Did Jesus go to India or China?

This morning I considered the question of whether Jesus went to India or China, and there are several reasons I believe he didn't. I will go through these reasons. Of course, I'm not a historian or Biblical expert, but these are my thoughts on the topic.

Jesus began his ministry at around age 30. The last time we heard about him was when he was 12 years old. Many have speculated that during this time, Jesus went to India or China because nothing of that time period is recorded. I doubt this for several reasons.

1. Jesus had a particular ministry. He was to be a leader and someone who commanded authority. In order to be a leader, especially the type Jesus was, I believe one had to be at least 30 years old. How could a man build a large following if he was in his early twenties? It is possible, but it is much more likely that people would follow him if he seemed to have some experience. This would certainly explain why it would be completely unreasonable to assume he could be effective in his ministry while still a teenager.

2. I once heard that people do not really begin their careers until they are around 30 years old. From my experience, this is true. People usually receive their education until they are in their early to mid-20s. After this, they accumulate experience, until around the age of 30 when they are settled into their position and have a solid grip on their life. I'm not saying Jesus went through a North American or European education and career life. What I am saying is that people really truly begin their vocation normally when they are around 30 years old. People sometimes seem to wonder what happened to Jesus after age 12, but they imply that he must have been pursuing his calling at that age. But no 12 year old, or even 20 year old usually begins their life's work so young.

3. The Gospels are not biographies like they are nowadays. Historical notes were kept differently than they are now. Nowadays we might pick up a magazine or book which contains a biographical entry on someone, say Joseph Stalin. We would read about his childhood, his best friends, things he liked to do in school, his favorite instrument, etc. People are interested in these everyday facts. But in the days of Jesus, people were more concerned about pertinent facts about a person's life. The Gospel writers wrote the most important and enduring aspects of Christ's life. They were concerned with his role as Savior of the World, not on his hair color. All the information in the Bible is important. It is not like a novel where the author sometimes inserts little stories or unnecessary details to make it more readable or enjoyable. The Gospels and the rest of the Bible serve a purpose.

4. Christ's teachings are unique. He encorporates many aspects of Judaism into his teachings and take them a step further. He fulfills prophecy from past centuries. In Christ's writings, there is no incling of Eastern spirituality. He does not speak of past lives, God as pantheistic, or other Eastern ideas. Surely many have attempted to put words in Jesus' mouth that would imply he did speak about these things, but such theories are very new, appearing nowhere in historic Christianity.

5. If Christ really did go to India or China, he must have been rather ashamed of his trips, since he does not speak of them at any time. At least it is not recorded in the Gospels. His parables all involve people of Jewish, Samaritan, Egytian, and other heritages who would have come into contact with Jesus where he lived.

6. Jesus only quotes Jewish sources, including the Jewish Bible. He does not quote any books from the East.

Please feel free to leave your comments on this topic. Thanks.