Jesus Christ's pre-existence is a foundational truth, affirming His eternal divinity as the Word who was with God and was God from the beginning (John 1:1-3). He is the Creator, through whom all things were made (Colossians 1:15-17, Hebrews 1:2), existing before His human birth with timeless existence (Isaiah 57:15). As the visible God of the Old Testament, He interacted with Israel, while the Father remained unseen. Scriptures like John 3:13 and John 8:56-58 confirm He came from heaven and existed before Abraham, declaring Himself as I AM. His eternal fellowship with the Father reveals a unified divine essence, establishing Him as the ever-living Creator and Source of all existence.

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Jesus' Pre-Existence

Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Many fail to acknowledge the preexistence of Jesus Christ as the God of the Old Testament and the Word in prehistory. Some hold a narrow view of monotheism, citing Deuteronomy 6:4 to argue there is only one God, one person, thus excluding Jesus Christ from divinity. Others believe He was a created being, merely human and unworthy of being God, misinterpreting Revelation 3:14 where He calls Himself the Beginning of the creation of God. However, this phrase, correctly understood from the Greek word "archee," means the Beginner or Author of God's creation, indicating He is the Source of all that exists. Scriptural evidence affirms this truth. Colossians 1:15-17 reveals that all things were created through Him, establishing Him as the Creator, not a created being. Ephesians 3:9 and Hebrews 1:2 further confirm that God made the worlds through Him, proving He existed before His human birth with a timeless, infinite preexistence. Hebrews 7:1-3 describes Melchizedek, a priest-king without genealogy, beginning, or end, likened to the Son of God, suggesting He was the preexistent Christ, the King of righteousness and peace. John 1:1-5 declares that Jesus, as the Word, was with God and was God from the beginning, possessing self-sustaining life and giving both physical and spiritual life to humanity. Revelation 19 and I John 1:1-2 reinforce this eternal existence, identifying Him as the Word of Life who was with the Father forever. John 1:18 states that He has seen God, a feat possible only in His preexistent state, as no human can see God and live. John 3:12-13 and 3:31-32 affirm that He came from heaven, having firsthand knowledge of heavenly things, which He taught on earth. Jesus Himself testifies to His preexistence. In Luke 10:18, He declares He saw satan fall like lightning from heaven, indicating He was present and active during that rebellion, showcasing His divine power. In John 6:45-46, He claims to have seen the Father, a statement possible only as a preexistent God being. John 8:52-57 records Him stating that Abraham rejoiced to see His day, asserting His existence before Abraham as the I AM, identifying Himself as the God of the Old Testament. Throughout John, His "I am" statements—such as the bread of life, the door, and the light of the world—connect to the divine name Yahweh, affirming His preexistent divinity. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, recalling His long history with Israel as the Lord who led them out of Egypt and guided them through centuries, revealing personal memories of His preexistent role. Paul in his writings also identifies the Being who was with Israel in the wilderness as the same One who became our Savior, Jesus Christ. Finally, in Revelation 22, He reaffirms His identity as the Ever-Living One, the Creator from the beginning, and the God of the Old Testament, bearing titles only God can claim.

Christ's Revelation of the Father

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Jesus Christ's pre-existence is a profound truth that underscores His divine nature and eternal relationship with God the Father. From the depths of eternity past, two great Beings existed, both divine, and They have always been together. One of Them, known as the Word or Logos, was the communicator, the speaker of truth and reason, who spoke at Creation, bringing all things into existence. This establishes Him as the Creator God, a powerful, ever-living divine Being whom we must heed as our Maker. His history extends infinitely back, far beyond that of any ordinary human being, affirming His divine origin and authority. The intimate connection between the Word and God is evident in Their eternal fellowship. They have always been in each other's presence, so unified that They are described as being in one another. This relationship is one of complete unanimity in thought, word, and action, a bond so close that the Son is said to be in the bosom of the Father, illustrating an inseparable and continuing love. This profound unity allowed Jesus to declare that He and His Father are one, a statement reflecting Their shared divine essence and purpose. Furthermore, the pre-existent Word, who became Jesus Christ, was the visible God of the Old Testament, the One who communicated with the people of Israel. While many saw and interacted with Him, the Father remained unseen and largely unknown, an invisible God behind the One known as Yahweh. It was through the Son's mission on earth that the Father's existence and sovereignty were to be declared, unveiling a deeper understanding of the divine relationship that had always existed between Them.

Jesus Is God

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus Christ's pre-existence is a foundational truth that undergirds the authority of His words and the validity of the Bible as the Word of God. He Himself declared in John 3:13 that no man has ascended to heaven except He who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven, affirming His unique origin in heaven before His earthly life and His return there after. He reiterated this in John 6:31 and other passages, emphasizing that He came down from heaven, a claim that sets Him apart from all other religious teachers, including Moses, whose authority was derived, while His words carry the direct authority of God. Further confirmation comes from John 1:1-3 and 1:14, where it is stated that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and was God, and this Word became flesh and dwelt among men. This places Him in eternity, uncreated, existing before the creation of the physical universe, as the One through whom all things were made. Isaiah 57:14-15 supports this by recording Him as inhabiting eternity, a state with no beginning or end, affirming His divine nature alongside the Father. In 1 Corinthians 15:47, the contrast between Adam, made from the dust of the earth, and Christ, who came from heaven, underscores His heavenly origin. John 1:18 clarifies that no one has seen God in the fullest sense, yet He, as the Son, reveals the Father, having come from His presence. Luke and other scriptures affirm that He has always interfaced with mankind, unlike the Father, who remains in the background for future revelation. Colossians 1 further establishes His preeminence over all creation, stating that all things were made by Him and that in Him dwells all the fullness of divinity bodily, confirming His existence before all created things and His uncreated nature. Revelation 3:14, despite challenges to its interpretation, aligns with this eternal existence, as He confirms His role at the beginning of God's creation, not as a created being, but as the eternal Son. These statements collectively affirm that He who became flesh existed as God before the creation, was God in the womb, at birth, and throughout His earthly life, inhabiting eternity and possessing timeless existence as declared in His confrontation with the Jews regarding Abraham.

Hebrews (Part Three): Who Was Jesus? (cont.)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Jesus Christ's pre-existence is a profound reality that underscores His unique identity and divine nature. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God, establishing that there has never been a time when Jesus the Son and the Father existed apart from each other. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made, revealing His role as the creative energy of the universe. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, showing that He is the source, fountain, and origin of all life, except for the Father. This pre-existence confirms that Jesus is totally unoriginated, with no circumstance in which He did not exist alongside the Father. The context of Their relationship is as though They are the same age, existing before anything was made and given life or purpose. This underlines that the Son is unoriginated, a distinct personality from the Father, yet sharing the same character and full deity. They worked together in perfect harmony, with neither being inferior to the Other, as all heavenly bodies, animals, vegetables, minerals, laws, forces, and energies were made through Him. Furthermore, Jesus continues to uphold all things by the word of His power, preserving and sustaining the creation He brought into being. This ongoing management of the universe demonstrates His immense power and the dependency of all life upon Him, emphasizing that the creation is not self-generated but must be actively maintained by Him. These truths highlight the stunning magnitude of His existence and role, affirming His critical importance to both the physical and spiritual creation.

Hebrews (Part Four): Who Was Jesus?

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Jesus Christ, in His pre-existence, stands as a unique and eternal Being, having always existed alongside the Father. As revealed in John 1:14-18, the Word became flesh, yet He was before all, as John the Baptizer testified, declaring, "He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me." This eternal nature is reinforced by the understanding that there was never a time when He was not God, existing from eternity just as the Father does. In Hebrews 1:1-4, He is described as the One through whom God made the worlds, being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, upholding all things by the word of His power. His pre-existence underscores His role as Creator, having designed and brought into existence the vast creation, populating it with stars, planets, angels, and humanity, reflecting His immense intellectual power and authority. This foundational truth establishes Him as the only begotten Son, uniquely qualified and appointed as Heir of all things, ensuring the faithful continuation of the Father's purpose.

The High Christology of Colossians

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

High Christology teaches that the one who became Jesus Christ preexisted as the Word of God. He was the God of the Old Testament, God in the flesh during His human lifetime, and He remains God today, continuing into the infinite future, seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Everything in high Christology points to His eternal divinity and preeminence as the eternal companion of the Most High God. The Bible is replete with high Christology, presenting Jesus Christ in this exalted manner as the prevailing view throughout Scripture. Passages such as John 1:14 affirm this, stating that the Word, this preexistent Being, became flesh and dwelt among us, revealing His glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Additionally, Colossians 1:15-18 emphasizes His preeminence, declaring Him as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, through whom all things were created, and in whom all things consist, existing before all things.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

The pre-existence of Jesus Christ is evident through His various titles and roles in the Old Testament, demonstrating that He was active long before His incarnation. As the Angel of the Lord, He spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and interacted with the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as seen in Acts 7:38 and Genesis 22:11-18. The Angel, identified as the divine Messenger, made covenants and promises, such as the promise of land to the fathers, which are also attributed to the Lord, Yahweh, indicating that these titles may refer to the same Being. In Genesis 31:11, 13, the Angel declares Himself as the God of Bethel, linking directly to the Lord God of Abraham and Isaac who promised the land, further showing His identity as the God the fathers knew. Jacob, in Genesis 48:15-16, equates the Angel with the God before whom Abraham and Isaac walked, confirming that this Angel, who became Jesus Christ, was their God. Additionally, in the burning bush account of Exodus 3, the Angel appears, yet it is the Lord God of the fathers who is seen and speaks, reinforcing that Jesus Christ, as the divine Messenger, was the visible manifestation of God to the patriarchs and Moses. New Testament scriptures, such as John 1:18 and John 5:37, affirm that no one has seen the Father except the Son, establishing that it was Jesus Christ, in His pre-incarnate form, who interacted with the Old Testament figures. Thus, He is the Creator God, the Almighty, Yahweh, the Rock, and the Shepherd of Israel, the One through whom access to the Father is granted.

The Helper and the Angel of the Lord

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

In exploring the profound identity of Jesus Christ, we find that He was the Angel of the Lord, the Messenger and Spokesman who acted on God's behalf long before His earthly incarnation. As recorded in Exodus 23:20-22, the One who spoke the law from Mount Sinai declared He would send an Angel before Israel to guide and protect them, bearing His name and authority. This Angel, identified as the pre-incarnate Christ, is further confirmed in Judges 2:1, where the Angel of the Lord states He led Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land and established the covenant with them. Additionally, in Acts 7:38, Stephen affirms that it was this Angel who spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, delivering the living oracles, and is recognized as the Lord, Yahweh, who brought Israel out of bondage. This consistent pattern reveals that Jesus Christ, in His pre-existent role, often referred to Himself with third-person titles, paralleling His later teachings where He speaks of sending Himself as the Helper, demonstrating the unified will and operation within the God Family.

Why Hebrews Was Written (Part Eight): Hebrews 1

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Hebrews 1 delivers a knock-out punch to skeptics like many first-century Jews who claimed He falls short in qualifying as our High Priest and Savior.

God the Father in the Old Testament

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Hebrew Scriptures reveal the existence of the Father. Deuteronomy 6:4 refers to God as one, signifying unity of purpose and identical character.

Then Comes the End

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

Christ's return marks the beginning of the end of mankind's problems. However, His return will not be the final end, which comes when God is all in all.

The Father-Son Relationship (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Although Christ is not the Absolute Deity, He is nevertheless the complement of the Father. He had a pre-existence as the God of the Old Testament.

The Father-Son Relationship (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Father and Son are separate; the Father is the source of all power, while the Son serves as the channel through which we interface with the Father.

The Father-Son Relationship (Part Eight)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus Christ and God the Father are one in spirit and purpose, purposing to draw us toward that same kind of unity that currently exists between them.

In The Likeness of Men!

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Jesus was subjected to the same experiences as the rest of us, having the appearance, experiences, the capability of receiving injury and suffering temptation.

John (Part Two)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

John emphasizes the reality of Jesus as the Logos (a word revealing hidden thought), the manifestation of God in the flesh, emphasizing His preexistence and divinity.

John (Part Three)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Even many extra-biblical sources such as Tacitus, Seconius, Justin Martyr, Pliny, and Josephus corroborate and validate the biblical accounts of Jesus.

Hebrews (Part Six): God's Salvation Communication

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

God personally communicated with Adam, Eve, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, and to us through His Son. With the Scriptures, God teaches His faithful today.

John (Part One)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

John presents Jesus, not as a phantom emanation, but as the reality, transcending the shadows represented by the temporal physical life.

Defining Logos (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The 'word of the Lord' came (appeared) to Abraham, suggesting that the Word (dabar, the Hebrew equivalent of logos) is a Being, the 'Lord God.'