Chapter 3: Surat Aal-'Imran (The House 'Imran), verse 45-51
Translation:
The angels said to Mary: 'God bids you rejoice in a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary. He shall be noble in this world and in the world to come, and shall be one of those who are favored. He shall preach to men in his cradle and in the prime of manhood, and shall lead a righteous life.' 'Lord,' she said, 'how can I bear a child when no man has touched me?' He replied: 'Even thus. God creates whom He will. When He decrees a thing He need only say: "Be," and it is. He will instruct him in the scriptures and in wisdom, in the Torah and in the Gospel, and send him forth as an apostle to the Israelites. He will say: "I bring you a sign from your Lord. From clay I will make for you the likeness of a bird. I shall breathe into it and, by God's leave, it shall become a living bird. By God's leave I shall heal the blind man and the leper, and raise the dead to life. I shall tell you what to eat and what to store up in your houses. Surely that will be a sign for you, if you are true believers. I come to confirm the Torah which preceded me and to make lawful for you some of the things you are forbidden. I bring you a sign from your Lord: therefore fear God and obey me. God is my Lord and your Lord: therefore serve Him. That is a straight."' (45-51)
Commentary:
The Jews were chosen by
God for this special mission/assignment to become the bearers of divine guidance
so that along with following the path of God they should also communicate this
guidance to others. But rot was set in in the Jews in later times. Then a time
came when they were no longer worthy of being the bearer of divine guidance. Now
God decreed to take away this trust from them and grant that to the other branch
of Abraham’s dynasty, Banu Ishmael. Before the enforcement of this decree it
was necessary to prove to them that they were no longer to be trusted. Jesus
Christ was sent by God for this purpose. His extraordinary birth and the
granting of extraordinary miracles was because the Jews should have no doubt as
regards his messengership (that he was sent by God) and that he was speaking on
behalf of God. Jesus Christ not only was given extraordinary signs from God but
he spoke in so effective/persuasive and logical manner that no one in his time
could speak like him. When he spoke for the first time in the temple, “all
that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers” (Luke 2:47).
It was his miraculous personality and his astonishing speech that although he
was born without a father no one dared to abuse him on this pretext (for being
born without a father). However the Jews had become so insensitive and insolent
that in spite of very clear arguments they refused to believe in him. “In it
is sign for the believers” means that the argument being presented is although
complete in itself, but it will appear to be an argument who wanted to
believe/accept; who had the ability to come out of his self and ponder over the
argument; whose nature was alive so that the question of personal prestige did
not become an obstacle in the acceptance of truth.