11/09/2022
To answer your question about Jesus's eternality:
Philippians 2:5-8 says "Jesus Christ...who was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
This clearly shows Jesus existed before he was miraculously conceived in Mary's Womb.
Jesus also says of Himself in John 8:58, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
In the Old Testament you have multiple appearances of the "Angel of the Lord" whom was different than any typical angel and even received worship and does not deny it. Many think that the Angel of the Lord is a pre-incarnate Christ. It's quite possible that the fourth man in the fire with Daniel's friends was Jesus.
Lately, you have Jesus in Revelation 22:11 (a vision of Jesus well after his death and resurrection ) saying, "I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."
In short, Jesus was not a created being.
But say a bit more...
Colossians 1:15-17 says, "He [Jesus] 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 and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
Firstborn does not mean literally born or created here, as some suggest. although that is how we immediately preserve that word, it had multiple uses in the past. It is speaking of the Preeminence of Christ or the high importance of Christ above all else.
Then you have the Gospel of John that begins:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He [this Word is a person] was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." - John 1:1–3
And then John adds in v 1:14,
"And the Word [Jesus Christ] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The KJV reads only begotten Son. The term begotten is another term that confuses people, but it doesn't mean created or made. In fact the famous Niceness Creed says specifically, "We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father; God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God; begotten not made, one in being with the Father."
*Begotten, not made.*
The reason why Begotten is used is not to imply Jesus is created, but rather that relationally in the Trinitarian Godhead, Jesus is the Son.
Jesus is of the same essence and nature as the Father and also Jesus does the will of the Father.
But again, not made. Not created.
A couple other verses that express the sameness of essence of Jesus and the Father:
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. - Hebrews 1:3
In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. - Colossians 1:19–20
Daniel 3:23-30
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghil
