Post by Jeff Gerke on May 25, 2007 9:26:48 GMT -5
Of course we know such a thing couldn't happen. God wouldn't have allowed it.
But in the name of alternate history dreaming, let's think about it.
(There are differing opinions about when Jesus the human became Jesus the Christ/Messiah. Some believe He was fully the Son of God even before birth. Others believe He became the Christ at birth. Still others think it must've been a growing realization and "gradual incarnation" that might've been well on its way at age 12. And many others believe He was not fully the Messiah until the Spirit descended upon Him after being baptized by John. I don't know which is right, but for the purposes of this what-if exercise I'm going to assume that He wasn't fully the Messiah when Herod's men killed the infant Jesus.)
First idea: what would it have been like in around A.D. 30, when John the Baptist was out there telling people to watch for the Messiah? One, would he have even done so or would God have told him, "Ah, never mind, John"? Two, if he had been out there baptizing and preaching--since John later wondered if Jesus really was the Messiah--would he have fingered the wrong person? Would he eventually have gotten desperate and just pointed to some Jewish rebel leader?
And what would James and John and Peter (Simon) and Andrew and the other disciples (who wouldn't be disciples) have done? Some of them were John's disciples. How would that have ended?
Wouldn't it be cool to follow the main characters in Jesus' life from the Gospels and show what their lives were like without the impact of Jesus Christ? Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, Pilate, Judas, the thieves on the cross, etc.
Second idea: what would things have been like in various moments in history if Jesus Christ hadn't been born? What would the Middle Ages have been like without the Catholic Church? Much as we're supposed to despise the Crusades now, what would Europe have become if there hadn't been Christian holy warriors opposing Muslim holy warriors in that era?
How would history have transpired in the 17th through 19th centuries without Christ? Would pilgrims have fled England (the Church of England, actually) to America seeking religious freedom? What would the 20th century have been like? Would a Hitler have arisen? Would he have been opposed--or joined?
Finally, of course, what would today be like if Jesus had never come?
Third idea: what if the Christ had come at another moment in history besides the first century? What if he'd come in 1947 at the birth of the modern state of Israel? What if He'd come in 5th century England when the Roman Empire was collapsing? What if he'd come in 19th century Calcutta under British colonialism (in place of Roman occupation)?
What if He came today? What would He be like? Who would line up to oppose Him? Who would join Him? What would He preach? How would He do it (Internet, TV)? For what would He be arrested and executed? What would the church look like in the years after His Ascension?
Fun stuff, huh? The power of what-if.
Jeff
But in the name of alternate history dreaming, let's think about it.
(There are differing opinions about when Jesus the human became Jesus the Christ/Messiah. Some believe He was fully the Son of God even before birth. Others believe He became the Christ at birth. Still others think it must've been a growing realization and "gradual incarnation" that might've been well on its way at age 12. And many others believe He was not fully the Messiah until the Spirit descended upon Him after being baptized by John. I don't know which is right, but for the purposes of this what-if exercise I'm going to assume that He wasn't fully the Messiah when Herod's men killed the infant Jesus.)
First idea: what would it have been like in around A.D. 30, when John the Baptist was out there telling people to watch for the Messiah? One, would he have even done so or would God have told him, "Ah, never mind, John"? Two, if he had been out there baptizing and preaching--since John later wondered if Jesus really was the Messiah--would he have fingered the wrong person? Would he eventually have gotten desperate and just pointed to some Jewish rebel leader?
And what would James and John and Peter (Simon) and Andrew and the other disciples (who wouldn't be disciples) have done? Some of them were John's disciples. How would that have ended?
Wouldn't it be cool to follow the main characters in Jesus' life from the Gospels and show what their lives were like without the impact of Jesus Christ? Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, Pilate, Judas, the thieves on the cross, etc.
Second idea: what would things have been like in various moments in history if Jesus Christ hadn't been born? What would the Middle Ages have been like without the Catholic Church? Much as we're supposed to despise the Crusades now, what would Europe have become if there hadn't been Christian holy warriors opposing Muslim holy warriors in that era?
How would history have transpired in the 17th through 19th centuries without Christ? Would pilgrims have fled England (the Church of England, actually) to America seeking religious freedom? What would the 20th century have been like? Would a Hitler have arisen? Would he have been opposed--or joined?
Finally, of course, what would today be like if Jesus had never come?
Third idea: what if the Christ had come at another moment in history besides the first century? What if he'd come in 1947 at the birth of the modern state of Israel? What if He'd come in 5th century England when the Roman Empire was collapsing? What if he'd come in 19th century Calcutta under British colonialism (in place of Roman occupation)?
What if He came today? What would He be like? Who would line up to oppose Him? Who would join Him? What would He preach? How would He do it (Internet, TV)? For what would He be arrested and executed? What would the church look like in the years after His Ascension?
Fun stuff, huh? The power of what-if.
Jeff
