Why did God choose the time & place he did to appear in human form?

[Cieza]

Why did God choose the time & place he did to appear in human form?

Why has he not appeared in human forms at other times?

What evidence is there that Jesus really was God?

How can we know that Jesus didn't simply turn off the "pain switch" as he was being tortured?

If Jesus really was God, then being "killed" wouldn't have been a huge sacrifice, as he could have easily regenerated himself and reappeared in the human form as Jesus. He could have then been "killed" again by other humans and repeated the process of reappearing.

Why didn't God appear as Jesus in several parts of the world? Why just isolate it to one geographic region?

 

[aiki]

Why did God choose the time & place he did to appear in human form?

He doesn't tell us why. The Bible simply says Christ came in the "fullness of time." (Ga. 4:4)

Why has he not appeared in human forms at other times?

It seems, as far as God is concerned, once was enough. Mind you, it is thought that Christ appeared on earth in the OT times.

What evidence is there that Jesus really was God?

The virgin birth, his many miracles, his fulfillment of centuries-old prophecy, and his resurrection from the dead.

How can we know that Jesus didn't simply turn off the "pain switch" as he was being tortured?

Nothing in the biblical accounts of his death suggest that was what he could, or did, do. Scripture describes him as a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." The Bible also speaks of Christ as having suffered:

Hebrews 2:9
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

1 Peter 3:18
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

1 Peter 4:1
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

If Jesus really was God, then being "killed" wouldn't have been a huge sacrifice, as he could have easily regenerated himself and reappeared in the human form as Jesus. He could have then been "killed" again by other humans and repeated the process of reappearing.

Why do you want to diminish what Jesus accomplished and endured on the cross?

Jesus wasn't simply killed. He was made to suffer one of the most excruciating deaths possible. What's more, he took upon himself the terrible, crushing, vile weight of the sin of all humanity for all time. The cost of doing so entailed, in part, a time of separation from the perfect union of the Godhead. The full horror of all of these things is lost upon us, I think. In any case, what Christ did on the cross perfectly accomplished once for all what God intended to accomplish. Christ dying again and again was not necessary.

Why didn't God appear as Jesus in several parts of the world? Why just isolate it to one geographic region?

If the various reports and stories are to be believed, Jesus has appeared to people in dreams and visions in remote places or in places where the Christian faith is forbidden. And the Gospel of salvation has gone out around the globe. The New Testament is available in more languages and dialects than perhaps any other book in existence. Christ's main purpose in coming to earth, though, was to die for our sins, not to do a world-wide appearance tour.

Selah.

 

[Faulty]

Why did God choose the time & place he did to appear in human form?

The time of His coming was a fulfillment of prophecy, down to the exact day...

Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.
Dan 9:24-26
​

During His ministry, there were times where the people wanted to make Him king, but He rejected it because His time had not het come (Jn 7:6-8), but when He came into Jerusalem, He came in as the King, to fulfill Daniels prophecy, and Zechariah's prophecy as well...

Prophecy of Zechariah of the day of the coming King:

"Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Zech 9:9
​

Fulfillment of both prophecies:

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

“Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”​

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. John 12:12-16
​

Of course the prophecy of Daniel continues on to tell us that the "Prince" will go on and be killed, but not for Himself, but rather for us, in our place.​

We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ​

2 Cor 5:20-21
​

 

[help_the_lord]

it was the best time up until then to return, the roman trade routes made spreading the gospel infinitely easier than it would of been in previous times

 

[Emmy]

Dear Cieza. If God did not love us as much as He loves us, God could have given up on us. There was no man or woman left without sins or wrongdoings, Humanity had moved too far away from God. God`s Holy Law demanded a Sarifice for all the sins committed by Man. For us to carry on as God`s Creation, we needed a Blood-Sacrifice. Part of God Himself, God-Son, became Man out of Love for all Creation. The Bible tells us how Mary, a human Virgin was chosen by God, to become the Vessel to bring forth our Saviour, Jesus. He reconciled us to God, Jesus became our Saviour. It was only God`s Love for us which saved us, and Jesus`s Love for God and for us. It was God`s loving and wonderful Plan which gave us another chance to become as God wants us to be: His loving children/sons and daughters. Jesus tells us in Matthew, chapter 22, verses 35-40, what God wants from us: 1) Love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. 2) Love our neighbour as ourselves.
On these two Commandments hang all the law and the Prophets. God is Love, Cieza, and Jesus will give us His Love and Joy, and the Holy Spirit will give us His Love, also. Jesus told us to " ask and ye will receive," and then we thank God and share all Love and Joy with all around us. Why this time? Perhaps God wanted to give us a last chance to know His Love for us, and also how very much God loves us and wants us back again ?? I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[razeontherock]

Why did God choose the time & place he did to appear in human form?

You've gotten excellent answers. I'm going to try to only speak to those things I haven't seen represented here. The time, was the first time (and place) in human history that the Gospel story could take place, and not be wiped out by epidemic, war, or other major population setbacks. Roads and common language connected not only a large landmass, but a significant and diverse population.

Next, G-d's people, were in fact, G-d's people. The Bible tells us why they were not chosen, (due to any of their own merit) and that His glory would be revealed in them. (Presumably because of their own lack of merit)

Why has he not appeared in human forms at other times?

Do you understand the concept of "the pre-Incarnate Christ?" This is the same Spirit and essence Jesus had, w/o a physical birth and development as a human. Some say this is merely an Angle like any other, some say this is a "special Angel," but no one says it is physically Jesus. So the real question here is not if OT events were this pre-Incarnate Christ, but if other belief systems had His appearance.

Take Hari Krishna as an example: IF he was such a being, he failed in his mission to reconcile man to God. Either that, or His mission was merely to give them something to think about, that might make it a little easier to accept Christ once He appeared.

What evidence is there that Jesus really was God?

"Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; (Romans 1:4) And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead"

There's your bottom line, authoritative answer right there

If Jesus really was God, then being "killed" wouldn't have been a huge sacrifice

1) Let's see you do it, voluntarily, when you can stop it at any time, and then say that!

2) If you think it was solely about "being a sacrifice," you're missing a lot.

 

[ebia]

Why did God choose the time & place he did to appear in human form?

Because he decided that that was the time and place where the crisis of the world and the crisis if the people he chose to be the solution come to a head.

[quote[

Why has he not appeared in human forms at other times?[/quote]
because it's the one off climax of a single story that achieves something that only needs -only can be -done once. Easter is the beginning of New Creation.

 

[drich0150]

Why did God choose the time & place he did to appear in human form?

Because He knew when the best time to do so was.

Why has he not appeared in human forms at other times?

How do you know that He hasn't?

What evidence is there that Jesus really was God?

The Gospels and the History of the Church

How can we know that Jesus didn't simply turn off the "pain switch" as he was being tortured?

Because it was recorded that He was in Pain. Also know the physical pain was not the limit of His sacrifice.

od, then being "killed" wouldn't have been a huge sacrifice, as he could have easily regenerated himself and reappeared in the human form as Jesus. He could have then been "killed" again by other humans and repeated the process of reappearing.

ok???

Why didn't God appear as Jesus in several parts of the world?

How do you know He didn't?

Why just isolate it to one geographic region?

Again How do you know that He did??

The reason we have a record of Christ is because (in part) the believers in Christ preserved His word, thought, and deeds. What would it take to wipe out his efforts in other regions, at other times? What does it take to wipe Him from your heart now? How complete would this effort be if everyone thought as you do?