Knowing Jesus (Part One) Before He was Jesus

Who He is and Where He came from and Why? 

Today we begin a three-part series with one ultimate purpose:  all who read, watch, or listen to these messages will know Jesus—whether for the first time or in ways that take you deeper into relationship with Him.  I am going to teach as if you who have no idea Who Jesus is.

Introduction of the Trinity

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  Genesis 1:1

Elohim – plural form of the Hebrew for God.  El means singular.  Elohim means plural.  The word “El” is used in verses where each Person of the Trinity is referred to individually

God created us (men and women) in His image for very specific purposes.

“Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.”  So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  God blessed them…”    Genesis 1: 26-27

Jesus – Pre-existent with God the Father and Holy Spirit

“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’””  Exodus 3: 14

“‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ The Jews therefore said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’”  John 8:56-58

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent.  I glorified You on the earth by accomplishing the work which You have given Me to do.  And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.”   John 17: 5

Jesus in Creation

God the Father and God the Holy Spirit

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” Genesis 1: 1-2

God the Son

“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 came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  John 1: 1 – 3, 14

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him”  Colossians 1: 15-17

Creation Crushed –  Sin and Death Enter the World

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.  The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;  but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it (disobedience = sin) you will surely die.”  Genesis 2: 15-17

The Curse of Sin brought Death into the world

“Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”   Genesis 3: 9 – 12

This introduced what most Christian theologians refer to as spiritual death—a broken relationship with God that would lead to eternal death unless that relationship was restored meaning made perfect again.  Man could never do that through works as we see throughout the rest of the Bible.

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (physical death)  Genesis 3: 19

God’s Promise to make things right – perfect (again)

The First Prophecy – the protoevangelium (first Gospel)

“Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all the livestock, And more than any animal of the field; On your belly you shall go, And dust you shall eat All the days of your life; And I will make enemies Of you and the woman, And of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head,  And you shall bruise Him on the heel.”  Genesis 3: 8 – 21

God’s first act of mercy and grace—a foreshadowing of what would come became a practice used throughout the OT for forgiveness of sins. The first blood sacrifice.

“The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”  Genesis 3: 21

Sources I viewed listed from 191 to 351 Old Testament prophecies referencing Messiah (Savior), all of which Jesus the Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity, fulfilled.

Next week we will continue our series with Part 2, as we examine God Incarnate, Jesus Son of God. 

For Christ’s sake,