Jesus Christ Son of Man

 Transcribed by AI

Welcome to the programme "The Secret of Life." This programme, illuminated by the Holy Gospel, helps you bring about fundamental changes in your life. The programme of the Lord, who is love, is the living programme of "The Secret of Life." Accept my greetings, and I hope that each of you is well, healthy, and in good spirits. We are immensely grateful for those of you who contacted us last week via WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, or by phone. We always love to hear from you.

If you have a prayer request, this is a Christian programme, and we pray in the name of Jesus Christ that the Lord helps you. Today, we once again have Dr Arli with us. Welcome, Dr Arli. Thank you, Brother Shaib, and I also extend my greetings to all our dear viewers. I hope that wherever you are, you are calm and in good spirits. I am happy that we can spend this hour with you.

Yes, we all know, dear friends, that tomorrow, August 15, 2026, marks the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan. On social media and in the news, everyone is complaining about the current situation in Afghanistan and criticising the Taliban. Well, every Afghan has the right to express their opinion, to complain or speak freely. However, what we know is that the problems of Afghanistan did not start in the past five years.

The current problem we have did not start in the past five years. During the republic, despite having a strong army and foreign assistance, security was absent, and corruption had reached its peak. Ethnic and national problems had also escalated. The fundamental issue in Afghanistan is not simply that it is the Taliban, or that it is the republic, or that it is the mujahideen, or that it pertains to some other party.

We believe that the root of our problems lies elsewhere, Mr Arli. We Christians believe that when people stray from the teachings of the Bible, problems increase everywhere. We hold the belief that the fundamental issue, or the root cause of the problems we see today in Afghanistan, is the people's distance from reading, seeing, or hearing the Bible for centuries.

We thank God that today, through social media, people can read and hear the Bible. But why do we say this? Why do we claim that the root of the problems lies in distancing from the Bible and the teachings of Christ? Because the Word of God shows us our state and introduces the way of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. It tells us that we humans have sinned, that we are engulfed in sin, and the only way we can escape sin or attain salvation is through Christ.

Dear friends, religion, culture, language, nationality, or past glories cannot save us or change our state. Culture, language, nationality, and past glories cannot save us in any way. The only thing that can save us is what? The teachings of Christ, faith in Jesus Christ, and the teachings of the Bible.

I would like to read a verse from the Bible, from John 8:32. It says, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Yes, indeed. You are introducing a good topic, which is that the problems of Afghanistan and the problems of the world are not merely political issues. You mentioned that culture, language, nationality, and politics cannot save people either.

Each of these things has its role. We are cultural beings, we belong to ethnic groups, and there must also be politics, but the root of our main problem is sin. When Jesus Christ said, "If you knew me, you would learn my teachings," he added, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The listeners said, "We shall not be slaves; we will be free." But what Jesus meant by slavery was the bondage of sin.

And sin can be described as both individual and personal sins, as well as social sins. Jesus came to save us from this sin and to bring us new life. In this new life, we have new motivation, new hope. We have a new path. We enter the kingdom of God. And this truth motivates us and inspires us not to be selfish anymore. We can live for the glory of God, for Jesus Christ.

We are completely freed from the bondage of selfishness and the bondage of others. This is not merely a political freedom. It is freedom from ourselves and from others, a hope that is far beyond what we might expect in this world. Yes, there is another problem, Mr Arli, and that is that we have developed a habit of blaming others. The people of Afghanistan, regardless of their language, ethnicity, whether urban or rural, educated or uneducated, have developed the habit of always blaming others.

We always blame others, especially foreigners. There was a time when the British were blamed. Even now, when something happens in Afghanistan, people might say it is the fault of the British. After that, it was the Russians who were blamed, then Pakistan, then America, and now Pakistan and Iran. We always blame others. This leads us to evade our own responsibilities as a society, as a community, and as individuals.

When we blame others, it means we are avoiding taking responsibility for our own actions. And now is the time for the youth of Afghanistan to take responsibility. They must take responsibility for themselves, to determine their own destiny. And this determination of destiny cannot be made through religion. It cannot be made through nationalism. So, what should determine our destiny? It should be to observe what is happening in the world and also to learn from the countries that have passed through this stage.

Many times, Mr Arli, I say that our neighbours, for example, Pakistan, the lives of the people there, where there is a very small Christian minority, is better. The lives of people in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and even Iran, where there is a Christian minority, are better. When people become acquainted with the teachings of Christ, when they read the Bible, it brings about changes in their lives. It is not just about an individual being saved from sin, but also in their decisions, they make wise decisions, and changes occur in their social lives.

I remember one of our friends who went and gave a lesson from the Bible. When he explained the message of salvation of Jesus Christ, one of them said, "We Afghans have been deprived of this message." We have been deprived, deprived children. It is truly upon us to learn this message and to share it with others. We need to convey to people to understand what is in this word? Why did Jesus come? What is his message?

For this reason, we come here to have a discussion about the character of Jesus Christ. And you mentioned responsibility. Responsibility is indeed a very profound word; we must be accountable. Responsibility means being questioned. It means being answerable. We cannot just blame everything on others. Ultimately, we must answer for our own lives. That’s right. Others have an impact. Perhaps we have suffered greatly and encountered many hardships. Ultimately, every individual must be accountable.

We must take responsibility for our own lives. And Jesus Christ says, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." And what is this truth? I will read John 3:16 and 17. John 3:16 and 17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." And verse 17 says, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved."

So, in essence, Jesus Christ did not come into this world to condemn the people of Afghanistan, saying, "Why have you strayed?" Rather, he came into this world to save the people of Afghanistan. And the only thing that can provide salvation is personal. Every person must decide for themselves to read the Bible, to read the Gospel, to put their faith in Jesus Christ. As a result, a family is changed. When a family is changed, a community is changed. When a community is changed, an entire city, a province, a country is changed.

And that is how it happened. If we look at the history of Christianity, it was in this manner. From 11 disciples who spread to different places, families came to faith, and from families, churches were formed. And from families, those churches must change the living conditions of the people in those communities.

Yes, we see this happening in various places. It is a pathway where there is freedom in Jesus Christ. It is an upliftment of the standard of living. It is not about someone giving money to make someone believe in Jesus Christ. No. This is a false notion. Those who believe in Jesus Christ know the truth, and their lives are transformed into a reality. Subsequently, in those families, their behaviour changes. The behaviour between husbands and wives, between parents and children, and among neighbours.

Gradually, it is not always an immediate transformation. But slowly, in their lives, their ethics, behaviours, and actions change. Because they are now living under the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ becomes the Lord of their lives. God becomes their life. And this spreads. And the kingdom of God works this way—not through politics, not through swords, not through force and military might, but through the transformation of individuals' lives. Those who believe in Jesus Christ experience new birth and then move forward.

That’s right. There are problems. There is turmoil. And for various reasons, you may be justified. But now you have a completely new vision and dream. Jesus Christ came to transform us. Hafez Shirazi has a verse, but I don't remember it exactly. But it says that a new human must be created. And Jesus Christ is the one who can create us anew. He makes us completely new. And that is the good news of Jesus Christ.

Yes, and I remember that during the republic, there was a little more freedom, and at that time, it was said that when foreigners looked at Afghanistan from telescopes or spacecraft, they saw lights shining in many provinces, and some even said that in those provinces, there were Christians. The point is that Jesus says, "I am the light of the world." When we believe in Jesus Christ, we are filled with that light.

This light transfers through us, and today there is so much darkness in Afghanistan. There is darkness. Not only real darkness, where there is no electricity in many parts, or where the electricity is very limited, but in addition to that, there is darkness in society, darkness in all aspects of life. And when someone believes in Christ, they are filled with the light of Christ, and no darkness can remain dark. Wherever there are Christians, that light spreads. The light brings illumination.

That is why Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth." He says, "You are the light of the world." You are a community of light and salt. And indeed, Christians are like that. This is not limited to Afghanistan. If you look at African countries, in most African countries where they have a certain number of Christians, or where the majority are Christians, their lives are better than in other countries. And this is also true in Asia.

It is not through anything else, nor by the word, and by this person, it is not achieved through politics or force. But it is through the word of God that hearts are transformed. Revolution means changing the hearts of people. This is the work of Jesus Christ.

Indeed, we ourselves are witnesses to this transformation in our lives. We ourselves witness the transformation in the lives of hundreds of Afghan Christians. Not only have they found salvation for themselves, but their families, through them, their communities—this exists. The only thing we can suggest to you, dear friends, dear viewers, is to read the Bible.

Read the Bible, be informed about the good news of the Gospel, and make your own decision. No one can force anyone. We always say we do not have a factory for making Christians. We do not have a factory where someone comes in as a Muslim and comes out as a Christian. But what do we have? We have the sharing of the Word of God, and it is God who opens hearts. It is God who helps people to believe in Christ and transform their lives in this world.

So, the perception that you have that the day becomes worse or each day gets worse when you believe in Christ, it actually becomes better. Every day, our lives improve in Christ. That does not mean that problems will diminish. Even someone who becomes a Christian, whether in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, or other countries, faces more problems. But despite that, each day is better. Their life in Christ, their life with other Christians, is improving every single day.

And our hope, our prayer, is that the people of Afghanistan, through reading the Bible, through reading the Gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ, may have their lives improve every day. We invite you to a short clip, and we will return shortly.

From my heart, I wish you to dwell in my heart, that you may not hide from this world. You are the one who draws me from my hidden depths. But you, in your mercy, grant me that I may be free from myself and from others. May my heart, which is rebellious, find healing in you. O Lord, music of the heart, may you be everything to me. If my heart belongs to you, I desire nothing else. May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be with us. We await your calls.

Thank you, Brother Shaib. What a lesson of happiness! We can focus on Jesus Christ, and it is also very significant because people, over the past two thousand years until now, have had many different opinions. Some said, "Well, he is the son of Joseph." He is the son of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth.

But when you read this book, you see that many different titles are attributed to Jesus Christ, and one of these titles is that he is called the Son of Man. On one hand, this seems very simple. The Son of Man, well, it could be a human, perhaps a son of Adam. I mean, it refers to us. In the Gospel, we see this title used more than eighty times, and Jesus Christ uses it for himself more than anyone else. What does it mean? We can argue in some places that it refers to a servant or a human being, or an ordinary person.

For example, in one place, one of the teachers of the law came to Jesus and said, "Master, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Perhaps we can say that at that time, he had no place to sleep. But today, we understand that this phrase, Son of Man, has very deep meanings. One day, Jesus had a conversation with his disciples and went to a village, and he asked them, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

Here, when he asks who the Son of Man is, he does not mean just any person. He means a special individual or a unique person. And this is the very question Jesus posed to his disciples, and I want to ask you today: Who is the Son of Man? And when the people of that time heard this term or title, what did they think of? It is interesting to note that the Jewish people, over two thousand years ago, used this term to refer to someone who was expected to come.

For instance, a hero of the end times. It is fascinating because even today, many people talk about an end-time hero. Even two thousand years ago, they were discussing an end-time hero and were waiting for someone extraordinary who would rise up and fight against tyrants and liberate them from their oppressors. This person was expected to be human but unlike anyone else. A unique human being with special characteristics.

This was the hope of Israel. The Son of Man was to come. He was to judge others and lead Israel and free them. So, who would this person be? He was to be both a king and a chosen one. Some said he was pre-existent. Who is he? And in one place, I read in the Old Testament, in the book of Daniel. I don't know if you are familiar with the stories of Daniel. The character of Daniel is very interesting.

He had been taken captive, and when the enemies of Israel invaded, the Babylonians took a group of young men and exiled them to serve in the royal court. Daniel was a righteous man and had a pure heart, serving in the court of the king of Babylon. He was a prophet known as Daniel, who saw heavenly visions, and one of the visions he saw is in the book of Daniel. Yes, Mr Arli, we want to focus on what Daniel says, and then you can read from verse 13.

Daniel sees visions of the beasts of the earth, four beasts that are vicious and dark. Each of them is destroyed, and then a human appears. In Daniel chapter 7, you read that this human, who comes after these beasts, is given authority and power that is everlasting. This Son of Man is from the heavens, meaning that we want to explain to our Muslim brothers and sisters that when Daniel speaks here, he is referring to someone who is born on this earth, a sinner, a regular human being, but this Son of Man is from above, and that points to Jesus Christ because no one in the history of humanity has come down from above—except Jesus Christ. Please proceed.

It is interesting that he comes with the clouds of heaven, which signifies the presence of God among us. We believe this conveys the greatest message that expresses the identity of Jesus Christ: that he existed before, that he is not only a human but that he is the Word of God made flesh, who dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory. Here we see that he is given glory, and he carries the glory of God.

So, Jesus Christ uses this term, the Son of God, which was common among the Jewish people. They did not fully understand it, but Jesus uniquely uses this term for himself. I want to summarise in a few minutes the different places where Jesus Christ uses the title Son of Man for himself. One is when he serves among the people. He often refers to himself as the Son of Man. When he is about to be crucified, he says the Son of Man will be lifted up.

One day, there was a large crowd gathering to hear Jesus teach. A paralyzed man could not get close, so his friends brought him, and they opened the roof to lower him down in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Your sins are forgiven you." The teachers of the law and the Pharisees said among themselves, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Knowing their thoughts, Jesus asked, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?" But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins—he said to the paralyzed man—"I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

Here we see Jesus performing two divine acts: one is visible, the healing of the paralyzed man, and one is invisible, the forgiveness of sins. The scholars say that only God can do this, and Jesus claims that he can do it. How does he claim the place of God? Perhaps he takes on the divine authority because he is divine himself, sent from God among us. Thus, he has the authority because he came from God, took on human form, but he is a unique human different from other kings and other prophets.

In another interesting place, we see Jesus dining with a rich man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a tax collector who took money from the people. Jesus visits him, and he believes in Jesus. His life, as you mentioned, transforms completely. Jesus says, "The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." The Son of Man refers to a servant, a human, a son of Adam. He came to seek the lost and save them. Another place, Jesus states, "As the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself."

This is correct; God is the source of life, and the Son also has the authority to give life. Why does Jesus have this authority? Because he is the Son of Man. The Son of Man can give life, save us, and transform us. Yes, we all know that this concept of Jesus as both the Son of God and the Son of Man is a sensitive topic for our Muslim brothers and sisters. Many scholars or those who study Islamic theology often ask Christians, "Where does God say that Jesus is the Son of God?"

The point they are making is that they accept Jesus as the Son of Man but question the title of Son of God. What does this term mean? It means that Jesus is not a physical son, but he has divine authority. When we say Son of Man, it refers to the vision Daniel saw, that the Son of Man will come into this world, born as a human, but he comes from heaven with divine power.

This is the point we want to convey to our Muslim brothers and sisters: before you question the title of Son of God, it is better to understand what the term Son of Man means. You have explained very well that when Jesus says "Son of Man," it signifies his identity as the Son of God. Yes, the title Son of Man is not a simple servant title; it indicates a unique human who possesses divine characteristics.

The two most important titles of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, support and affirm each other, I think. Yes, absolutely. They confirm each other and also clarify. Our message to all viewers is that you should read the Gospel. Many people who ask us questions, when our staff speak with them, we ask, "Have you read the Gospel?" They say, "No." Because they rely on what they have heard from others, like Allah Khan or some teacher somewhere. But we say, "No, read it for yourself."

Read it for yourself and believe that this Son of Man is our Saviour, our Lord, and our Master. We thank God for this Saviour. At the beginning of today’s programme, you talked about the political situation in Afghanistan and how these issues of politics, ethnicities, and nations cannot save us. It takes a person who is above humans, someone who is from God and possesses divine qualities. Jesus Christ is that person who holds both divine and human qualities, who can take us by the hand and save us.

So, dear friends, we hope and pray that you read the Bible, the Gospel, and believe in Christ as your Saviour and Lord. Let us pray. Lord, thank you for what you have shown us in your Word, in the Gospel, about Jesus Christ, who is the Son of Man and who came from heaven to this earth, performed miracles, healed the blind, made the lame walk, and raised the dead.

He taught the kingdom of God and gave his life on the cross for our sins. He was buried and on the third day rose again. And this Son of Man will return to judge the world. Lord, we pray that all our Afghan brothers and sisters, all our Muslim brothers and sisters, will read the Gospel and believe in this Saviour, this Son of Man, who possesses divine power, and that their lives may change. And every day, as we believe in Christ, our lives improve.

In this world, Lord, we pray that the lives of the people of Afghanistan, through faith in Jesus Christ, may get better every day. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

In this world, Lord, we pray that the lives of the people of Afghanistan, through faith in Jesus Christ, may get better every day. In this world, Lord, we pray that the lives of the people of Afghanistan, through faith in Jesus Christ, may get better every day.