The birth of Christ is the most consequential inflection point in the history of the world. Because it is Christmas Day, 2020, the birthday of Jesus Christ, I suggest that it is both fitting and proper to recall how significant the birth of Christ was and is.

For those of my readers without a background in mathematics or investing, let me first explain what an inflection point is. In simple terms, an inflection point is a key event that changes the direction of a curve or an investing trend, for example, from negative to positive or vice versa.

As I look back through the history of the world, back to the Sumerian Empire (3500 B.C.) and the Assyrian Empire (2500 B.C.), and the Chinese Dynasties, starting with the Xia Dynasty in 2000 B.C., I cannot find a single individual whose birth is as consequential as Jesus Christ. Let me offer three substantive points for making this statement.

The Dividing Line For History

Until the 18th Century, academics in most disciplines and most historians divided the world’s history into two segments. The early years of history were labeled B.C. or Before Christ, and the second segment was titled A.D., Anno Domini, or Year of Our Lord.

As noted above, sometime in the 18th Century, the B.C. and A.D. signposts were changed to B.C.E. and C.E. These abbreviations stand for Before the Common Era and Common Era. I am not sure why this was done, nor do I understand what the Common Era is supposed to mean. For me, Before Christ and the Year of Our Lord are much more meaningful and telling for all of us.

The Bible And The New Testament

The Bible comprises the Old Testament and the New Testament. The New Testament is a retelling of the Life of Christ by the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

According to The Economist, over 100 million copies of the Bible are given away or sold each year. Moreover, one estimate for the number of Bibles printed since the 1850s is five billion. The Bible is also the best selling non-fiction book of all time.

Christianity And The Followers Of Christ

The population of the world stands at approximately 7.8 billion people. Of this number, 2.3 billion, or 31 percent, are Christians or followers of Christ.  No other religion or political movement has had as many followers as Christianity.

I cannot think of another human being in history who is comparable to Jesus Christ.  Genghis Khan, Confucius, Buddha, Gandhi, and Marx come to mind, but none of them has the staying power or following of Christ.  We have to stand back from this and ask why this is?  Thousands of books have been written about Christ and his teachings.  I would submit that the answer is quite simple. Christ was the greatest teacher of ethical human behavior in the history of the world and he is the Son of God. 

Links

Internal:  https://whitebeardwisdom.com/human-nature-has-not-changed-over-history/

External:  https://theasianantiquarian.com/