Christ's Pre-existence
3 Passages Showing Jesus Was Active in the Old Testament
Jesus didn't begin to exist at His birth in Bethlehem. He was present and active throughout Old Testament history.
1 Corinthians 10:4 — The Rock Was Christ
“and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.”
— LSB
Why It Matters:
Paul identifies Christ as the Rock that sustained Israel in the wilderness. Throughout the Old Testament, Yahweh is called 'the Rock' (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 18, 30-31; Psalm 18:2, 31; Isaiah 44:8). Paul is identifying Jesus with Yahweh.
Key Points:
- •Israel drank from a 'spiritual rock' in the wilderness
- •Paul explicitly states: 'the rock was Christ'
- •'The Rock' is a divine title used for Yahweh throughout the Old Testament
- •Jesus was present with Israel during the Exodus
1 Corinthians 10:9 — They Tempted Christ
“Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them tried Him, and were destroyed by the serpents.”
— LSB
Why It Matters:
Many manuscripts read 'Christ' instead of 'Lord' (supported by early manuscripts and the context of v. 4). Paul states that the Israelites in the wilderness tempted Christ — affirming that Jesus existed and was present with Israel during the Exodus. This is another identification of Jesus with the Yahweh who led Israel.
Jude 5 — Jesus Delivered Israel from Egypt
“Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”
— LSB (following earliest manuscripts)
Why It Matters:
The earliest and best Greek manuscripts (א A B 33 81 1739) read 'Jesus' (Ἰησοῦς) rather than 'Lord.' Later scribes changed it because 'Jesus' was theologically difficult — how could Jesus have delivered Israel from Egypt? But that's precisely the point: Jesus pre-existed and was the divine agent of Israel's salvation in the Exodus.
Key Points:
- •The ESV, NET, and NASB 2020 follow this reading
- •The principle of 'the more difficult reading' supports 'Jesus' as original — scribes were more likely to change 'Jesus' to 'Lord' than vice versa
- •Combined with 1 Corinthians 10:4, 9 and John 12:41, this establishes that Jesus was active throughout Old Testament redemptive history
The Pattern of Pre-existence
These passages reveal a consistent pattern: Jesus was not merely prophesied in the Old Testament — He was present in the Old Testament. He was the Rock in the wilderness. He was the one Israel tempted. He was the one who delivered them from Egypt. He was the Lord Isaiah saw high and lifted up (John 12:41). The Jesus who walked the roads of Galilee is the same God who led Israel out of Egypt.
What These Passages Prove
Jesus didn't come into existence 2,000 years ago. He has always existed. He was there with Israel in the wilderness. He was the Rock who sustained them. He was the Lord they tempted. He was the one who brought them out of Egypt. The New Testament writers understood that Jesus was the Yahweh of the Old Testament — present and active in redemptive history from the beginning.