The Pre-Existence of Christ 

John 8:58

Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." NASB

 

 

The Pre-Existence of Christ – What Does the Bible Say?

The fact that Jesus the Son of God existed before His incarnation upon the earth is a fact clearly taught in the Bible. Because Jesus is God, He has always existed and there never was a time when He had a beginning of days. He was God and with God in the beginning.

John 1:1-3 – 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. NASB

He therefore existed as God the Son eternally in Heavenly glory before He came to earth. He was always rejoicing in the perfection of His own nature, with the Father and the Spirit for all eternity. He speaks of this “glory” He had before the world began.

John 17:5 – 5 "And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. NASB

2 Corinthians 8:9-10 – 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. NASB

Jesus Christ existed before all created things and this fact is repeated in Scripture several times.

Colossians 1:17 – 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. NASB

Even the Old Testament speaks of Him existing from eternity.

Micah 5:2 – 2 "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." NASB

Jesus claimed to have existed before Abraham, who lived in 2100 B.C.

John 8:58 – 58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." NASB

Jesus also claims to have come down from Heaven. That is before He walked the earth, He was in Heaven with God.

John 3:13, 31 – 13 "And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man…31 "He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all NASB

John 6:38 – 38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. NASB

John 6:62 – 62 "What then if you should behold the Son of Man ascending where He was before? NASB

This is also affirmed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 15:47 – 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. NASB

When the Bible speaks about Jesus, it says He “came forth from God” and “was sent” by God the Father to us. That is, He was with God in the beginning, and left Heaven to come down to earth and live and walk among us.

Matthew 10:40 – 40 "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent

Me. NASB

John 8:42 – 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. NASB

John 13:3 – 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God, NASB

John 16:28 – 28 "I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again, and going to the Father." NASB

All of this happened by God’s plan, at the perfect moment in history, in the “fullness of time,” so that God’s plan could be fulfilled and we could be redeemed.

Galatians 4:4 – 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, NASB

In this doctrine of the Pre-Existence of Christ we clearly see that Jesus is not like us. He is indeed the Lord of Eternity from outside of time and space. There is no one like Him indeed!