I had the opportunity to speak with a Muslim and a Jehovah’s Witness this past week. Though there are sweeping differences between the two religious frameworks, there is one striking bond.

Both reject Jesus.

The tricky part, though, is that neither would say they do. For the Muslim, Jesus is a prophet who is to be honored. For the Jehovah’s Witness, Jesus is the Son of God who offered his life to make atonement for sin.

However, both balk at the idea of Jesus being God. Therefore, both reject Jesus.

The Muslim arrives at this conclusion by disregarding the Biblical witness to Jesus’ divinity. The Jehovah’s Witness arrives at this conclusion by distorting the Biblical witness.

The response to both approaches is the same: show them Jesus.

Point them to texts like John 8:58 — “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’”

Or John 10:31-33 — “The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.’”

Or John 20:27-28 — “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”

Show them Jesus, correct them gently, and then trust that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26).