Did Jesus exist before Abraham?

Answer

Jesus made many statements recorded in the Gospels that sparked significant controversy in His time. He stated that He came from heaven, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” (John 3:13), claimed the authority to forgive sins (Luke 7:48-50), and asserted that He is the “Lord even of the Sabbath,” “therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” (Mark 2:28). However, perhaps His most astonishing statement was made in response to the Jews in John 8. In the midst of a heated debate about His identity, Jesus declared, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58). This proclamation is particularly significant as the phrase “I am” was a title for God, “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14).

When examining Jesus’ statement, it is crucial to note what Jesus did not say. He did not say, “before Abraham existed, I existed,” or “Before Abraham was, I was.” Instead, He asserted that before Abraham was even born, “I am.” Before Abraham was (past tense), Jesus is (present tense). Jesus was asserting His pre-existence.

When Jesus claimed to exist before Abraham, His listeners “picked up stones to stone him,” “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” (John 8:59).

, (John 8:59). They immediately understood that Jesus’ statement implied claiming equality with God. The penalty for blasphemy under Jewish law was stoning «And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death. », (Leviticus 24:16). However, Jesus’ opponents were unsuccessful. John records that “Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple” «Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.», (John 8:59). Later, in John 13:19, Jesus again applies the divine name I AM to Himself: “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.” The words echo God’s statements in Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’” and in Isaiah 41:4, “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.”

One day, “the LORD appeared to Abraham” «And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; », (Genesis 18:1). Throughout the conversation, the Lord is alternately referred to as a “man” and “the Lord” (verses 2, 13, 16, 17, 22). This is a case of an Old Testament Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ). Genesis 18 provides further support for Jesus’ claim that He existed before Abraham. Jesus visited Abraham and Sarah in their tent and ate a meal with them.

Yes, the Bible certainly teachesHe asserts that Jesus existed before Abraham. Jesus was “with God in the beginning” (John 1:2; see also John 1:14; Colossians 1:16-17), predating Abraham by a significant margin. Jesus claimed divinity on multiple occasions, one being His existence prior to Abraham. Not only did Jesus exist before Abraham, but Abraham honored Him (Genesis 18:2-5).

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead confirmed the truth of His divine claims! Therefore, Jesus’ use of the name “I am” was not blasphemous as the Pharisees had assumed. Identifying with Yahweh was entirely fitting given Jesus’ identity. He is the “Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” «I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. », (Revelation 22:13). He is “God over all” «whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. », (Romans 9:5) and “the Savior of the world” «And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. », (1 John 4:14). He was, is, and will always be the great “I AM.”