If Jesus Christ is God, then He must be eternal. God has no beginning. There was never a time when He did not exist in all the fullness of who He is. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Psalm 90:2).

Some heretical cults deny Christ's eternal existence, claiming that He was a created Being. In contrast to this false doctrine, the Bible presents Him as the uncreated Creator: "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3). In the beginning He was not created or made. In the beginning He already was (John 1:1-2)! The Apostle Paul declares that "He is before all things" (Col. 1:17).

The prophet Micah foretold that the Messiah would be born in the little town of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Who is this One that should be born? He is the One "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).

John the Baptist clearly pointed to the fact of the pre-existence of Christ: "John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me." This paradoxical statement can be understood only as we distinguish between the two natures of Christ. When viewed from the standpoint of His humanity He came after John the Baptist. Mary gave birth to Him six months after Elizabeth had given birth to John (Luke 1:26). As the eternal Son of God He was before John the Baptist, eternally existing in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18).

Perhaps the Saviour Himself made the clearest statement of His pre-existence. Speaking with a group of unbelieving Jewish religious leaders, He said, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad" (John 8:56). These Jews were startled by these words, understanding Him to be saying that He and Abraham existed on this earth at the same time: "Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?" (John 8:57). They knew that Jesus was not even half a century old and that Abraham had lived and died on this earth approximately 2000 years earlier! How could this Man claim to be 2000 years old? They were shocked and angered by the Lord's final words: "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58). They considered this to be ultimate blasphemy and they "took up stones to cast at Him" (John 8:59).

Only the eternal God could make such a claim. Indeed, Jesus could have said, "Before Adam was, I am!" He even could have said, "Before the universe was, I am!" In fact, in John chapter 17 He did make such a statement: "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was...for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:5,24). God the Son basked in the sunlight of the Father's love before the world ever was! From everlasting to everlasting, He is the Son of the Father's love. The eternal Son is worthy of all glory and praise and adoration!