Well I said I would put forth evidence that Jesus is God, so here is my first posting on this. This will come in a series of postings to put the picture together. I have taken this from my classes at Faith Bible Institute. This first part talks about how Jesus has always existed, even before the world was created. Only God could be eteranally preexistent.
The only truly eternal Being in existence is God. All others are created beings who came into existence at some point in time. Angels and man may live for Eternity future, but only God has existed from all of Eternity Past. The Bible declares that Jesus is the Creator God Who has existed for all of Eternity.
It is possible to accept the temporal preexistence of Jesus (before His conception in the womb of Mary) without accepting His eternal preexistence and Deity.
As examples, both the Jehovah’s Witness and Mormon religions teach that Jesus preexisted before His earthly conception. They both still reject His eternal preexistence and Deity, teaching that He was created at an earlier time.
To reject the Eternal Preexistence of Christ is to reject His nature as the Eternal Creator God and demote Him to the status of a created being.
It is thus possible to accept the preexistence of Christ without accepting His Deity, but it is impossible to accept Christ’s Deity and not believe in His preexistence. The Scriptures dogmatically declare both His Eternal Preexistence and Deity.
A. Christ’s Eternal Preexistence is Declared in the Old Testament.
The Eternal Preexistence of Christ the Messiah is declared by the Old Testament Prophet, Micah. (Micah 5:2)
“But thou, Bethlehem…out of thee shall He come forth…Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2
1. This Hebrew Scripture clearly declares that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but that He did not come into existence at His birth or at His conception.
2. The Messiah was to be One who was not only preexistent before His birth, but also One Who was eternally preexistent [as can only be true of God.]
B. Christ’s Eternal Preexistence is declared by the New Testament.
1. Christ’s Eternal Preexistence is declared by John the Baptist.
“…For He [Jesus] was before me [John].” (John 1:15; cf. John 1:27, 30
John makes this statement even though John’s birth was 6 months before Jesus’ birth.
2. Christ’s Eternal Preexistence is declared by John the Apostle. (Jn 1:1,14; 1 Jn 1:2)
a. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” (Jn 1:1-2)
Who is referred to in this passage?
Verse 14 clearly identifies the Word as Jesus Christ: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…the only begotten of the Father…” (Jn 1:14)
b. “…That Eternal Life [Jesus], which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us…” (1 Jn 1:2)
3. Christ’s Eternal Preexistence is declared by Peter – “[Christ] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these last times for you.” (1 Peter 1:20)
4. Christ’s Eternal Preexistence is declared by Christ Himself.
a. John 6:38 – “I came down from heaven…”
b. John 6:51 – “I am the living bread which came down from heaven..”
c. John 6:62 – “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before?”
d. John 8:58 – “…Before Abraham was, I Am.”
Jesus makes this statement even though Abraham lived and died some 2000 years before His Own earthly birth. Notice also that “I AM” is the holy name of God given to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3:14). Jesus is here claiming for Himself the name of Jehovah God.
e. John 17:5 – “And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine Own Self with the glory which I had with Thee Before the world was.”
1) In Isaiah 42:8, God declared: “I am the Lord: that is My Name, and My glory will I not give to another…”.
2) Here though, we see that Jesus asks the Father to share His Divine Glory [which He once possessed] with Him again.
3) We are forced to conclude either that Jesus was an arrogant imposter, claiming to have once possessed the glory of God, or that He is indeed God robed in human flesh.
2) Here though, we see that Jesus asks the Father to share His Divine Glory [which He once possessed] with Him again.
3) We are forced to conclude either that Jesus was an arrogant imposter, claiming to have once possessed the glory of God, or that He is indeed God robed in human flesh.
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