Why Did Jesus Come When He Did?

[Gregg]

I believe Jesus came when He did to fulfill prophecies in the Old Testament; to let people know that He really is God. Some of the prophecies correctly predicted when He would come to Earth (and also told how He would die despite the fact that crucifixion hadn't been invented yet; still 400 years to come).

I believe this is one of the many reasons our Father chose this time for the Son. Or at least one of the reasons he allows us to understand.

[Equipped_4_Love]

it's simple really. He had to come in a time honestly where he would be killed for stating he was the son of God. Now of days, they would just throw him in a rubber room and that would be the end of it. But then that was considered blasphemy. So he was put to death as he had to be so that we all may live.

That is a wonderful answer. After all, we know that Christ's entire purpose for coming was to defeat the works of the devil, and die in order that we may live.

Christ had to come at a time in which the Genesis prophecy could be fulfilled:

Gen. 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel

Christ had to come at a time when it would be possible for Him to be crucified for all of man's sins, and where He could destroy the works of the enemy -- so that he could conquer death and be given authority over it.

One thing that I have been mulling over for some time is the fact that Christ came to establish the new covenant. It was that covenant which saves us. For 2000 yrs., mankind was under the law. We all know that the law was initiated to lead man to Christ -- to show him his own inadequacy. We all know that, because of pride, man has a natural tendency to rely on his own efforts. For 2,000 years, God was showing man his own inadequacy before sending Christ.

Perhaps God had to wait 2,000 yrs. to send Christ so that in no way, shape, or form, mankind could say "well, I could have done it by my own efforts if you'd given us time to perfect it." Perhaps God waited all that time to show man that it was impossible for him to ever achieve perfection through the law, apart from Christ.

Just a thought

[The Mighty Sword]

I've yet to be able to understand the reasoning behind this. For oodles and oodles of years, people would have to provide animal sacrifices in order to be forgiven of their sins. And then circa 3 BC, baby Jesus is born. He dies and then the need for animal sacrifice is nullified. What I don't get is, why did Jesus return when he did? Why was it 3 BC and not, say, 2000 BC?

I Google'd the question and got an answer relating to the week of creation. It states that because God made Earth ready for inhabitation on the fourth day, that it would be 4000 years after Creation that Jesus came to Earth. Anyone able to make sense of all this?

To fullfill the prophecy for the coming of the Messiah and Salvation.
Isaiah 7:14 (New International Version)

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

[Bandit]

Why Did Jesus Come When He Did?

The rest of His calendar was booked!

[The Mighty Sword]

The rest of His calendar was booked!

That's the best answer I've heard in a while

[Bandit]

That's the best answer I've heard in a while

I'm not sure how else you can answer a question like that.

[usmjam]

Great thread, with responses that point out how it was God's perfect timing regarding the fulfillment of OT prophesies as well as the ripeness of society having a common language and Roman roads for easier travel, etc.

The fact that crucifixion had to be developed to also fulfill prophesy reminds me of another facet about that particular point in time. The Roman tyranny was the prophesied "beast" which was unlike the others. It was way more fearsome.

Rome was basically the old New World Order. They had a more complete census and taxing system than even Alexander's empire and had their one world government and a universal religion. Although you could have your own religion, it came with restriction that final obeisance was to Caesar. Control by man was the main thing.

The return of the Lord also will be during a New Whirled Order. This one too has been prophesied and the signs of its forming are everywhere. The coming of Christ then and in the future are filled with many similarities.

A new NWO with a new anti-christ will be very bad news, except for the fact that the Lord will return to set it all straight. We know how the story ends for we've read the final chapter.