Pre-Existence and Eternality of Jesus
Pre-existence and Eternality
Pre-existence – Means that Christ existed before His birth on earth.
Eternality - Means not only did Jesus exist before His birth or even before creation, but that He has always existed. Christ does not have a beginning. If Jesus is not eternal, He is not our Savior. If Jesus is not eternal, He is not God.
The Pre-Existence and Eternality of Christ
John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The deity of Christ is central to Christianity. If Jesus is not God, believers would still be in sin.
There are several verses in the New Testament that address the eternality and pre-existence of Christ.
- John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
- John 17:5 – “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
- Colossians 1:17 – “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
- Philippians 2:6 - 8 – “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
Importance of pre-existence and eternality
• Birth – If Christ came into existence at His birth on earth, then no eternal Trinity exists.
• Not God – If Christ was not eternal then He could not be God. One of the attributes of God is that God is eternal.
• A Liar – If Christ was not pre-existent and eternal then He lied, because He claimed to be. Then the question arises what else did He lie about?
Evidence for pre-existence and eternality
Heavenly origin – Where did Jesus say He was from?
- John 3:13 - “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.”
- John 3:31 – “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.”
Work as Creator – If Christ was involved in the creation of all things, then He existed before the creation.
- John 1:3 – “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
- Colossians 1:16 – “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”
- Hebrews 1:2 – “But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.”
His Relationship with the Father – He claimed equality of nature with the Father.
- John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.”
Equal glory with the Father before the world began
- John 17:5 – “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
Jesus’ relationship with John the Baptist – Though John was born before Jesus, John acknowledged that Jesus existed before him.
- John 1:15 – “John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”
- John 1:30 – “This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”
Old Testament prophets claimed eternality for the Messiah
- Micah 5:2 – “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
- Isaiah 9:6 – “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”