweza kutangua kazi yake ya wokovu. Watu walio mbele yetu katika mazungumzo ni jirani wa kupendwa, si adui wa kushindwa.The pastor's argument is not that Christian history has been free from force; it plainly has not. Rather, ask whether force is the pattern Jesus commanded. The risen Christ sent the disciples to teach and baptize, not to conquer and compel (Matthew 28:18-20). When we speak of Christ's victory over death, we mean that no enemy, not even death, can undo His saving work. The people across from us in conversation are neighbours to love, not enemies to defeat.

Kwa Nini Ufufuo Ni Muhimu katika Mazungumzo na WaislamuWhy the Resurrection Matters in Conversation with Muslims

Unathibitisha Yesu Ni NaniIt Confirms Who Jesus Is

Waislamu wanamheshimu Yesu kwa haki kama nabii. Lakini Yesu hakufundisha tu kuhusu Mungu. Pia alitabiri kifo chake mwenyewe na ufufuo wake mara nyingi (Marko 8:31; Marko 10:33-34). Alionyesha "ishara ya nabii Yona" kuwa ishara atakayoitoa: siku tatu mchana na usiku katika moyo wa nchi (Mathayo 12:39-40). Kama Yesu ni nabii wa kweli, unabii wake mwenyewe kuhusu nafsi yake lazima uchukuliwe kwa uzito.Muslims rightly honour Jesus as a prophet. But Jesus did not only teach about God. He also predicted His own death and resurrection many times (Mark 8:31; Mark 10:33-34). He pointed to "the sign of the prophet Jonah" as the sign He would give: three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:39-40). If Jesus is a true prophet, His own prophecy about Himself must be taken seriously.

Paulo anaandika kwamba Yesu "alitangazwa kuwa Mwana wa Mungu kwa uweza... kwa ufufuo wa wafu" (Warumi 1:4, SUV). Ufufuo ni jibu la hadharani la Mungu kwa swali la Yesu ni nani. Yesu alidai mamlaka ya kusamehe dhambi, ya kuhukumu ulimwengu na ya kushiriki utukufu wa Baba. Kama angebaki kaburini, madai hayo yangekufa pamoja naye. Mungu alipomfufua, Mungu alithibitisha madai hayo.Paul writes that Jesus was "declared to be the Son of God with power... by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4). The resurrection is God's public answer to the question of who Jesus is. Jesus claimed authority to forgive sins, to judge the world and to share the glory of the Father. If He had stayed in the grave, those claims would have died with Him. When God raised Him, God confirmed them.

Unaleta Uhakika wa MsamahaIt Brings Assurance of Forgiveness

Waislamu wengi husema kwamba hakuna mtu awezaye kuwa na hakika ya kuingia peponi. Wanatumaini kwamba Mungu atakuwa na rehema, na wanajitahidi sana katika sala, kufunga na matendo mema, lakini siku ya Hukumu matendo yao yatapimwa, na matokeo yanategemea mapenzi ya Mungu. Hii ni imani ya dhati na nzito, na tunapaswa kuiheshimu ibada inayoizaa.Many Muslims say that no one can be sure of entering paradise. They hope that God will be merciful, and they work hard at prayer, fasting and good deeds, but on the Day of Judgment their deeds will be weighed, and the outcome rests on the will of God. This is a sincere and serious faith, and we should respect the devotion it produces.

Ufufuo unatoa kitu tofauti: uhakika unaotegemea kile Mungu alichofanya, si kile tulichofanya sisi. Yesu "alitolewa kwa ajili ya makosa yetu, akafufuliwa kwa ajili ya kutuhesabia haki yetu" (Warumi 4:25, SUV). Kufufuka kwake kunaonyesha kwamba malipo ya dhambi yalikubaliwa. Petro anasema kwamba Mungu "ametuzaa mara ya pili, apate kutupa tumaini lenye uzima, kwa kufufuka kwake Yesu Kristo katika wafu" (1 Petro 1:3, SUV). Tunaweza kumuuliza rafiki Mwislamu kwa upole, "Je, unajua utakaa wapi milele?" kisha tukashiriki tumaini analotoa Kristo aliyefufuka.The resurrection offers something different: assurance based on what God has done, not on what we have done. Jesus "was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification" (Romans 4:25). His rising shows that the payment for sin was accepted. Peter says that God "has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). We may gently ask a Muslim friend, "Do you know where you will spend eternity?" and then share the hope that the risen Christ gives.

Unaelekeza kwenye Hukumu InayokujaIt Points to the Coming Judgment

Waislamu wanaichukulia siku ya Hukumu kwa uzito mkubwa, na hilo ni msingi wa pamoja. Paulo aliwaambia wanafalsafa huko Athene kwamba Mungu "ameweka siku atakayouhukumu ulimwengu kwa haki, kwa mtu yule aliyemchagua; naye amelithibitisha neno hilo kwa watu wote, akimfufua katika wafu" (Matendo 17:31, SUV). Ufufuo unatuambia Hakimu atakuwa nani. Hili ni jambo zito tunaloweza kulishiriki kwa unyenyekevu, kama watu wanaohitaji rehema yake pia.Muslims take the Day of Judgment very seriously, and that is common ground. Paul told the philosophers in Athens that God "has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). The resurrection tells us who the Judge will be. This is a serious point that we can share humbly, as people who also need His mercy.

Kuzungumza kuhusu Kristo Aliyefufuka kwa UpoleSpeaking About the Risen Christ with Gentleness

Ukweli peke yake haubadilishi mioyo. Roho Mtakatifu ndiye anayebadilisha. Sehemu yetu ni kusema kweli kwa uwazi na kuiishi kwa uaminifu. Hizi hapa ni kanuni za vitendo.Facts alone do not change hearts. The Holy Spirit does. Our part is to speak the truth clearly and to live it faithfully. Here are some practical guidelines.

• Anza na msingi wa pamoja. Waislamu wanaamini kwamba Mungu huwafufua wafu na kwamba Yesu ni Masihi. Anza hapo, kisha uliza kama Mungu alimfufua Yesu siku ya tatu.• Begin with common ground. Muslims believe God raises the dead and that Jesus is the Messiah. Start there, then ask whether God raised Jesus on the third day.

• Uliza maswali badala ya kutoa hotuba. Kwa mfano: "Unadhani kwa nini wanafunzi walikuwa tayari kuteseka kwa ajili ya ujumbe huu?" au "Chanzo gani kiko karibu zaidi na matukio, kanuni ya imani ya miaka michache baada yake au andiko la karne sita baadaye?"• Ask questions rather than making speeches. For example: "Why do you think the disciples were willing to suffer for this message?" or "Which source is closer to the events, a creed from a few years after them or a text from six centuries later?"

• Someni vifungu pamoja. Mwalike rafiki yako asome nawe 1 Wakorintho 15 na Luka 24. Acha Neno lisemee.• Read the passages together. Invite your friend to read 1 Corinthians 15 and Luke 24 with you. Let the Word speak.

• Usidharau wala kushambulia. Usiseme kamwe kwa dharau kuhusu Kurani au Nabii wa Uislamu. Unaweza kutokubaliana kwa uthabiti huku ukimheshimu mtu aliye mbele yako.• Do not mock or attack. Never speak with contempt about the Qur'an or the Prophet of Islam. You can disagree firmly while still showing honour to the person in front of you.

• Kuwa mvumilivu. Waislamu wengi wanaomwamini Kristo hufanya hivyo baada ya safari ndefu. Nabeel Qureshi alitumia miaka mingi katika mazungumzo ya kirafiki na rafiki yake Mkristo David Wood, na aliomba kwa bidii Mungu amwonyeshe kweli kabla hajamwamini Kristo hatimaye.• Be patient. Many Muslims who come to faith in Christ do so after a long journey. Nabeel Qureshi spent years in friendly debate with his Christian friend David Wood, and he prayed earnestly for God to show him the truth before he finally put his faith in Christ.

Hapa kuna kielelezo kifupi. Fikiria mchungaji anayeulizwa na jirani Mwislamu, "Kwa nini ninyi Wakristo mnasema nabii wa Mungu alishindwa na adui zake?" Mchungaji anaweza kujibu, "Hatuamini kwamba alishindwa. Alikufa kwa ajili ya dhambi zetu, kama alivyosema atafanya, na siku ya tatu Mungu alimfufua. Msalaba haukuwa kushindwa kwake. Kaburi tupu ni ushindi wake." Tuseme jirani hakubaliani siku hiyo, lakini anaomba kusoma habari hiyo, na mchungaji anampa Injili ya Luka. Hivyo ndivyo mazungumzo mengi yanavyoanza.Here is a short illustration. Imagine a pastor who is asked by a Muslim neighbour, "Why do you Christians say a prophet of God was defeated by his enemies?" The pastor might answer, "We do not believe He was defeated. He died for our sins, as He said He would, and on the third day God raised Him. The cross was not His defeat. The empty tomb is His victory." Suppose the neighbour does not agree that day, but asks to read the account, and the pastor gives him a Gospel of Luke. That is how many conversations begin.

Kwa funzo zaidi, wanafunzi wanaweza kusoma vitabu vya Nabeel Qureshi Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (2014) na No God but One: Allah or Jesus? (2016), vinavyoeleza safari yake na hoja zake kuhusu kifo na ufufuo wa Yesu.For further study, students may read Nabeel Qureshi's books Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (2014) and No God but One: Allah or Jesus? (2016), which explain his journey and his reasoning about the death and resurrection of Jesus.

MuhtasariSummary

Ufufuo wa Yesu ni msingi wa imani ya Kikristo. Waislamu wengi wanaamini kwamba Yesu hakufa msalabani bali alipandishwa mbinguni akiwa hai (Kurani 4:157-158), kwa hiyo kwao swali la ufufuo hutegemea swali la msalaba. Ushahidi wa kihistoria una nguvu: kanuni ya imani ya mapema (1 Wakorintho 15:3-8) inayorudi nyuma hadi ndani ya miaka michache baada ya matukio, kaburi tupu huko Yerusalemu lililoonekana kwanza na wanawake, kuonekana kwake kwa watu mmoja mmoja na kwa vikundi, wakiwemo Yakobo mwenye mashaka na Paulo mtesi, na mabadiliko ya ghafla ya wanafunzi waoga kuwa mashahidi wajasiri. Maelezo mbadala kama wizi, njozi za akilini, kuzirai na kuwekwa mtu mwingine mahali pake yanashindwa kueleza mambo yote kwa pamoja. Katika mazungumzo na Waislamu, ufufuo unathibitisha kwamba Yesu ni yule aliyesema yeye ni, unatoa uhakika wa msamaha, na unaelekeza kwenye siku ya hukumu inayokuja. Kristo aliyefufuka aliwatuma wafuasi wake kufundisha na kubatiza, si kushinda. Tunashiriki habari hii njema kwa uwazi, uvumilivu na upole, tukimtegemea Roho Mtakatifu afungue mioyo.The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. Most Muslims believe that Jesus did not die on the cross but was taken up alive to heaven (Qur'an 4:157-158), so for them the question of the resurrection depends on the question of the cross. The historical evidence is strong: an early creed (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) that goes back to within a few years of the events, an empty tomb in Jerusalem first found by women, appearances to individuals and groups, including the sceptic James and the persecutor Paul, and the sudden transformation of fearful disciples into bold witnesses. Alternative explanations such as theft, hallucination, swoon and substitution fail to explain all the facts together. In conversation with Muslims, the resurrection confirms that Jesus is who He claimed to be, gives assurance of forgiveness, and points to the coming day of judgment. The risen Christ sent His followers to teach and baptize, not to conquer. We share this good news with clarity, patience and gentleness, trusting the Holy Spirit to open hearts.

Maswali ya KutafakariQuestions for Reflection

1. Kwa nini tunaweza kusema kwamba, kwa Waislamu wengi, swali la ufufuo kwa kweli pia ni swali kuhusu msalaba?1. Why can we say that, for most Muslims, the question of the resurrection is really also a question about the cross?

2. Ni kipande gani cha ushahidi wa ufufuo unachoona kinashawishi zaidi, na ungekieleza vipi kwa urahisi kwa jirani Mwislamu?2. Which piece of evidence for the resurrection do you find most convincing, and how would you explain it simply to a Muslim neighbour?

3. Tarehe ya mapema ya kanuni ya imani ya 1 Wakorintho 15:3-8 inaimarishaje hoja ya Kikristo?3. How does the early date of the creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 strengthen the Christian case?

4. Ungejibu vipi kwa upole rafiki Mwislamu anayesema Mungu alimfanya mtu mwingine afanane na Yesu?4. How would you gently respond to a Muslim friend who says God made someone else look like Jesus?

5. Tumaini la ufufuo linaumbaje maisha yako mwenyewe na huduma yako, na unawezaje kushiriki tumaini hilo na kanisa lako?5. In what ways does the hope of the resurrection shape your own life and ministry, and how can you share that hope with your congregation?

Wasilisha Mtihani na Uangalie MatokeoSubmit Exam & Check Pass Anza UpyaReset