Short answer
No. Prophets before Jesus did the same kinds of miracles, and no one calls them God. Elijah and Elisha, prophets of ancient Israel, each raised a dead boy. Elisha healed a leper and fed a hundred men with twenty loaves. Being taken up proves no more. God (﷾) took Enoch, and Elijah went up into heaven. The Bible also says where Jesus' power came from. Peter, his disciple, called him "a man approved of God" by miracles "which God did by him". Jesus said, "I can of mine own self do nothing". The Qur'an honours his miracles, and says he did each one "by Allah's leave". Islam teaches that Jesus was a mighty messenger of God (﷾), not God.
Full explanation
Why Christians point to the miracles
Christians see in Jesus' miracles, and in his being taken up into heaven, signs that he is more than a man. At Nain he raised a young man with a word of command. Christians say that after his resurrection he was taken up before his disciples' eyes.
“And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.”
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”
The same miracles, done by earlier prophets
The Hebrew Bible, the Jewish scriptures Christians call the Old Testament, records the same kinds of miracles at the hands of earlier prophets. Elijah raised a widow's son. Elisha raised a dead boy. He healed Naaman of leprosy, a skin disease. He fed a hundred men with twenty loaves. At Elisha's prayer God (﷾) struck an army with blindness and then opened their eyes. In each story God (﷾) does the work, at the prophet's prayer or word. If miracles like these made Jesus God, they would make Elijah and Elisha God too.
“And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.”
“And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.”
“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
“And there came a man from Baal–shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord.”
“And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.”
“And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.”
| Sign | Jesus | Earlier prophets |
|---|---|---|
| Raising the dead | The young man at Nain | Elijah raised a widow's son; Elisha raised a dead boy |
| Healing leprosy | He healed lepers | Elisha healed Naaman |
| Feeding many with little | He fed crowds with a few loaves | Elisha fed a hundred men with twenty loaves |
| Blindness and sight | He gave sight to the blind | At Elisha's prayer an army was struck blind, then saw again |
| Taken up to heaven | Taken up before his disciples | God (﷾) took Enoch; Elijah went up by a whirlwind |
Taken up before Jesus
Jesus was not the first to be taken from the earth. Genesis says God (﷾) took Enoch. Second Kings says Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. If being taken up proved that Jesus is God, it would prove the same of Enoch and Elijah.
“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
“And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”
Where the Bible says his power came from
Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, preached to a crowd in Jerusalem at Pentecost, a Jewish harvest feast. He called Jesus a man whom God (﷾) approved by miracles that God (﷾) did through him. Jesus himself said he could do nothing of his own self. He said he cast out devils, which means evil spirits, by the Spirit of God (﷾). Before raising Lazarus he thanked the Father for hearing his prayer. He said he did this so that people would believe God (﷾) had sent him.
“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:”
“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”
“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”
The Qur'an: great miracles, by Allah's (﷾) leave
The Qur'an credits Jesus with miracles as great as any in the Gospels. He spoke as an infant, and he made a bird from clay that came to life. The Qur'an repeats that each was "by Allah's leave". It says no messenger ever brought a sign except by God's (﷾) permission. It also says it was Allah (﷾) who raised Jesus up to Himself.
“"And (appoint him) a messenger to the Children of Israel, (with this message): "'I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah's leave; and I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe;”
“Then will Allah say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! thou bringest forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when thou didst show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but evident magic.'”
“He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet;”
“We did send messengers before thee, and appointed for them wives and children: and it was never the part of a messenger to bring a sign except as Allah permitted (or commanded). For each period is a Book (revealed).”
“Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise;-”
Verse by verse
Luke 7:14 — Gospel of Luke, chapter 7, verse 14
“And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.”
Cited for
The prophets prayed for miracles, but Jesus commanded them with his own word, which shows divine authority.
The response
Jesus said he could do nothing of his own self, and Peter says God (﷾) did the miracles by him. At Lazarus' tomb Jesus did what the prophets did. He first thanked the Father for hearing his prayer. Then he called the dead man out, and he said this was so that people would believe God (﷾) had sent him. Peter too prayed, then said "Tabitha, arise", and no one calls Peter God (﷾).
Where it lands — A word of command from a man of God (﷾) is still God's (﷾) power, as Jesus himself said.
Acts 1:9 — Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1, verse 9
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”
Cited for
Jesus ascended into heaven, which shows he is God returning to his glory.
The response
Acts says he "was taken up". That was done to him, not by him. God (﷾) took Enoch, and Elijah went up into heaven. The Qur'an says Allah (﷾) raised Jesus up to Himself.
Where it lands — Being taken up to God (﷾) is an honour God (﷾) has given to other prophets. It does not make the one taken up God.
Perspectives
Mainstream Christian
Jesus' miracles and his ascension show who he is. He healed and raised the dead by his own word. He returned to heaven, where he had been with the Father.
Jesus raised a dead young man with a word of command, which Christians read as authority of his own.
Rebuttal
Jesus did speak the command, but Peter too prayed and then said "Tabitha, arise", and no one calls Peter God (﷾). At Lazarus' tomb Jesus also thanked the Father for hearing him first. He said he could do nothing of his own self, and Peter says God (﷾) did the miracles by him.
Jesus was taken up into heaven before his disciples, which Christians read as his return to divine glory.
Rebuttal
Islam agrees that Allah (﷾) raised Jesus up to Himself. But Acts says he "was taken up", which was done to him. God (﷾) also took Enoch, and Elijah went up into heaven.
The Islamic perspective
Jesus was a mighty messenger of God (﷾), and his miracles were real. They were God's (﷾) work done through His messenger, as with the prophets before him. They show that God (﷾) sent him, not that he is God.
Elijah and Elisha raised the dead. Elisha healed a leper and fed a hundred men with twenty loaves. Yet no one calls them God.
Enoch and Elijah were taken from the earth by God (﷾), so being taken up does not make anyone God.
Some argue that miracles prove Jesus is God, yet the same miracles do not prove Elisha is God. That applies one rule to one man only.
Peter describes Jesus as a man approved of God (﷾) by miracles which God (﷾) did by him.
Jesus says he can do nothing of his own self. Before he raises Lazarus, he thanks the Father for hearing him.
John says his signs were written so that readers would believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. In the same chapter Jesus calls the Father "my God, and your God".
The Qur'an teaches that Jesus did great miracles, each by Allah's (﷾) leave. It teaches that Allah (﷾) raised him up to Himself.