Author: Joshua McQuirk
Truth be told, you could read all the books in the world, gather all the information you could, and still not understand who Christ is. You might have head knowledge, but you need to know this and believe it in your heart. There are some things that only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us (Matt. 16:13-20, NIV). You are invited to spend some time in prayerful meditation of this truth after reading through this article. In this short article the author’s aim is to cultivate the reader’s curiosity of the glorious study of Christ (Christology), while focusing on the pre-existence of Christ and the prophecies about Him.
Firstly, it is important to know that Jesus Christ existed before the incarnation (before He came in the form of a physical man on earth), and – as Duncan mentioned in the previous article – it is vital to note that He was not a created being. If a deity or being is created, it implies that there was a point where His life began, which would mean that at some point He did not exist. Since Christ is eternal, which means He exists outside time, He has no beginning.
There are many texts in the New Testament which point towards Christ’s pre-existence. From John 1:1-14 it is evident that Christ existed before the incarnation; “word” became flesh. From this next verse one can clearly see that Christ existed before the incarnation, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (Jn. 17:5, NIV).¹
Secondly, what is amazing about the Christian faith, is all the prophecies that have been fulfilled. In Christology this plays an important role. If we just look at a few of the prophecies that are related to Christ: His birth (Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4), the place of His birth (Mic. 5:2; Lk. 2:4-7), His betrayal (Ps. 41:9; Lk. 22:47-48), the violent death of Christ (Zech. 12:10; Jn. 20:27), His resurrection (Ps. 16:10; Lk. 24:7), and the list continues. This validates who Jesus Christ is.²
After reading all this you might ask, “Now that is all good and well but what does this mean to us now?” Well, this has a massive impact in our lives right now. Depending on who you are and what your history looks like, the truth that is stated above can have a different impact on you compared to others. (Feel free to share how this has impacted you, in the comments below). However, the basic truth is that the pre-existence of Christ and the prophecies about Him show us that He is truly who He says He is.
This can give one great confidence in one’s faith, knowing who Christ is and who he or she is in Him. This gives everything he did such weight – it can leave one in awe and wonder. How can one, but worship Him, the one true God?
References:
¹ Herrick G 2004. 3. Christology: Jesus Christ. Online source. Accessed from https://bible.org/seriespage/3-christology-jesus-christ, 2020-05-14.
² Herrick G 2004.
I like the font :)
I love how this is dripping with Scripture. Really good read. Personally it took some some time to really believe Jesus is who He says He is. I am glad that I have wrestled with that question, because I have grown closer to God because of it.
I know for myself that these prophecies that Jesus fulfilled really just points to God's faithfulness and goodness, and that we can take Him at His Word. Though I know that at times I forget this and I need to come back to Him. Fortunately His grace is more than sufficient. It's nice and good to have a reminder like this. So I thank you for that.
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This is a well written article. I love the connection between the historical facts and contemporary application. Makes one think ...