Why Did Jesus Choose to Come When He Did?

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Galatians 4:3-5 Why did Jesus choose to come when He did? Why not now? Wouldn’t it have been nice if He had chosen to come in our lifetime so we could have seen His miracles firsthand? Why did He appear at the precise moment and place that He did? While we don’t know the mind of God, there are 3 factors that clearly stand out when we look at the vast sweep of history. These 3 factors were in place for the first time, at the point in history when Jesus appeared: First is communication. Until the Roman Empire conquered virtually all the known world, people existed in local tribes and roaming bands of hunter-gatherers. Rome stamped its image on every culture under its banner. Consequently, two languages, Latin and Greek, became the common languages of the empire. Second is unprecedented peace. Rome’s military victories were won because the Romans had superior armor, weapons, tactics, and leaders. As new lands were conquered, fighting ceased and peace spread throughout the land. Third is transportation. Trade and commerce thrived in the Roman Empire, at least partly because the Romans built the most extensive and finest transportation system the world had ever seen – or would see for the next 1500 years. Roman roads are still in use today in parts of the ancient empire. So Christ came, lived, died, and rose again at a time and place where the gospel message could explode across miles and cultures to every person. He could have come at any time, but from a historical point of view, few other previous periods offered as many advantages for the spread of the gospel message. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com