Jesus and Mohammed Paper
HUM130
April 27, 2014
Eric Shauffer
Jesus and Mohammed Paper

The core figure in Christianity is Jesus and the core figure in Islam is Mohammad. Both of these figures are said to have received divine revelations from God. Jesus and Mohammad have followers worshipping them because of their message, their belief, and the way they lived their lives. As a result, a religion started from each of these important figures. I will trace the historical lives of these figures throughout history as well as their sacred texts. I will also compare the impact their deaths had on their followers and how their religions have changed. Because a religion was formed from God and Mohammed, I will also describe how each individual is or was worshiped in their times and in the present, as well as explain how their messages are being carried out in the world today. Jesus was born about two thousand years ago in a town named Bethlehem. Some scholars also suggest that He was born in or near Nazareth. His father, Joseph was a carpenter. Jesus was taught to be a carpenter as well. Jesus was born a miracle. Joseph was engaged to Mary, who was a virgin. The birth of Jesus was miraculous in the way that angels had told Mary that she would conceive and bear a son through God's power and abilities. An angel came to Joseph while he was sleeping and told him that Mary was honest and untouched. He understood and believed what the angel had told him. While Mary was pregnant, Joseph took her to Bethlehem where she gave birth to Jesus. Many wise men visited and brought gifts to Jesus and said that Jesus would rule Israel. There is not an abundance of information about His early childhood. One incident noted in the Gospel of Luke is that a 12-year old Jesus wandered off from his parents in Jerusalem to discuss the religion in the temple. After three days, His parents found him in the temple among the teachers. When they asked why He did that to them, he said, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” (N/A, 14) Jesus reenters the Gospel at roughly the age of 30 (circa 26 AD). In the four gospels, Jesus' first act was to be baptized by John the Baptist. The baptism as an event marked the beginning of Jesus' ministry. There are people who even theorize it was at that moment the human Jesus became divine. After the baptism, some of John's followers left to follow Jesus. Jesus selected people until he had established a group of 12 disciples. Jesus spent a few years teaching and working miracles among his disciples in front of large groups of people. His recorded miracles include turning water into wine, walking on water, cursing a fig tree, healing the sick, multiplying a small meal to feed a crowd, casting out demons, and even raising a man from the dead. The teachings of Jesus focused largely on the kingdom of God and were usually relayed through parables drawing. He disproved the hypocrisy of some Jewish leaders and taught the importance of love and kindness, even to one's enemies. Jesus' teachings were primarily Jewish and He taught on his own authority. Roman rulers were uncomfortable with the common perception that He was the Messiah who would liberate the Jews from Roman rule. (BBC, 2009) In the Gospels Jesus repeatedly talked to his disciples about how His end was near. It was thought that they did not understand that. The clarification of this was in the Last Supper which happened the night before his death. All four Gospels record Jesus sharing bread and wine with his disciples. He asked them to do this in remembrance of Him. This is now known to Christian faith as communion, a celebration of Jesus’ sacrifice. On the evening of Jesus’s death He foretold that He was going to be betrayed. That fate met him. Jesus’ fate was met when Judas who was one of His disciples led Roman soldiers to Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. As Jesus was detained Peter defended Jesus with his sword and sliced