Does the Bible mention that the Lord Jesus Christ actually existed before His human birth? And, is there sufficient evidence in both Old and New Testaments to support this view? Let’s read on.
The fourth Gospel clearly states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, snd without Him was not made anything made that was made. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1-3,14). Doesn’t this sound very familiar with the “beginning of beginnings” in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Both the Genesis and John texts use the same three words, “In the beginning,” both speaking of creation.
John also writes concerning the origin of Christ. In speaking to the Jews of His day, Jesus said, “Your father Abraham, rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to Him “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus replied,”Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:56-59).
The Old Testament book Proverbs also supports this truth, ”The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there was no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always” (Proverbs 8:22-30).
In his Bible commentary on this passage, William MacDonald aptly writes, “What then do we learn about Christ in “noble specimen of sacred eloquence?” 8:22 His eternal generation: “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way.” We must not understand the word “possessed” as implying that Christ ever had a beginning. God never existed without the quality or attribute of wisdom, and neither did He ever exist without the Person of His Son. The meaning here is exactly the same as in John 1:1: In the beginning … the Word was with God … 8:23 His appointment from eternity. “Established” means anointed or appointed. Long before creation took place, He was appointed to be the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world. 8:24-26 His pre-existence. The words “brought forth” must not be taken to mean that He was ever created and thus had a beginning. They are poetic language describing the Son’s eternal existence and His personality as being distinct from that of God the Father” (Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald, Edited by Art Farstad, page 811).
Why wouldn’t God not reveal the pre-existence of His Son Jesus Christ in the Biblical text. Let us keep in mind “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us” (Deuteronomy 29:29). Hence, we can claim this as one of the things that is revealed to us, and which is most significant to us as believers. Thank you, Lord Jesus!