Was Jesus a Muslim? A Biblical Response to the Claim that Jesus Merely "Submitted to God"

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute

Introduction

One of the most common claims made by Muslim apologists is that Jesus was a Muslim because He submitted Himself to the will of God. They argue that since the word Islam means "submission," anyone who submits to God is, by definition, a Muslim.

This argument sounds persuasive until one asks a simple but essential question:

What is the will of God according to Jesus Himself?

Rather than accepting later religious definitions, Christians must look to the words of Christ. If Jesus defines God's will, then His definition—not anyone else's—is authoritative.

The Bible gives a clear answer.

Jesus Defined the Will of God

Jesus declared:

"And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth in Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40, KJ21)

Notice carefully what Jesus says.

The will of God is not described here as merely following religious rituals, reciting prayers, or identifying with a particular religious community.

Instead, Jesus says the Father's will is:

• To see the Son.
• To believe in the Son.
• To receive everlasting life through the Son.
• To be raised by Jesus on the last day.

This is Jesus' own definition of God's will.

The Work God Requires

Jesus further explained this truth:

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." (John 6:29)

The work God desires is faith in Jesus Christ.

The foundation of salvation is not simply acknowledging that God exists. It is believing in the One whom the Father sent.

Throughout the New Testament, genuine faith is presented as an ongoing trust in Christ that produces obedience, perseverance, and transformed living. Saving faith is not merely intellectual agreement but wholehearted reliance upon Jesus as Lord and Savior.

If Submission Means Obeying God...

If Muslims argue that Jesus was a Muslim because He submitted to God's will, another question naturally follows:

Did Jesus teach people to submit to Himself?

The answer from Scripture is yes.

Jesus repeatedly called people to:

• Believe in Him.
• Follow Him.
• Receive eternal life through Him.
• Honor Him.
• Trust Him.

He never directed people to seek eternal life apart from Himself.

Instead He declared:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6)

Therefore, according to Jesus, submission to God's will necessarily includes submission to the Son.

Can Someone Reject Jesus' Identity Yet Claim to Obey God?

This raises an important theological question.

If God's will is to believe in His Son, can someone reject the Son's identity and still claim complete submission to God?

Jesus Himself answered:

"He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him." (John 5:23)

And again,

"Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father." (1 John 2:23)

According to the New Testament, honoring God cannot be separated from honoring His Son.

Does the Qur'an Teach the Same Jesus?

The Jesus described in the Bible is:

• The eternal Word made flesh (John 1:1–14).
• The unique Son of God (John 3:16).
• The Savior of the world (John 4:42).
• The Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8).
• The One who forgives sins (Mark 2:5–12).
• The Judge of all humanity (John 5:22–27).
• The giver of eternal life (John 10:28).

The Qur'an, however, explicitly rejects Jesus as the Son of God and denies His crucifixion and resurrection.

These are fundamentally different theological claims. Christians therefore maintain that the biblical revelation of Jesus and the Qur'anic portrayal of Jesus are not identical.

Questions for Muslim Scholars

If submission to God is the defining characteristic of true religion, then consider these questions:

1. Jesus said God's will is to believe in the Son (John 6:29, 40). Do you believe in Jesus exactly as He revealed Himself?
2. If Jesus gives eternal life, why should anyone seek salvation apart from Him?
3. Jesus promised to raise believers on the last day. Can any prophet besides Jesus make that promise?
4. Why does Jesus repeatedly make Himself the object of saving faith if He was merely a prophet?
5. Jesus said no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Do you accept or reject His words?
6. If honoring the Father requires honoring the Son (John 5:23), can rejection of the Son still be called submission to God?
7. If Jesus defines God's will, should believers follow His definition or a later religious interpretation?

Conclusion

The claim that Jesus was a Muslim because He submitted to God overlooks Jesus' own teaching about what God's will actually is.

According to Christ, the Father's will is that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will receive everlasting life.

Biblical submission is therefore not merely surrender to the idea of one God; it is faithful obedience to God's revealed plan of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

To submit to the Father is to receive the Son.

To reject the Son is to reject the Father's revealed will.

Jesus did not merely teach people to submit to God in the abstract—He called them to believe in Him, follow Him, and receive eternal life through Him alone.

The question facing every reader is therefore not whether Jesus submitted to God, but whether we will submit to Jesus Christ, whom the Father sent to be the Savior of the world.