# Christianity: Why did Jesus leave in the first place? Why not just stay after the resurrection? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 11, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441 "2010-09-11T21:48:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/1 "2010-09-11T21:48:15Z")
In the Christian faith, whatever Jesus needs to do in his second coming, why didn’t he just do it right after being resurrected? Why leave and come back thousands (or millions or billions) or years later? I am of course interested in reasons from within the Christian faith, not “because Christianity/religion is all BS”. I’m wondering if there is a reason for this in the bible or something added to the Christian tradition later or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/2 "2010-09-11T23:34:23Z")
The “second coming” is supposed to be in conjunction with the “resurrection of the dead” and the “last judgement.” So presumably some time needs to pass between the work Christ did on earth to teach people the proper way to live, and his returning to judge how well they have done. ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/3 "2010-09-11T23:54:39Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > In the Christian faith, whatever Jesus needs to do in his second coming, why didn’t he just do it right after being resurrected? Why leave and come back thousands (or millions or billions) or years later? > > I am of course interested in reasons from within the Christian faith, not “because Christianity/religion is all BS”. I’m wondering if there is a reason for this in the bible or something added to the Christian tradition later or whatever. According to the Mormons, He came to “the new world” and tried to convert the Indians. They refused so we were justified in taking the land and killing them off. I lived in Utah for 16 years and I heard that story all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Zanthor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@Zanthor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanthor)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/4 "2010-09-12T00:00:07Z")
Basically, cos most ‘living’ ppl are unable to perceive the ‘dead’ unless you happen to be a Ghost whisperer, or some such… subject to 'altered states of conscious by whatever means is your poison, … or blessing… ie. They will tell you it cos you are required to elevate your perception levels by what ever means is available to you, or simply die, then the separation will be removed. see. Shaman… or. Break on Through ( to the other side, Jim Morrison… as just a cple of examples… other factors would be that once dead, time is irrelevant, the Alpha and the Omega, ( the beginning and the end ) are as one, ie, time becomes timeless. some say its then Eternity pervades, some say, Infinity, ie, even after the end, time and timelessness still remain. do not ever end. so, in answer to your question, did Jesus ‘leave’ or is still present? most so called enlightened ppl will say its only a matter of perception, constrained by such as time, and individual perception… some say, Spiritually, He is here, never left us, but physically, not yet ‘time…’ certain things have to occur yet. Possibly when Muslims and Christians end their centuries old war, or destroy the planet. Recognise all religions, all this planets ppl and their religions. as one? ie, One Planet, One Ppl? who knows? Raises the question, do we expect ( some ) God to save us??? , or is this ( some ) God, waiting, watching to see if we can work it out, without destroying the planet, and each other? Clear as mud huh? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/5 "2010-09-12T00:09:36Z")
OK, **Zanthor** , I won’t comment except to say that your views are… unusyual. I cannot think of any particular theology which has ever held such. The short version, **Revtim** , is that the Second Coming is, as **Tim R. Mortiss** said, the end of all human life in this world. Presumably, when God has decided that the Earth has gone on long enough, then it will end. That could be anywhere from ten minutes from now to billions of years from now. We dont’ know. Among other things, we poor souls here on Earth are somewhat rebellious, you might say, and are being given a chance to change that. ---
**Author:** ![Zanthor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@Zanthor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanthor)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/6 "2010-09-12T00:31:31Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > OK, **Zanthor** , I won’t comment except to say that your views are… unusyual. I cannot think of any particular theology which has ever held such. > > The short version, **Revtim** , is that the Second Coming is, as **Tim R. Mortiss** said, the end of all human life in this world. Presumably, when God has decided that the Earth has gone on long enough, then it will end. That could be anywhere from ten minutes from now to billions of years from now. We dont’ know. Among other things, we poor souls here on Earth are somewhat rebellious, you might say, and are being given a chance to change that. what i said was, Christ died, physically, we crucified him, so on a physical plane, his body was no longer avail to view, because it 'rose, was resurrected, was no longer able to be seen, cept to the ‘chosen’ as he deemed fit, or as i suggested, those ‘able to see’ on the Spiritual plane time and its perception of it is another factor i tried to point out as relevant to whether you want to continue to insist Christ ‘left’ us. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/7 "2010-09-12T00:34:29Z")
> [@Zanthor](#): > > > [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > > > OK, **Zanthor** , I won’t comment except to say that your views are… unusyual. I cannot think of any particular theology which has ever held such. > > > > The short version, **Revtim** , is that the Second Coming is, as **Tim R. Mortiss** said, the end of all human life in this world. Presumably, when God has decided that the Earth has gone on long enough, then it will end. That could be anywhere from ten minutes from now to billions of years from now. We dont’ know. Among other things, we poor souls here on Earth are somewhat rebellious, you might say, and are being given a chance to change that. > > what i said was, Christ died, physically, we crucified him, so on a physical plane, his body was no longer avail to view, because it 'rose, was resurrected, was no longer able to be seen, cept to the ‘chosen’ as he deemed fit, or as i suggested, those ‘able to see’ > on the Spiritual plane > time and its perception of it is another factor i tried to point out as relevant to whether you want to continue to insist Christ ‘left’ us. The Christian tradition is clear on an actual 2nd coming. The OP is asking about that. ---
**Author:** ![Zanthor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@Zanthor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanthor)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/8 "2010-09-12T00:42:47Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > > [@Zanthor](#): > > > > what i said was, Christ died, physically, we crucified him, so on a physical plane, his body was no longer avail to view, because it 'rose, was resurrected, was no longer able to be seen, cept to the ‘chosen’ as he deemed fit, or as i suggested, those ‘able to see’ > > on the Spiritual plane > > time and its perception of it is another factor i tried to point out as relevant to whether you want to continue to insist Christ ‘left’ us. > > The Christian tradition is clear on an actual 2nd coming. The OP is asking about that. not so, some say the 2nd coming will be the physical appearance to all, in the sky, on horseback, trumpets etc etc, to the blind, dead or alive, others say, it is the raising of consciousness of mankind generally that will enable us to see that we will bring on the 2nd coming by elevated consciousness. when we realise all that he said, we are one, love your enemy. eg its not ok to hate and kill Muslims, ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/9 "2010-09-12T01:01:06Z")
Once bitten, twice shy. The people he came down to help love one another nailed him to a tree, and you want he should come back ?! ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/10 "2010-09-12T03:42:33Z")
> [@Zanthor](#): > > what i said was, Christ died, physically, we crucified him, so on a physical plane, his body was no longer avail to view, because it 'rose, was resurrected, was no longer able to be seen, cept to the ‘chosen’ as he deemed fit, or as i suggested, those ‘able to see’ > on the Spiritual plane > time and its perception of it is another factor i tried to point out as relevant to whether you want to continue to insist Christ ‘left’ us. Negatory, five-O. The Bible is very clear that his followers did meet him when he chose that they should. Likewise, he was quite happy to have dinner with them, and otherwise do nice fun living things. So he was physical if and when he opted to be, at the very least. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/11 "2010-09-12T09:49:38Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > In the Christian faith, whatever Jesus needs to do in his second coming, why didn’t he just do it right after being resurrected? Why leave and come back thousands (or millions or billions) or years later? > > I am of course interested in reasons from within the Christian faith, not “because Christianity/religion is all BS”. I’m wondering if there is a reason for this in the bible or something added to the Christian tradition later or whatever. From a modern Christian perspective, the probable answer would be that the world needed to be given a chance to convert to Christianity. Also, Jesus needed to become King of the Jews, rebuild the temple, and usher in peace across the world (to fulfill the prophecy that he was the Messiah). But if he did that, the Jews wouldn’t be punished for not taking in his message and, instead, offering him up to the Romans to be killed. Hence they obviously needed at least a few millenia of punishment before Jesus could get on to the Messiahing business. ---
**Author:** ![Sablicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Sablicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sablicious)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/12 "2010-09-12T10:51:41Z")
As can be garnered by the above responses, the answer to this question is whatever you want it to be. In exactly the same way those that espouse such fanciful concepts have no idea and in lieu have myriad wierd and wonderful explanations, so can those who do not necessarily take this stuff to heart come up with their own angles. In other words, this is no _factual_ answer to something fictitious. ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/13 "2010-09-12T11:58:37Z")
“Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them…”. -Thomas Jefferson ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/14 "2010-09-12T12:55:18Z")
Christ’s own responses to this question was in Matthew 25 & John 14-16. In the Matthew parables, the Jewish nation, the Christians & the Gentiles- reached & unreached are given time to prove themselves in what I’ll call “The Gospel Age”- the time between Christ’s ascension & His return. In John 14-16, He promises to give His Spirit as our Companion (some translations have Comforter or Advocate) to teach & guide us & shape us into what He intends us to be so we can develop Divine Character. If He stayed on Earth, we wouldn’t learn or grow. We hardly do that now. How much worse would it be? We’d always go running to Him. You have any idea what long-distance charges to Jerusalem, or Galilee for that matter, are? Aren’t the previous two posts just nice ways of saying “It’s all BS”? ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/15 "2010-09-12T13:25:13Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Once bitten, twice shy. The people he came down to help love one another nailed him to a tree, and you want he should come back ?! Wasn’t that destiny though? No crucifiction and ressurrection, no Christianity. He even tried to get out of it. “…take this cup from me…” ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/16 "2010-09-12T14:46:05Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > From a modern Christian perspective, the probable answer would be that the world needed to be given a chance to convert to Christianity. Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/17 "2010-09-12T15:03:11Z")
> [@BrightNShiny](#): > > > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > > > From a modern Christian perspective, the probable answer would be that the world needed to be given a chance to convert to Christianity. > > Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication? We’ve had 2000 years (since Jesus) and the world is still only half Christian. Perhaps after the Great World Holy War when all of the followers of Islam and Buddhism have been slain or converted, the second coming will proceed. * * * On another note, [in my first post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12905147&postcount=11) I should have said, “Previous to the 20th century the view would have been…”, and then pointed out the punishment of the Jews. That isn’t the modern perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/18 "2010-09-12T16:36:19Z")
Well, he accomplished what he had set out to do, you really think he wanted to hang out on Earth anymore when he had already been to Heaven and seen what it was like? I mean, it’s freaking HEAVEN. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/19 "2010-09-12T18:21:57Z")
He was Jewish after all, maybe he just retired to Florida. The Fountain of Youth thing has his fingerprints all over it. ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441/20 "2010-09-12T19:02:16Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Christ’s own responses to this question was in Matthew 25 & John 14-16. > > In the Matthew parables, the Jewish nation, the Christians & the Gentiles- reached & unreached are given time to prove themselves in what I’ll call “The Gospel Age”- the time between Christ’s ascension & His return. > > In John 14-16, He promises to give His Spirit as our Companion (some translations have Comforter or Advocate) to teach & guide us & shape us into what He intends us to be so we can develop Divine Character. If He stayed on Earth, we wouldn’t learn or grow. We hardly do that now. How much worse would it be? We’d always go running to Him. You have any idea what long-distance charges to Jerusalem, or Galilee for that matter, are? > > Aren’t the previous two posts just nice ways of saying “It’s all BS”? I can’t speak for the other person, but at least I tried to be nice. My bald opinion is that it is all BS, but you discourage me from saying so out loud. Just how delicate must I be? Your last sentence illustrates why athiests tend to keep to themselves, but are still reviled as strident in the media. We can’t explain ourselves without insulting and persecuting theists. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-why-did-jesus-leave-in-the-first-place-why-not-just-stay-after-the-resurrection/553441.md?page=2)