Jesus Christ Was the God of the Old Testament
Most either haven’t given much thought to or don’t understand the identity of the God who spoke to people in the Old Testament. Yet Jesus Christ clearly revealed the answer.
By Erik Jones
It couldn’t have been the Father!
John revealed a surprising truth in John 1:18: "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him" (emphasis added throughout). Jesus also said, "And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form" (John 5:37).
These two scriptures teach us an important fact: The Father has not directly spoken to or been seen by any human being at any time.
But if we look through the Old Testament, we see many occasions when God worked directly with human beings. (Consider, for example, Genesis 2:16-17; 6:13-14; 12:1; 17:1; Exodus 3:4-6; 33:11, 22-23; Numbers 12:6-8; Deuteronomy 4:33; Jeremiah 1:4-10).
We see that a divine being in the Old Testament dealt directly with people; but according to Jesus, this divine being could not have been God the Father.
Jesus said that He came to "reveal" the Father (Matthew 11:27). By claiming to be the Son of God (John 10:36), Jesus contradicted one of the Jew’s most treasured doctrines—that God is composed of strictly one divine being. They did not understand that God is actually a family—composed of the Father and the Son (John 1:18; Romans 1:4; Philippians 2:6-11).
If the One who revealed Himself to the patriarchs and Israel in the Old Testament was not the Father— then who was He?
Jesus Christ’s preexistence
A careful study of the Bible shows clearly that the God who interacted with humans in the Old Testament was the One who became Jesus Christ.
The Bible reveals that before Jesus was born to Mary, He was the One John called "the Word" (John 1:1, 14). This title perfectly describes His function before being born as a human being. "Word" in John 1:1 is a translation of the Greek word Logos, meaning "a word" or "something said" (Strong’s Greek Dictionary). The definition includes both the thought and the spoken word.
The use of Logos to describe Jesus before His human birth gives us insight into His Old Testament identity. The Word was, essentially, the being in the God family who served as the spokesman. He has always been responsible for communicating the will of the Father to human beings—during Old Testament and New Testament times. When God’s voice or revelation was given, it was through the Word—who became Jesus Christ—or an angel. The Father has never spoken directly with human beings.
Jesus Christ made His identity very clear—sometimes even to His physical detriment! In John 8 Jesus said He knew Abraham (verse 56). Since Abraham had lived and died nearly 2,000 years before, this statement offended the Jews Jesus was talking to. They considered it blasphemy that a mere man (as they viewed Him) "not yet fifty years old" had the audacity to claim He had known their patriarch Abraham (verse 57).
But Jesus’ response was even more shocking to them: "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (verse 58).
Yes, Jesus Christ claimed that He predated Abraham. But, in saying this, Jesus also gave a not-so-subtle clue about His identity that wasn’t lost on the angry Jews who surrounded Him. He referred to Himself as "I AM." This was actually a divine title of God! When God had appeared to Moses from the burning bush, God had identified Himself as "I AM WHO I AM" and "I AM" (Exodus 3:14).
By identifying Himself as "I AM," Jesus claimed that He had eternally existed.
Christ identified Himself as the God of Abraham and Moses, and the One who led Israel out of Egypt (which is also affirmed by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4).
Christ was Creator
Before His birth, Jesus Christ was the God who created all things. The apostle Paul made this fact very clear in his writings.
We read that "God [the Father] … created all things through Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 3:9). Jesus Christ, the Word, created "all things"—the angelic realm, the physical universe and all physical life— for the Father and under His direction.
Colossians 1:16-18 reveals more functions of the Word. He not only created "all things … in heaven and that are on earth," but He also rules over all authorities and powers that exist under the Father. This means that Christ has authority over the entire angelic and human dominions. He existed "before all things" (He is eternal) and "in Him all things consist" (verse 17).
The truth of Jesus being the Creator of all things is also reinforced in 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Hebrews 1:2.
The implications
We have just skimmed the surface of this incredibly important topic. There is much more to understand about the identity of God the Father and Jesus Christ. But the key truth to understand is that God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son exist in total harmony (John 10:30). They share the same perfect character of love, truth, mercy and grace.
Though the Father did not speak directly to people, He is mentioned throughout the Old Testament (for example, both Father and Son are evident in verses like Genesis 1:26; 11:7; and Psalm 110:1). The Father has chosen to accomplish His plan for mankind through Jesus, from beginning to end.
Not only is the character of God (both Father and Son) consistent at all times, God’s expectations for human beings also remain the same. It is vital for us to study and understand both the Old and New Testaments (1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16). God’s spiritual law—summarized for us in the 10 Commandments—has remained consistent and binding.
God the Father and Jesus Christ are truly "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8; Malachi 3:6)!
We encourage you to learn much more about the Father and the Son by exploring two important sections of the LifeHopeandTruth.com website: "Who Is God?" and "Who Is Jesus?" Keep reading and discerning. D
The Consistent Characteristics of
God From Old to New Testament
