The Christmas season provides natural opportunities for a Christian to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with a Muslim friend. Here are a few suggestions:
Give a Christmas card. Yes, your Muslim friends will appreciate that you thought of them. There are many great Christmas cards available with messages of best wishes, peace and good will that will be a help in your witness without being offensive. However, try to choose one that does NOT have pictures of Jesus, Mary, or other Bible characters. Your friend might feel uneasy about such pictures as ‘graven images’. There are plenty of nice cards with winter scenes or other attractive designs to choose from.
Plan a special evening during the holidays with Muslim friends in mind. Invite them over for such things as Christmas snacks (pork-free please), carol singing, Scripture reading, and small gift-giving (especially for the kids). Tell your guests that with their permission, you would like to read the Gospel account of the birth of prophet Jesus in observance of the occasion. Handle the Bible respectully, preferably inside a Bible cover. Feel free to briefly explain the meaning of Christmas and tie it in with your Scripture reading. Luke 2:1-20 is a good passage to read.
“Jesus came to save.” Unless you have had many talks already with your Muslim friend, stay away from talking about how “God gave us His Son” at Christmas. Rather, talk about Jesus as “the one whom God sent to save us from our sins” as Luke 2:11 teaches. To most Muslims, it is quite understandable to have a ceremony like Scripture reading or prayer in conjunction with a holy day like Christmas.
Step by Step. Do not attempt to give the whole gospel unless your guests are obviously craving more. Such a special time together is just one step in a perhaps long process of sharing the good news of Christ with Muslims. I would also suggest only having one Muslim family in at a time. That way they can relax and not be thinking about what the others are thinking.
Gift Ideas. If you want to give a gift, why not the “Jesus” film, taken directly from the Gospel of Luke? It is available in a multitude of languages which can ordered online at the Jesus Film Store for a reasonable price. It will be some of the best money you’ve ever spent! Books, Bibles and other helpful literature for Muslims are also good gift ideas. Fellowship of Faith for the Muslims can help you out. Email them for some ideas.
George King
