By Editorial Staff
The names and attributes of God include “the Savior” and “the Deliverer”. Since the Lord of this universe is capable of everything, He can deliver and save any of His creatures and servants from any danger or peril.
How can Jesus be our savior though he prayed to God to save him?
The Savior & Deliverer in Islam
In the Qur’an, God (called “Allah” in Arabic) is often referred to as such “the Savior” and “Deliverer” Who delivers and saves any of His servants as He likes. For example, we read:
Say, “Who saves you from the darknesses of the land and sea [when] you call upon Him imploring [aloud] and privately, ‘If He should save us from this [crisis], we will surely be among the thankful.'” Say, “It is Allah who saves you from it and from every distress; then you [still] associate others with Him.” (Al-An`am 6:63-64)
We also read:
It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are in ships and they sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from everywhere and they assume that they are surrounded, supplicating Allah, sincere to Him in religion, “If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful. But when He saves them, at once they commit injustice upon the earth without right. O mankind, your injustice is only against yourselves, [being merely] the enjoyment of worldly life. Then to Us is your return, and We will inform you of what you used to do. (Yunus 10:22-23)
The Savior & Deliverer in Christianity
In the New Testament, the Bible describes “God” as “the Deliverer”. We read: “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.” (2 Corinthians 1:9-10)
In the New Testament, the Bible narrates to us that Jesus taught his disciples to pray to God (called “Father” in Christianity) to deliver and save them from evil. We read: “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’” (Matthew 6:9-13)
The Bible also tells us that Jesus himself allegedly prayed to God to save him from death. We read: “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?” (John 12:27)
We may ask now: how can Jesus be God though Jesus taught his followers to pray to God for deliverance, and Jesus himself prayed to God for deliverance?
The true God is the One Who saves others and is asked for deliverance. However, the one who is delivered and saved by someone else and prays for deliverance cannot be God.
_________
References:
1- The Glorious Qur’an (Sahih International Translation)
2- The Holy Bible (Visit biblegateway.com)