How Baha’is view Christ

December 18, 2008 - 4:51pm

At Christmastime and other Christian holidays, Baha'is are often asked what their religion has to say about Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is revered in the Baha'i Faith as a Manifestation of God, and anyone who embraces the Baha'i Faith - regardless of their religious background -- also recognizes the universal redemptive significance of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, as expressed in the following moving testimony from Baha'u'llah's own pen:

Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God, the whole creation wept with a great weeping. By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things. Its evidences, as witnessed in all the peoples of the earth, are now manifest before thee. The deepest wisdom which the sages have uttered, the profoundest learning which any mind hath unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands have produced, the influence exerted by the most potent of rulers, are but manifestations of the quickening power released by His transcendent, His all-pervasive, and resplendent Spirit.

We testify that when He came into the world, He shed the splendor of His glory upon all created things. Through Him the leper recovered from the leprosy of perversity and ignorance. Through Him, the unchaste and wayward were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the blind were opened, and the soul of the sinner sanctified... We bear witness that through the power of the Word of God every leper was cleansed, every sickness was healed, every human infirmity was banished. He it is Who purified the world. Blessed is the man who, with a face beaming with light, hath turned towards Him.

Baha'i theology draws a distinction between the Spirit of Christ - infinitely glorious, absolutely unique and utterly indispensable as the only pathway to God - and the historical person of Jesus.

The Baha'i Scriptures affirm that Jesus is one of a series of Manifestations of God that includes Moses, the Buddha, Muhammad -- and, today, Baha'u'llah-- through Whom, from age to age, God has progressively revealed His Will and Purpose for humanity. All the Manifestations of God are like perfect Mirrors for the Spirit of God to come into the world.

Baha'u'llah explains: Inasmuch as these Birds of the celestial Throne are all sent down from the heaven of the Will of God, and as they all arise to proclaim His irresistible Faith, they, therefore, are regarded as one soul and the same person. For they all drink from the one Cup of the love of God, and all partake of the fruit of the same Tree of Oneness.

We wish all our Christian friends a very Merry Christmas!

The following resources are available to learn more about Baha'i teachings on Jesus Christ:

Online Baha'i Reference Library - Some Answered Questions (See Part Two: Some Christian Subjects)

Book - Thief in the Night: The Case of the Missing Millennium

Book - Kitab-i-Iqan: The Book of Certitude

Booklet - Preparing for Christ's New Name

Web site with multiple Baha'i resources on Christian topics - Stonehaven Press

The Baha'i Bookstore - a search under the name "Christ" brings up 21 entries

Comments

Christmas and Jesus Christ

Submitted by Adam (not verified) on January 12, 2009 - 6:42pm.

Hey Kathy, I came across this today and it reminded me of our conversations in the car and that one late night in the living room. Hope this is somewhat helpful in explaining how Bahai's view Christ. Take care. We miss you guys. Love, Adam

Does Baha'i view Jesus and Christ one and the same?

Submitted by Victor Stevens-Rosenberg (not verified) on August 7, 2009 - 5:01pm.

Does your way profess The Trinity? Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit? Your way of inclusivness instead of exclusivness is great. I am a seminary student who has also studied almost all of the religions, mythology, and spiritual practices for the last forty years.. I feel like a Jewish Buddhist Christian :) who knows that all the great religions have something to teach on our journey home to God. This year my book 'In The Name Of...A Jewish Boy's Journey To Jesus and The Truth' will be published and and the second book I am working on is called 'The Christian Buddhist'. I am going to spend my last year at the seminary doing course work but I am also going to study Bahai, the Vedic writings, and other holy scripture. You can imagine from what little I just wrote how much of a maverick and how much trouble I will be in for after being ordained a Evangelical minister next year. Oy Vey! See my new art website at www.victorstevensart.com if you like. Blessings, Victor Stevens-Rosenberg

So you have something in

Submitted by anne27 (not verified) on December 8, 2009 - 6:16am.

So you have something in common with all major religions, interesting point of view. You have Jesus Christ from christianity religion, Mohammad from Muslims, you have Buddha too. Hmm, you succeeded to bring together the most important religious figures and you found a way to respect them equally.

The Foundations of Christian Faith

Submitted by Jeffrey Erwin (not verified) on December 21, 2009 - 11:39am.

The primary foundation of the Christian Faith is that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Yosef appeared in the flesh to many people after He had been tortured, executed, and buried, and also the the Rabbi performed many physical miracles such as restoring life to a deceased person, walking on the sea, etc. Bahai theology denies that these things actually happened. Thus there is a conflict, and both theologies cannot be correct at the same time. Now, in the 21st century, the Sign of Jonah, which Rabbi Yehoshua said would be "The only sign," has come to be fully revealed to the world. The extensive forensic evidence shows how the Rabbi was beaten, scourged, crusified, buried, and resurrected. Corroborating evidence can be found in Janice Bennet's excellent work: "Sacred Blood, Sacred Image." While Abdul Baha may have been given authority to interprete his Father's writings, the fact is that BahaUllah reserved Devine Certitude exclusively for Himself. Abul Baha's erronious statements aout Rabbi Yehoshua's miracles and resurrection ought to be corrected. Bahais say that they believe in science. I say that those who refuse to consider the forensic evidence have their heads in the sand.

Not entirely...

Submitted by Thomas O. (not verified) on July 1, 2010 - 10:21pm.

There is no forensic evidence to prove any of the claims you've asserted. Far from it, in fact: it's impossible after 2000 years for any valid forensic evidence to survive. And this, being a scientific statement, is something Baha'is do agree with, which is why we don't have our heads in the sand. And 'Abdu'l-Baha, being the infallible interpreter of Baha'u'llah's Writings and the Center of the Covenant, knew what he was talking about when he explained the true, spiritual significance of Jesus' resurrection. Of course, this is a Baha'i belief, as only we'd believe what he says is true. I respect your disagreement with my faith as a product of your own, so I'll gladly agree that we're in disagreement. =]

Jesus, the only one, not a prophet but the son of God

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on February 16, 2010 - 11:10pm.

Jesus, through the old testament was already mentioned before his coming and when he came he filled all the prophesies. No other "prophet" life was announced like Jesus. No other "prophet" said "I am the light and nobody comes to the father but through me". He and the father are one. It is not for us "little ants" to understand that when he said" If you see me, you see the father and yet he said to Pilatus (I think he was) when he said to him: Don't you know I have the power to crucify you? He responded. You don't have any power over my father" something like that. I used to ask and ask and look and look through the years about this mysteries until I stopped. Like the nuns used to tell me in school "Have faith do not ask questions" and finally after all these years I have faith.We little creatures cannot in our little brains comprehend God's brain, simple as this. I only knows, Our father Creator loves us, just look around, we have to be blind and deaf not to believe in him and all the bad things that happens to us is because our arrogance, vanity etc. We have not changed from the Israelites who were going to the promised land and saw all the 7 plagues, or like even the apostle Thomas who saw and lived with Jesus still didn't believed. Have faith. I believe Jesus is our saviour, my personal saviour and I believe I am a sinner and anything that comes to me I will deserve it, I can only hope he forgives me. Who is Baha Ullah, or Smith or Budha, there were marvelous men with big hearts but nobody compares with the son of God who died for all of us incredulous.

Jesus is Savior, even to a Baha'i

Submitted by Thomas O. (not verified) on July 1, 2010 - 10:28pm.

"Baha'u'llah affirms not simply the fact of Jesus on the cross, but agrees with Paul in seeing the passion as redemptive." http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/bahai/bhjesu.htm The above website is the *personal* opinions of a Baha'i (he was a Baha'i at the time of writing this). It's in response to a book Baha'u'llah wrote that identified Jesus and Imam Husayn as dying as a "ransom for the sins and iniquities of man." Jesus death does hold redemptive significance to Baha'is, on top of all the other significant spiritual qualities we associate with Jesus. I can comfortably say, as a Baha'i, that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Baha'u'llah and Buddha are not just "marvelous men," but also the same Christ spirit that was manifest in Jesus. That's why Baha'u'llah, too, is my Lord and Savior. And we as Baha'is hold no opinion of Jospeh Smith, Jr., prophet of the Mormon Church. We do not believe him to be a Manifestation or minor prophet.

Jesus, our saviour. Mine, yours all of us.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on February 16, 2010 - 11:22pm.

There are a lot of writings, beautiful writings from a lot of wonderful men and women but that is not the bible. The bible is an unique book dictated by the only God, Creator of everything. There is Mr. Baha'u'llah, Buda, Smith, the lady of Christian Science, the beautiful writings of the Jehova Witnes etc. but only the bible is the word of God, that I believe with all my heart. What they said that is not already said in the New Testament? Love, love, love! your parents, your neighbors and above all God! Say that to all the people on the planet earth. Not if they dont believe kill them etc. It is a book of love. Can't people see this? How can we be soo blind! All the bad things are our own doing not God. He made the rules and we just don't follow. Simple. Like our children, like a drunk driver, like a drug user, like abortionists, like all all the pleasures we want to have, there are consequences but still He forgives us if we repent and dont do it again.

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