Why did Christ come? Why did God have to change from old covenant to new? Did he just change his mind?

Question

I've often wondered why God changed the way he dealt with people and sin from the old covenant to the new. The old testament God seemed much harsher and more judgmental than is revealed in new testament teachings. Also he chose to reveal himself preferentially to one nation and then really only amongst the religious leaders who then distributed the knowledge and marching orders. Versus dealing with people of all nations individually and personally.

My best guess is that people were less evolved socially and politically long, long ago and as our civilization/society evolved he was able to reveal more and deal with us more gently??? So in the future after the resurrection we would then understand God more fully and deal with him in a much different way than we do now, a way we cant understand yet in another similar change?

This theory makes some since but I wonder what your thoughts are?

Answer 1

In a nutshell, Christ came to fulfill the promises of God to the people of the world - not just the Israelites: his chosen people. They were chosen to be an example to the rest of humanity and the vehicle of his blessings to humanity.

The reasons God chose to do things the way he has is still very much of a mystery to most of us. His way of dealing with sin hasn't changed. It is still true that the wages of sin is death which we have all earned. But the gift of God is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

The promise of Christ's coming was integral to the "Old Testament." There are over 300 prophesies fulfilled which foretold the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus in the Old Testament.

Upon the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, his disciples - who were absolutely not the "religious leaders" of the day - spread the good news to the entire world of the gift of God through accepting, on faith, Jesus. They told of his forgiveness, redemption and restoration, starting at Jerusalem but not limited to any geographic, ethnic or racial group and it happened even over some of their own objections.

God, through Jesus Christ, will reveal himself to anyone who diligently seeks him. That's His promise and not the words of any man and that promise transcends all religious and ethnic boundaries.

Answer 2

It is a reasonable question. The original Hebrew Scriptures, which many call the old testiment. God was establishing his right to be the only True God, because there were many gods that were being worshipped. Think of Pharoh, there god Tumaz, the Babylonian King Nebercanezer, Who placed the three Hebrew young men in the burning furnace, who sent an Angle and saved them, the King turned and made it be known that this Hebrew God was the most powerful in the heavens. These are what most religions talk or teach about.
So God was setting about make it know Who HE was and most Bibles state or give His name at Psalms 83:18, or some where in the marginal references.
Now the New Testiment or Greek Scriptures, set a little different tone. The Old Testiment did in fact make it know that the Hebrews, or Isreal was the chosen race or God's Chosen people. Exodus chpt 20, but since most of the letters that make up the New Testiment were not written until 20 years after Jesus was killed, each writer identified who was responsable for his death. That being the very people Jesus was sent to save. Yep, Jesus was a Jew and His only audiance was those lost sheep of Isreal, or the Jews. That is why there are several references making this known. The Greek Scriptures now shift the preaching and teaching to all people, every nation and tribe and tongue. That is what Peter spoke about-see Acts Chpt 2.
I could go on, but the question again is "Why did Jesus Come? God has always used Jesus as his spokes person, when he was an Angle, but remember God transferred Jesus into the womb of Mary so that this Angle became a man, or as Jesus disciples called him the "Son of the living God" and the message shifted from the Jews being used to make up His kingdom to the Kingdom Message about the Messanic Kingdom of God, or as you pray " The Lord's Prayer" think of the kingdom as a government that we want to come and make peace all over this earth for all to live under and at peace. Read Isiah 2: 2 - 4. and Daniel chpt 2: 13 - 45 especially verse 44
You are remarkable in your putting such a question out for others to think about, hope you will benefit from your search of the scriptures mentioned.

Answer 3

first question: Jesus fulfilled the old law of Israel but he did not come to destroy it. !! that probably means that in the millenium animal sacrifices might be reinstated for the priesthood and for God to enjoy eating Beef. well at least once a year.
the New testament wasnt compiled until the council of nicea. so that is a fragmentary Myth to say Jesus started the New testament. However if i told you there exists a 3rd testament would you believe that there is NOW a new and everlasting covenant? !!!
I think when jesus was given ALL authority in heavenand earth, his words in life spoke repentance and forgiveness is greater than justice and punishment. He also taught to love your enemies and pray for them, which is a greater law and a greater light of understanding that how things changed a little.
The new testament Jesus will done day bathe himself in Blood at least according to Revelation so his Unconditional Love, which i believe is fragmented Myth also, will have an End. However the old testament God waited with Longsuffering in the days of Noah for 500 years until men either repented or they were all destroyed.
So really God does not change, just the beliefs and myths of stories being told are changed.
a good example of changing biblical verses: it is written that a virgin will conceive and bear a son and his name will be emmanuel, yet recently on a leaderboard advertising this weeks Sunday sermon it says "and his name shall be called Jesus".
NOw i ask you is this how biblical scriptures are changed through tradition.? of course. Jesus is a greek name, not a hebrew name.

as for POLITICs, politics have always been a prime mover in every culture, mostly for the wickedness of mankind to control the sheep. so people a long time ago were indeed active.

When we see God as whole planet, and all the Hidden things are made known, and all the secrets and abominations are EXPOSED, christians will indeed gasp, so will jews and muslims
because EVERYONE is wrong in their beliefs and political and spiritual traditions and doctrines. Many things are true, too! btw but that doesnt make anyone at all! perfectly correct!

Answer 4

Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Jesus is God and so He has never changed. He revealed himself more fully to the Jews. He dwealt among them, actually within their camp. He set the law which was impossible to fulfill. Jesus is God. But it seems His point was not to set the laws, but show man that the laws are impossible to fulfill. That everyone is in need of salvation. You see, He is the same, yet His ministry to us has changed. He also freely opened up salvation to all, for free. Before a person would have to convert to being Jewish, and fall under all of those laws. Now Jesus did all the work. Jesus paid the price. The stakes are still the same. His level of tolerance has not changed. It is just that Jesus dealt with sin once and for all. So there is no longer a need for harsh judgements.

Answer 5

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river [d] of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates- 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

This is the first comment and promise of the covenant between the Hebrews, Abraham's descendants through Isaac. It is the land promised to them for all time.

Answer 6

God never did change His mind. He purposed to redeem man through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ before He ever created anything. The Bible speaks of "The Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). God has always saved man on the basis of faith. The difference is in the Old Testament the true saints looked forward to the coming of Messiah, or Christ, who was to be the savior of the world. That is why Job, in what is likely the oldest book of the Bible declared "And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I will see God" (Job 19:25,26)
David also realized that a man was justified on the basis of faith, as is explained in Romans 4:6-8. This is also clear in some of his Psalms, where he questions what God is trying to teach by requiring sacrifices. Abraham also believed and "his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). This was 400 years before the law was given. The law was never intended as a way to justify man, but rather to expose his guilt and inability to live uprightly before God. In all of God's dealings with man and particularly the Jews God was preparing to reveal the Messiah, His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. "For there is one God and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony born AT THE PROPER TIME" (I Timothy 2;5,6) "...in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at THE PROPER TIME manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I(Paul) was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior" (Titus 1:2,3). God concealed much of His plan because His enemy Satan would try to thwart God's purposes if he was made fully aware of them. He is still attempting to do this today, which is a major reason behind the conflict in the Middle East as well as the hostility against the Gospel that is so obvious in the world, in the West, but how much more in Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist nations. Nevertheless God will bring this age to a close just as He said, and all the cries of His people saying "Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on Earth..." shall surely be realized, at the PROPER TIME.

Answer 7

God didn't change his mind, he always had a universal plan in mind.The promise of a new covenant, of Jesus, was promised all the way in the garden in metaphor. He is the seed that would crush the serpents head once and for all. To Abraham God promised to bless all nations, in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah, we find the promises more and more of a King coming, a Savior, a new covenant, but it was not new to God, only to us. It was promised long ago, as it says in the introduction to Hebrews.
God is not the God of the Jews only, think how he allowed the gentiles, to go crazy, without punishing them . I have heard it said that the law was more of a punishment for the Jew in a way.

I am not sure about how to interpret it , but I like your ideas and the fact that you think, and yet think with respect.


It was a yoke too hard to bear , Peter says in acts. Perhaps it was a discipline tool , much responsibility comes with being chosen.

But the funny thing is, you have heard many people say that the ancients made God in their image, yet that is what modern unbelievers do. They say God cannot be like this or that because they have their own idea of what God should be, based on their finer notions of themsleves and their high sense of their own purity and importance.

But if that means God is a relativist- tolerant -pinko in the sky, I say , I do find that kind of God repugnant and really , I do prefer a God who is a bit of a middle eastern warrior king. Someone who has passion, strong feelings, is normal in a sense; can be ruthless to his enemies, like the pinko brigade, and tender to his friends, like me: )
Like the kind of hero we all love in the movies and everyone sympathises with, but when out of the movie theatre act as if that is too barbaric.
Do not the real emotions tell us who we are ,and we supress them only in order to have an advantage over God in argument, when we try to justify oursleves and rationalise God away, by saying that kind of God is just too barbaric for us darling.

We try to pretend we have transcended the zoological order, that we are not upright baboons in neck ties, or that simply, we do not love a good middle eastern tyrant.
When we are all just afraid of anybody else having that power over us , but we wouldn't mind having it oursleves, as long as we are the boss. it becomes intolerable and immoral only when someone else is that boss and that person is our enemy.
And for all the proclamation of tolerance as holiness unto the Lord, isn't tolerance really all about sinfulness?
For these people everyone has the right to be passionate and express themsleves except God, he must sit quielty while we run around and boss others around and get mad and angry and accuse them of injustice, but God, no way, he cannot do that, for that would be immoral. What deception.

Answer 8

God changed his mind about nothing. Since Adam and Eve sinned he had to make things right for their wrong doings. God told of Jesus' coming in the garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned. God is the same God today as he was then. And the only way that we have evolved, is by being imperfect. Adam and Eve were perfect and because of their fall we have imperfect humans with all kinds of diseases and birth defects. The list goes on.

Answer 9

It replaced into eternal to Israel in terms of the land. They broke the situations of the covenant, and have been expelled from the land. Upon the dying of Jesus, that covenant ended. eternal is an English be conscious that replaced into used to translate from the Hebrew. let's imagine a marriage covenant is "eternal" till such time one or the different dies in this context. there replaced into no changing of God's suggestions with reference to the form of what He has planned to end.

Answer 10

Your best guess is pretty good as far as it goes.

But, He reveals Himself to all of us and always has, because we live in His being.

Ancient tribes and civilizations each had their own names for God and understanding , of course.

God is One ... we call Him various names.
Truth is one... we see it from different perspectives.

Lets evolve to understand that and live in peace on this little planet!

God is not defined by any book and can't be, He is your very being ... now and always. I see truth in all the scriptures and I see truth here and now too.

With Love and Merry Christmas;
Jonnie