John’s Prologue: Jesus’s Preexistence

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John’s Prologue: Jesus’s Preexistence

     The Gospel of John opens with a simple, but theologically deep prologue (John 1:1-18). This prologue is connected to the rest of John’s Gospel account in “intimate and intricate ways.”[1] John the son of Zebedee uses the prologue as a roadmap to future theological points of interest that he exposits later through historical accounts concerning Jesus’ life and ministry. John’s prologue or introduction section, becomes an evangelistic method exhorting the reader to “believe that Jesus is the Christ” (John 20:31).[2] 

This series of posts will argue that the theological assertions specified in John’s prologue are connected to affirmations detailed later in his account. In particular, John explains in John 1:1-18 that Jesus is preexistent; Jesus has unity with the father; Jesus is a distinct person of the Trinity; Jesus is divine; Jesus is Creator; Jesus is Life; Jesus is Light; Jesus became flesh; John the Baptist will testify first that Jesus is the Messiah; God is sovereign in election, and Jesus is better than Moses. As the reader of the prologue pulls on these theological strings in the prologue, it unravels themes that run throughout the entire Gospel account and some of these themes are strikingly interconnected. 

Jesus’ Pre-existence 

John begins his account by stating, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1a), and “He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2).[3] The first theological assertion that John makes is that Jesus is pre-existent. In other words, Jesus has no point of origin and no beginning. Before time began, Jesus co-eternally existed with God (John 1:1b). Time came into existence with the creation of matter, and the creation of people, who in turn created the various constructs of time (cf. John 1:3). Jesus’ pre-existence is tied into His deity. For if Jesus had not pre-existed then he would have been created, and thus would not be God (John 1:1c). Jesus’ pre-existence is also tied into the incarnation. For Jesus to become “flesh,” He must have logically existed prior to the incarnation.[4]

Jesus’ pre-existence is observed throughout John’s Gospel in two distinct manners: (1) His pre-existence is overtly stated [John 1:1, 17:5]; and (2) His preexistence is inferred [John 1:14, 30; 6:33]. One of the first examples of an overt declaration is John the Baptist stating, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me” (John 1:30 ESV). John the Baptist was the incarnate Jesus’ cousin who was chronologically born before Jesus (Luke 1:24, 1:57). When John the Baptist says that Jesus “was before me” (John 1:30b) he is not saying that Jesus is greater or more important than himself, for John already said that Jesus “ranked” before him in the first clause of John 1:30a. John the Baptist, who was born earlier than Jesus, explains that Jesus existed “before” (πρῶτός) he existed in time (John 1:30b).[5] The NET, CSB, and the NASB all translate this verse as, “he existed before me” (John 1:30b).

An example of an inferred statement of Jesus’s pre-existence is famously followed with an overt claim in John 8:48-59. Jesus argues with the Jewish leaders and states, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” The Jews were already at odds with Jesus and asked Him if He was greater than Abraham (John 8:53). God promised Abraham that He would establish an everlasting covenant through his lineage and raise kings from his offspring (Gen. 17:1-14). When Jesus stated that Abraham rejoiced at the prospect of one day seeing Jesus the Messiah, it logically confused the Jews. The Jews did grasp that Jesus was inferring his pre-existence and to that the Jews said, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (John 8:57). Jesus was in fact not fifty years old, but was “about thirty” (Luke 3:23).

If Jesus’ inferred statement of preexistence was already frustrating the Jews, His overt assertion of pre-existence, and equality with God crossed the line. Jesus then overtly stated, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). John frequently uses “double entendre” throughout his Gospel account, and here, Jesus “appropriates the divine name,” while asserting his personal nature.[6] Jesus could have answered this puzzling question of chronology by stating, "I was," but he says, "I am."[7] Jesus uses the present active indicative verb εἰμί (am) which in the context denotes eternal existence. Jesus used “ἐγώ εἰμι” (I Am) which parallels the Old Testament story of when God spoke to Moses through the burning bush (Exod. 3).[8] Jesus used the same title (“I am”) that God gave to Moses when Moses asked God for His name (Ex. 3:14-15). Jesus pulled back the curtains of time to reveal that He was pre-existent and fully divine. The Jews realizing his assertion, considered it blasphemous and tried to stone Him (John 8:59).

Jesus’s descension (through incarnation) and Jesus’s ascension (to heaven) logically rest on Jesus’ pre-existence. Jesus explained to Nicodemous, “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man” (John 3:13). When the disciples were having a difficult time with Jesus’ teachings, He stated, “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” (John 6:62). If Jesus descended from heaven, then logically he must have pre-existed in heaven. If Jesus ascends back into heaven then logically he is returning to the place where he pre-existed (John 6:62; cf. 6:33, 38, 8:23; 16:28). There are similar connections found between Jesus’ continual incarnation and resurrection. 

Notes:

There are more theological assertions made in John’s prologue, but for the sake of brevity the scope has been limited. Each of these additional assertions are worth studying! These posts are also adapted from a research paper.

Biblical References to Jesus Pre-existence:

https://musingsfromnightshift.blogspot.com/2021/03/jesus-pre-existence-biblical-references.html


[1] Stephen Voorwinde, “John’s Prologue: Beyond Some Impasses of Twentieth-Century Scholarship,” Westminster Theological Journal 64:1 (Spring 2002), p. 15-44.

[2] Andreas J. Kostenberger, Encountering John: The Gospel In Historical, Literary, And Theological Perspective (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2013), 37.

[3] “Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: 2016).”

[4] Douglas McCready, “He Came Down From Heaven: The Preexistence of Christ Revisited,” Journal of Evangelical Theological Society, 40:3 (September 1997): 420.

[5] Murray J. Harris, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: John (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2015), 45.

[6] Kostenberger, Encountering John, 247.

[7] Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2013), 626.

[8] William D. Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2019), 130.

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