Why was Jesus born in the era he was born in?

[Mulligan2]

I am not sure if this is the right forum. I actually have several questions pertaining to this.

If the earth is 4.5 billion years old, why did God wait until a little over 2000 years ago to have Jesus born? Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until cameras and video were available, so there is a visible record of his miracles and teachings? That would have cleared up a lot of confusion.

Also, we are told that Jesus is the one who judges us when we die? Who judged humanity before Jesus? Who else other than Jesus can see us and know us? God and the Holy Spirit? Who else?

 

[Lost_Sheep]

I am not sure if this is the right forum. I actually have several questions pertaining to this.

If the earth is 4.5 billion years old, why did God wait until a little over 2000 years ago to have Jesus born? Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until cameras and video were available, so there is a visible record of his miracles and teachings? That would have cleared up a lot of confusion.

Also, we are told that Jesus is the one who judges us when we die? Who judged humanity before Jesus? Who else other than Jesus can see us and know us? God and the Holy Spirit? Who else?

You’re suggesting that if God had done it your way it would be better?

 

[TK421]

If there was a video recording of Jesus dying on the Christ, it would not rise or lower the elect by 1 person. Each person is presented with water and fire, and then they reach out their hand and take one. The added layer of a video recording might up a person’s culpability, but it really has no effect on the soul’s execution of its free will. Also, God has not and will not save people that don’t want to be saved. It’s explicitly stated that He literally pushes these people away by pro-actively darkening their hearts and minds.

The reason for the particular period that the Incarnation took place can fill up volumes of speculation. We see the rise and fall of proud and mighty empires before the Incarnation. We see that in prehistory as well, with towering scaly beasts that covered the planet but were later destroyed by fire, and yet meek creatures survived. The short answer is that prophecy had moved to that moment and thus it was time.

 

[openmind77]

I am not sure if this is the right forum. I actually have several questions pertaining to this.

If the earth is 4.5 billion years old, why did God wait until a little over 2000 years ago to have Jesus born? Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until cameras and video were available, so there is a visible record of his miracles and teachings? That would have cleared up a lot of confusion.

Also, we are told that Jesus is the one who judges us when we die? Who judged humanity before Jesus? Who else other than Jesus can see us and know us? God and the Holy Spirit? Who else?

I don’t think the Church has a satisfactory answer for you question. If you don’t mind, let me give you an answer from the Hindu perspective - according to the Gita, whenever there is a decline in righteousness, God incarnates in a human being in order to save humanity. These incarnations are called Avatars and occur periodically around the world. I believe Jesus was such an Avatar - he was not the first and I don’t think he will be the last.

As for the timing of 2000 years ago, let me give you a more 'New Age’ish answer:

Because of the angular rotation of the earth, the Sun appears to move through each constellation in the sky and takes 26000 years to complete a cycle. So it spends approximately 2160 years in each constellation.

God sends a Teacher to the earth at the beginning of each period or ‘Age’. The various teachers for the last few Ages (the dates are approximate):

• Age of Leo - 10000BC - 8000BC - Hermes - Egypt
• Age of Cancer - 8000BC - 6000BC - Hercules - Greece
• Age of Gemini - 6000BC - 4000BC - Rama - India
• Age of Taurus - 4000BC - 2000BC - Mithra - Europe
• Age of Aries - 2000BC - 0 - Krishna - India
• Age of Pisces - 0 - 2000 - Jesus - Middle East (The Fisher of Men)

We are due for a new Avatar soon. As you say, there will be cameras and TV to record and broadcast the event

 

[Iron_Donkey]

I am not sure if this is the right forum. I actually have several questions pertaining to this.

If the earth is 4.5 billion years old, why did God wait until a little over 2000 years ago to have Jesus born? Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until cameras and video were available, so there is a visible record of his miracles and teachings? That would have cleared up a lot of confusion.

Better in what way? His miracles were widely accepted at the time by those He interacted with as miracles (even if some doubted the source), the religion spread well, and if some today doubt records from the past of miracles - well, I’m pretty sure if there was video evidence of miracles now, and if those miracles were widely believed, in 2000 years people who wanted to disbelieve would find reason to doubt the veracity of the videos.

Perhaps there would be some advantages and some disadvantages, but when asking such questions you have to remember that a) what these would be and their long term effects is not an obvious thing, and b) the present depends strongly on the past, which was influenced by Christ, so if Christ had not incarnated at that time there is no guarantee that the present would look anything at all like does now (technologically, socially, or in any other way).

Also, we are told that Jesus is the one who judges us when we die? Who judged humanity before Jesus? Who else other than Jesus can see us and know us? God and the Holy Spirit? Who else?

The Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity is eternal. He always existed. He incarnated 2000 years ago, but He was very much God before then. Of course, judgment was different before and after the Incarnation, but I’ll leave any other details to someone who knows more.

And finally, God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) can see into our minds and souls. All angels and demons can see either all or nearly all physical things that we do (as limited by God). Anyone to whom God grants the ability can “hear” mental prayers and the like.

 

[Iron_Donkey]

I don’t think the Church has a satisfactory answer for you question. If you don’t mind, let me give you an answer from the Hindu perspective - according to the Gita, whenever there is a decline in righteousness, God incarnates in a human being in order to save humanity. These incarnations are called Avatars and occur periodically around the world. I believe Jesus was such an Avatar - he was not the first and I don’t think he will be the last.

As for the timing of 2000 years ago, let me give you a more 'New Age’ish answer:

Because of the angular rotation of the earth, the Sun appears to move through each constellation in the sky and takes 26000 years to complete a cycle. So it spends approximately 2160 years in each constellation.

God sends a Teacher to the earth at the beginning of each period or ‘Age’. The various teachers for the last few Ages (the dates are approximate):

• Age of Leo - 10000BC - 8000BC - Hermes - Egypt
• Age of Cancer - 8000BC - 6000BC - Hercules - Greece
• Age of Gemini - 6000BC - 4000BC - Rama - India
• Age of Taurus - 4000BC - 2000BC - Mithra - Europe
• Age of Aries - 2000BC - 0 - Krishna - India
• Age of Pisces - 0 - 2000 - Jesus - Middle East (The Fisher of Men)

We are due for a new Avatar soon. As you say, there will be cameras and TV to record and broadcast the event

This may be obvious, but Catholicism disagrees with pretty much every thing said here. Just pointing out that this answer is definitely contrary to the Catholic perspective (even though you said explicitly that it was from the Hindu perspective) for the sake of clarity.

 

[Vouthon]

For me the reason is quite simply because the first century AD was the first time that so much of the planet was united under a common system of governance and law, the Roman Empire spanning from England to Palestine to North Africa. This was a very advanced civilization, with the first period of relative peace throughout the world: the Pax Romana.

This was the perfect era for the Son of God to become man. Look how quickly the religion, still a minority, become established in different pockets of the world through the travel networks, road systems and so on of the Empire.

Could this have happened in a previous time period? No way.

Human beings have only been around for 200,000 years and we reached behavioural modernity about 50,000 years ago.

We had to “evolve” - culturally, technologically, philosophically - before God could become man and establish the Church.

Afterwards, the next 2,000 years was a case of the church developing its understanding of itself.

 

[Nelka]

If the earth is 4.5 billion years old,?

It’s not!

 

[yppop]

For me the reason is quite simply because the first century AD was the first time that so much of the planet was united under a common system of governance and law, the Roman Empire spanning from England to Palestine to North Africa. This was a very advanced civilization, with the first period of relative peace throughout the world: the Pax Romana.

This was the perfect era for the Son of God to become man. Look how quickly the religion, still a minority, become established in different pockets of the world through the travel networks, road systems and so on of the Empire.

Could this have happened in a previous time period? No way.

Human beings have only been around for 200,000 years and we reached behavioural modernity about 50,000 years ago.

We had to “evolve” - culturally, technologically, philosophically - before God could become man and establish the Church.

Afterwards, the next 2,000 years was a case of the church developing its understanding of itself.

Vouthon
Good “philosophical” answer and if I might contribute an ancillary comment from Will Durant:

“He (Christ) resembled Caesar only in taking his stand with the lower class, and in the quality of mercy; otherwise what a world of outlook, character, and interests separated them! Caesar hoped to reform men by changing institutions and laws; Christ wished to remake institutions and laws by changing men." Vol III Caesar and Christ, pg 562

I interpret this to mean that Christ made each of us responsible for the quality of mercy and was against or, at least, suspicious of “big government”.

This passage was one of the factors in my move from left to right politically.

Yppop

 

[vincent10395]

I am not sure if this is the right forum. I actually have several questions pertaining to this.

If the earth is 4.5 billion years old, why did God wait until a little over 2000 years ago to have Jesus born? Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until cameras and video were available, so there is a visible record of his miracles and teachings? That would have cleared up a lot of confusion.

Also, we are told that Jesus is the one who judges us when we die? Who judged humanity before Jesus? Who else other than Jesus can see us and know us? God and the Holy Spirit? Who else?

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,”
Galatians 4:4

 

[Della]

I am not sure if this is the right forum. I actually have several questions pertaining to this.

If the earth is 4.5 billion years old, why did God wait until a little over 2000 years ago to have Jesus born?

Well, according to scientists, most of that time the earth was uninhabitable for any kind of life, let alone human life. Compared to the age of the universe, again as scientists theorize, we humans have only been here a short time, after all. After the fall of Adam and Eve God made promises to us through various prophets, bringing man along until he was ready for the Redeemer.

Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until cameras and video were available, so there is a visible record of his miracles and teachings? That would have cleared up a lot of confusion.

People have filmed miracles but the skeptical remain unconvinced. It is the Holy Spirit that convinces men of their need for God not reason alone.

Also, we are told that Jesus is the one who judges us when we die? Who judged humanity before Jesus? Who else other than Jesus can see us and know us? God and the Holy Spirit? Who else?

Christ was and is our judge. We have to remember that God exists outside our time in eternity, so Jesus has always existed but only appeared to us within time. It’s hard to wrap our heads around, I know.

 

[JamesTheJust]

I am not sure if this is the right forum. I actually have several questions pertaining to this.

If the earth is 4.5 billion years old, why did God wait until a little over 2000 years ago to have Jesus born? Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until cameras and video were available, so there is a visible record of his miracles and teachings? That would have cleared up a lot of confusion.

Also, we are told that Jesus is the one who judges us when we die? Who judged humanity before Jesus? Who else other than Jesus can see us and know us? God and the Holy Spirit? Who else?

2000 years ago, Israel was in the height of its turmoil. She had been conquered by the Romans, forced to bend her knees before evil and prideful pagan leaders. Her people were oppressed, beaten, unjustly killed and tortured, deprived, poor, and weak. Their once unified religion had been split into constantly arguing sects and divisions, all of whom were extremely prideful and corrupt in their leadership. The people needed the Messiah more than ever, and many false messiahs had gathered followers and led unsuccessful rebellions. God gave them what they needed, though they rejected Him because they selfishly wanted a conquering messiah, and not a humble, self-sacrificing one. This can all be found in a book called “The Jesus I Never Knew”, by Phillip Yancey (a Protestant, but one who has some sound ideas), which I’m sure can be found on Amazon.

To answer your second question, it wouldn’t matter for two reasons. We have been given two obvious choices between the Savior and the Devil, and we must choose. More evidence wouldn’t change the choices hard-hearted people make.

Souls did not enter Heaven nor Hell before Christ. Christ opened the gates to both. Before His death, souls awaited Him in two places: one called “Abraham’s bosom”, which was for the righteous, and another called “Hades”, for the unrighteous. Now that He has died, Jesus does judge us when we die.

 

[VanSensei]

I am not sure if this is the right forum. I actually have several questions pertaining to this.

If the earth is 4.5 billion years old, why did God wait until a little over 2000 years ago to have Jesus born? Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until cameras and video were available, so there is a visible record of his miracles and teachings? That would have cleared up a lot of confusion.

Because actual human history has been very, very short. The idea of religion in humans has been much shorter. Let’s put it this way: If the entire age of the universe was the length across America, human history would be a trip from Arlington to DC. Religion as a concept would be a cab ride to some trendy neighborhood. The time where the idea of a person like Jesus Christ could’ve possibly existed is a walk to some Italian restaurant. His life is the time it takes for your complimentary bottle of Merlot to arrive at your table.

Hope that helped. It is all very short.

 

[Qoeleth]

With the Roman Empire, it was the best time to spread the new message of Truth. The Roman Empire created a peaceful and (relatively) tolerant situation, in which the new Faith could spread readily to many peoples.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

It’s not!

Then how old is it?