The Pre-existence of Christ - Concluding article.
John 1:1-4
Back to John’s gospel. Now, we have seen that the beginning does not always mean the beginning of the world but in the New Testament it often means the beginning of the preaching of the gospel to those who would become the new creation (those baptised). It seems that John 1:1 is also talking of this new creation. The language is very similar to that in Colossians, and if we look at the first verse of Mark and also the first verse of John’s letter (1 John 1:1) we see that both times it is referring to the new creation. In fact, every time that we read the phrase ‘In the beginning’ in the writings of John, it is talking about the beginning of the gospel, not the Genesis creation.
So this verse is not telling us that Jesus existed at the creation of the world. It is talking of the new creation that is the church that exists because of Jesus. Without Jesus there would be no church – he is the one who created it.
Hebrews 7:3
Some people think these verses are saying that Jesus did not begin and will not end. That just like God, Jesus also was from ‘everlasting to everlasting’. We know God is the only person who has no beginning (Psalm 90:2) so what do these verses mean? Read the whole chapter and notice verses 1-3, 6, 11-15, 22-24. The Jewish people were saying that Jesus couldn’t be a priest because he was not from the tribe of Levi. This chapter is showing that Jesus is a special priest. In the Old Testament Law of Moses, priests in God’s temple had to be from the tribe of Levi and no other tribe of Israel. They had to be able to prove they were from a priestly line and that their parents were both Levites. They started their service as priest at the age of 20 and finished at the age of 50. The Jewish people knew that Jesus was descended from the tribe of Judah not Levi and he wasn’t from a priestly family (verse 14) so they questioned how he could be a priest.
To show them that Jesus was a special priest, Paul reminds them of Melchizedek, the first mentioned priest in the Old Testament. The Jews accepted him because he was chosen by God, even Abraham honoured him. Then Paul compares Melchizedek with Jesus, who was also a special priest chosen by God. Neither of them were from the tribe of Levi, neither of them had parents from a priestly line, neither of them had started their priestly service at the age of 20 and finished when they were 50. But Paul is showing that this doesn’t matter. God had chosen them for a special work, they were to be accepted as special priests. Paul is not saying that Jesus has no beginning or ending. He is saying that unlike the priesthood in the Old Testament, Jesus did not start being a priest at the age of 20 and finish at 50, Jesus is a priest FOR EVER (verse 17). All of these verses are just comparing the Old Testament priesthood with the New Testament priesthood of Jesus.
| Hebrew 7:3,4 | How Jesus fulfilled this… |
| ‘without mother and father’ | Not from the tribe of Levi (verse 14) |
| ‘without genealogy’ | Not from a priestly line (verse 6) |
| ‘without beginning of days or end of life’ | Didn’t start at 20 and finish at 50 (verse 16,17) |
| ‘remains a priest for ever’ | Priesthood lasts forever (verse 17) |
So, the priesthood of the Law of Moses in the Old Testament ended, but the priesthood of Jesus will never end.
John 17:5
This verse seems to say that Jesus existed with God before the world began and that they both had glory together. This is not what Jesus is saying. He is praying to God, his Father, asking Him to keep the promise that He made. From the beginning of time, God’ plan was to give men and women everlasting life. This could only come through Jesus. Jesus is asking God to complete His purpose with him. Jesus does not ask God to give him back the glory that he had – just for God to give him the glory that God had planned for him from the beginning of the world. Jesus is saying that the time is now right.
We have to understand the language of the Bible. Remember God can speak about things as if they have already happened because he knows nothing is going to stop His purpose. Jesus also knows this. Look at how the Bible talks about the reward that WE will have as faithful Christians.
2 Corinthians 5:1 ‘we HAVE a building from God’ (our spiritual body, not given to us until Jesus returns)
1 Peter 1:5 ‘inheritance … kept in heaven for you’ (our inheritance is the earth, not heaven. The inheritance is already ours, we are just waiting for Jesus to come and give it to us).
Matthew 25:34 ‘inheritance … Kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world’ (God’s plan for us was from the beginning of the world but will not happen until Jesus returns)
John 17:22 ‘HAVE given them the glory that you gave me’ (the disciples had not been given this and neither had Jesus, it was a promise of future glory)
Now we know we haven’t received our reward yet. Revelation 22:12 says that Jesus is bringing our reward with him when he returns to the earth in the future. These verses are just saying that we will have this when the time is right because God promised it. Nothing can stop it happening.
So the Bible is using language to show us how certain God’s promises are, telling us that we HAVE something before we get it. In these verses Jesus is asking for what is his. He’s not had this glory yet but in God’s plan from the beginning it was something that He would give to Jesus. He would make Jesus Saviour of the world and a future king.
Finally, look at 2 Timothy 1:9,10 . WE have been saved by the death of Jesus. This work of salvation - everlasting life - was given to Jesus. This was God’s plan from the beginning. And this purpose was revealed when Jesus was born 2000 years ago. He started doing the work that God had created him to do, ‘this grace was given us in Jesus before the beginning of time’.
Salvation for us through Jesus was in God’s plan from the beginning of the world too. But we didn’t need to have grace (forgiveness of sins) until we were born because that is when we started to exist. But God knew that as humans, we would be sinners and would need saving, so He put this in His plan before we were born.
Bro John and Sister Sally Palmer
