Pre-existence of Christ in the Bible (Part 1)

The following statement should prove that Jesus Christ pre-existed as God. Before I proceed to my main points in proving that Christ pre-existed, let me clarify first the word “pre-existed”. Pre-existed means that the person Christ has already exist before he was born here on earth and he has the nature and attributes of God; divine, eternal and omniscient.  In this case, it means that Christ was born twice: First, he was born eternally from the Father which means he was born outside time. Second, he was born here on earth. To prove this assertion biblically I will make this point by point to make it clearer.

1. Christ was the Word in the beginning. 

The biblical evidence of the pre-existence of Christ can be clearly seen in the first verse in chapter 1 in the book of John: “ ..In the beginning was the Word..”. The statement clearly suggest that the Word is outside time for in the “beginning WAS”. If we continue, “..and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. At the end part of the verse, John gave us the identity of Word, and that Word was “God”. In the later part of the chapter, John is not telling us that the Word is some kind of a passive and non-existent idea or a plan but a person who has a great role in creation.

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life,and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.” – John 1:3-5

Things we can deduced from the verses:

1. All things were made through the WORD, which means he was creator

2. Without the WORD, there would be nothing, which also means he was a creator.

3. In the WORD was life.

4. The WORD is the light of all mankind.

5. Lastly, The WORD is person, John referred the Word as “He”, “Him”

John later revealed to us that the WORD was made flesh or became flesh which means the “Word become Man”. The identity of the Word is Christ Thus, God became Man. 

2. Christ surely asserted that he pre-existed.

“54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” John 8:54-58.

This is a powerful proof for the pre-existence of Christ. Due to the unbelief of the Jews, they ask how Jesus could saw Abraham he was not fifty years old yet. When the Jews said this, Christ did not correct the Jews but sustained this claim by telling them “Very truly I tell you” and claimed about his pre-existence and divinity: “before Abraham was born, I am”. The gravity of Jesus’ claim can be understood on how the Jews reacted to what he said.  

3. John the Baptist testified that Christ was before him

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ – John 1:29-30.

The passage might have nothing to do with the pre-existence of Christ unless we know a little detail about the age of John and Jesus. John the Baptist was 6 months older than Jesus yet John testified that Jesus was before him. This could only mean one thing and that would be John the Baptist knew that Christ pre-existed. 

4. Christ was speaking to the prophets for his coming.

“"I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.” Malachi 3:1

A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.-  Isaiah 40:3

In Malachi 3:1, is in reference to the coming of Christ. It the Lord Almighty says that he will send a messenger to prepare the way before him. The Lord Almighty did not say “..prepare the way before my Son”, no but he says “BEFORE ME”. It is only therefore, that the Lord Almighty who was speaking to prophet Malachi was Christ. 

Even more for the divinity of Christ, Isaiah 40:3 which was prophecy in reference to John to prepare the way for Christ, “ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ Jn 1:23

John the Baptist did not only prepare the way for the Lord, but for God. As Isaiah 40:30 says “..make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”.

5. Christ had glory with the Father before the world began.

“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” John 17:5.

This again is one of the powerful proofs of Christ’s existence for he cannot have the glory with the Father if he does not exist. Also, the glorification did not take place after the creation but before the world began. Thus proves the divinity of Christ.