Jesus Was Not Created...EVER

Is Jesus a created being? Perhaps you've wondered about this. Did God make Jesus? Did Jesus begin to exist when he was born as a man? Or maybe he was created by God sometime before that? Because the truth is, if Jesus was NEVER created - but eternally exists - the only option we are left with is that he is...God!

The opening lines of John's gospel give us a firm answer to this question:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us... grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:1-3, 14, 17, ESV)

Verse 17 identifies who John is talking about as "Jesus Christ." Verse 14 tell us that he 'became flesh.' So John is clearly referring to Jesus, who became a Man.

But the first three verses teach us about the nature of Jesus' identity. Jesus is the Word, who was in the beginning "with God." To say that Jesus was "with" God shows that he is a separate Person from God. But then John tells us that this Person who was "with" God "was God." Amazing! He is separate from God and he is God.

But verse 3 is what answers our question about Jesus' origin. "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." Do you see how John words the same thought two different ways? Is he being redundant? No, he is being clear! He is telling us that Jesus was never created!

To say that all things were made "through" Jesus is one thing. But John then adds that "without" Jesus "was not any thing made that was made." He is saying that God created NOTHING apart from Jesus...not even Jesus! This means that Jesus was involved in the creation of everything, and that nothing (not even himself) was created by God, apart from Jesus. Do you see it? No spirit, no angel, no particle, no being was made by God the Father apart from Jesus. Jesus is the eternally existent Son of God who was always with God and always God. And through Jesus anything that has ever been created was created. In other words, anything not created by Jesus is not created. Since Jesus exists, and all things that were created were made by him, and he did not make himself, he is God. Wow!

But what about Colossians 1:15, which refers to Jesus as the "firstborn of all creation"? Some say this means that Jesus was the first created thing (firstborn of creation = created first). But Paul is here speaking about Jesus' right to rule over his creation - the right of the firstborn of the King. King David was spoken of in this way ("I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth" Psalm 89:27).

Jesus is God. He is a separate Person from God the Father. He is a separate Person from God the Holy Spirit. But the three, while separate Persons, are shown in Scripture to be One God.

To me, the clearest evidence in the Bible that Jesus is God is where God the Father is quoted as calling Jesus God! This is found in Hebrews 1. First God tells the angels to worship the firstborn (Jesus the Son) (verse 6). You don't worship anyone but God (Matthew 4:10)! But then he clearly calls Jesus God:

But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever... (Hebrews 1:8, ESV)

There are many other clear references to Jesus' divinity in Scripture, but how can you argue with God himself? Whoever God calls God is God, right?

So...if Jesus is God, have you worshiped him as God? Have you believed his words? Have you trusted in his substitutionary death on the cross for your sins and believed in his resurrection from the dead for salvation? Jesus is both God and the way to God (John 14:6). Don't be sidetracked by other things, other ideas, other 'ways.' Look to Jesus!