Question about Jesus..

[46Tbird]

If Jesus' birth fulfilled prophecies from the OT about who/what the Messiah would be, then why wasn't he put on a pedestal from day one?

Why was he well into manhood before so much as a word was written about him?

Is it possible that since the virgin birth story was written after Jesus' death, that the story was written specifically to fulfill those prophecies?

[breadfan35]

Well for one Marry and Joseph had to be on the run so as not to get in trouble for her being pregnant and them not officially being married yet. So I assume his birth and childhood were pretty much protected until he was of age to begin fulfilling his destiny.

But there is that story of Mary and Joseph losing him when he was a child and then finding him in the temple.

No definite answer, just some ideas.

[Denny]

Remember that King Herod was having all the male children executed around that time because of Jesus' birth. I don't think I'd go around walking on any water until the coast was clear.;)

[46Tbird]

But NOTHING was written during Jesus' lifetime about His miraculous birth. It was only after his death that the Messiah-like birth circumstances were attributed to Him.

Doesn't that seem even a teeny bit strange?

[Monsoon X]

Originally posted by 46Tbird
But NOTHING was written during Jesus' lifetime about His miraculous birth. It was only after his death that the Messiah-like birth circumstances were attributed to Him.

Doesn't that seem even a teeny bit strange?


Writings like what? A newspaper article? Seriously, writings like what? It was not after his death that the Messiah circumstances were attributed to Him. Jesus gathered followers way before he was crucified. They believed He was the Messiah.

[MoonDog]

No one was sure who he was at first. There were a select few that knew but that is it. It wasn't until He bagan His ministry that everything came to light and people began to believe who He was. It was all in the timing, if He made known who He was before His time then everything that needed to be fullfilled likely would not have been.

Like Denny said, Herod tried to get rid of Him by killing all baby boys two years old and under. Jesus and His family had to keep things quite in order for Jesus' destiny to be fullfilled.

[01WhiteCobra]

Originally posted by MoonDog
No one was sure who he was at first. There were a select few that knew but that is it. It wasn't until He bagan His ministry that everything came to light and people began to believe who He was. It was all in the timing, if He made known who He was before His time then everything that needed to be fullfilled likely would not have been.

Like Denny said, Herod tried to get rid of Him by killing all baby boys two years old and under. Jesus and His family had to keep things quite in order for Jesus' destiny to be fullfilled.

Don't you think if Herod would have come close to lopping off Jesus' head, the Big Man would have stopped Herod cold? I mean, He parted a sea. Herod would have been small potatoes to take care of.

[MoonDog]

Originally posted by 01WhiteCobra
Don't you think if Herod would have come close to lopping off Jesus' head, the Big Man would have stopped Herod cold? I mean, He parted a sea. Herod would have been small potatoes to take care of.
And God did stop him cold by sending an angel to Joseph in the night telling him to flee to Egypt.

[01WhiteCobra]

Originally posted by MoonDog
And God did stop him cold by sending an angel to Joseph in the night telling him to flee to Egypt.

Why not just kill Herod? The dude was murdering 2 yr olds. Why not just stop him and then Joseph wouldn't have had to run.

[The Punisher]

Originally posted by 01WhiteCobra
Why not just kill Herod? The dude was murdering 2 yr olds. Why not just stop him and then Joseph wouldn't have had to run. I dunno, who are we to know anyways. God could have just been putting Mary and Joseph's faith to a test.

[01WhiteCobra]

Originally posted by 281R
I dunno, who are we to know anyways. God could have just been putting Mary and Joseph's faith to a test. I dunno. But we do know thath everything has a reason, so maybe he needed Herod for something else? I dunno

I dunno

[MoonDog]

Originally posted by 01WhiteCobra
Why not just kill Herod? The dude was murdering 2 yr olds. Why not just stop him and then Joseph wouldn't have had to run.
Well if you look at history, Herod died in 4 BC, shortly after Jesus was born. History also tells us that the symptoms that he experienced prior to his death were, intense itching, painful intestinal problems, breathlessness, convulsions in every limb and gangrene of the genitalia. Sounds like instead of God just offing him quickly He wanted him to suffer a little first.

After this we read in Matthew chapter 9: But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. (RSV)

[Josh]

I'd disagree with my bretheren somewhat on this. I believe quite a few people knew about him being the Christ. Consider the shepherds that were told by the angles, the Magi, Simeon and Anna. Don't you think those shepherds spread the word? What about Simeon and Anna, they announced it in the temple.
All Jews knew/know of the prophecy and I believe many knew of Jesus' messiahship then.
It is important to understand that writing in those days did not occour as it does today. Like Monsoon jested, there were no newspapers. The only mediums with which to write upon were papyrus, which was very expensive, or stone tablet which were very laborious.
Besides, I would not worry about a fabricated virgin birth. Because most of the following prophetic fulfilment would have been impossible to stage anyway. (For instance he could have not staged his scourging, crucifixion or any of the events on that day.) So that in itself lends credence to the veracity of Jesus' birth.

[breadfan35]

Originally posted by 01WhiteCobra
Why not just kill Herod? The dude was murdering 2 yr olds. Why not just stop him and then Joseph wouldn't have had to run.

Originally posted by MoonDog
Well if you look at history, Herod died in 4 BC, shortly after Jesus was born. History also tells us that the symptoms that he experienced prior to his death were, intense itching, painful intestinal problems, breathlessness, convulsions in every limb and gangrene of the genitalia. Sounds like instead of God just offing him quickly He wanted him to suffer a little first.

After this we read in Matthew chapter 9: But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. (RSV)

Plus, God did it that way so that...

Matthew 2:14-15: So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I call my Son." <---Hosea 11:1