WHO CAME INTO THE WORLD FIRST—JESUS OR HIS MOTHER?
The Eternal Preexistence of Jesus Christ
A Biblical and Theological Response
By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
Introduction
A common question is asked: Who came into existence first, Jesus or His mother Mary?
If we are speaking about Jesus' human birth, Mary existed before Jesus was conceived in her womb (Luke 1:31). However, if we are speaking about the Person of Jesus Christ, Scripture teaches that Jesus existed eternally before Mary, before Abraham, before Adam, and before the creation of the universe.
The Bible does not present Jesus as merely a man who began His existence in Bethlehem. Rather, He is revealed as the eternal Son of God who entered human history through the virgin Mary.
This distinction is essential to orthodox Christian theology.
1. Jesus Existed Before Mary
Mary was created by God.
Jesus is the Creator.
Mary received life from God.
Jesus is the Giver of life.
The angel announced that Mary would conceive Jesus:
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS."
—Luke 1:31 (KJV)
This passage speaks about Christ's human conception, not the beginning of His existence.
Jesus did not begin to exist in Mary's womb.
He simply took on human flesh.
John declares:
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..."
—John 1:14
Notice carefully:
The Word became flesh.
The Word did not begin to exist.
2. Jesus Is the Eternal Word
John opens his Gospel by taking us beyond Bethlehem and beyond Genesis.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
—John 1:1
Three truths appear immediately:
The Word already existed.
The Word was with God.
The Word is God.
The Greek verb ēn ("was") describes continuous existence.
John deliberately avoids saying:
"In the beginning the Word came into existence."
Instead, he says:
"The Word already was."
This is the language of eternity.
3. Jesus Created Everything
John continues:
"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
—John 1:3
Paul agrees:
"For by him were all things created..."
—Colossians 1:16–17
If Jesus created everything, then Mary belongs among the created order.
Therefore, Jesus existed before His mother.
The Creator cannot be younger than His own creation.
4. Abraham Saw Christ
One of the strongest statements made by Jesus appears in John 8.
Jesus said:
"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."
—John 8:56
The Jews were astonished.
They replied:
"Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?"
—John 8:57
Jesus answered with one of the greatest declarations in Scripture:
"Before Abraham was, I AM."
—John 8:58
Notice He did not say,
"Before Abraham was, I was."
He declared,
"I AM."
This is the divine name revealed to Moses.
5. Jesus Identified Himself as Yahweh
When Moses asked God's name,
God answered:
"I AM THAT I AM."
—Exodus 3:14
Jesus deliberately used this same divine title.
His audience immediately understood His claim.
The next verse says:
"Then took they up stones to cast at him."
—John 8:59
Why?
Because they recognized that Jesus was claiming equality with God.
6. Jesus Appeared Before His Incarnation
Throughout the Old Testament, the Son of God appeared before becoming flesh.
Examples include:
The Angel of the LORD speaking with Hagar (Genesis 16)
The Angel of the LORD appearing to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3)
The Commander of the LORD's army appearing to Joshua (Joshua 5)
The Fourth Man in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3)
These appearances are commonly understood in Christian theology as pre-incarnate manifestations of Christ (Christophanies).
7. Jesus Shared Glory Before Creation
Jesus prayed:
"And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
—John 17:5
Only someone who existed before creation could make such a statement.
8. Jesus Came Down from Heaven
Jesus repeatedly declared His heavenly origin.
"For I came down from heaven..."
—John 6:38
Again,
"Ye are from beneath; I am from above."
—John 8:23
No prophet ever claimed this.
No angel ever claimed this.
Only Jesus.
9. The Prophecy of Micah
Hundreds of years before Christ's birth, Micah wrote:
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah... out of thee shall he come forth... whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
—Micah 5:2
The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Yet His origins are from everlasting.
10. Jesus Is Before All Things
Paul writes:
"And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."
—Colossians 1:17
This is not merely chronological priority.
It is supremacy and eternal existence.
11. Jesus Is the Alpha and Omega
Christ declares:
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending..."
—Revelation 1:8
And again:
"I am the first and the last."
—Revelation 22:13
Only the eternal God can truthfully make this claim.
12. Mary Herself Worshiped God as Her Savior
Mary never claimed to be eternal.
Instead she confessed:
"My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."
—Luke 1:47
Mary acknowledged that she, like every other human being, needed salvation.
She was honored among women because God chose her to bear the incarnate Messiah, but she herself was a created servant of God.
Theological Conclusion
The biblical evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that Jesus Christ existed long before His mother Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus according to His human nature.
She did not originate His divine nature.
Jesus is the eternal Son of God who entered human history through the virgin birth.
As the church confessed throughout history, the incarnation means that the eternal Word assumed a true human nature without ceasing to be God.
Therefore:
Jesus existed before Mary.
Jesus existed before Abraham.
Jesus existed before Moses.
Jesus existed before Adam.
Jesus existed before creation.
Jesus is the eternal "I AM."
As Jesus Himself declared:
"Before Abraham was, I AM."
—John 8:58 (KJV)
This confession remains one of the clearest biblical affirmations of Christ's eternal preexistence and full deity.
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