“Pre‑incarnate Jesus” refers to the eternal Son of God before He was born in Bethlehem. Christians use this term to describe the Son’s existence from eternity past up to the moment of the incarnation. Incarnate Jesus then is when He took on human flesh as Jesus of Nazareth – up until the time of His death on the cross. After Jesus’ resurrection, then Christians refer to Him as resurrected or exalted Jesus, which lasts literally, forever into eternity future.
The image tells us about Jesus from eternity past to eternity future. Each stage has significant events that we read about in the Bible. As such, Pre-incarnate Jesus, for forever past to His birth, was present in Old Testament events. Incarnate Jesus, from birth to death on the cross. Resurrected/exalted Jesus then is from the time of His resurrection going forward forever.
Below are two different ways to view the concepts here.
Jesus, as shown in the image
“Pre‑incarnate Jesus” refers to the eternal Son of God before He was born in Bethlehem. Christians use this term to describe the Son’s existence from eternity past up to the moment of the incarnation — when He took on human flesh as Jesus of Nazareth.
A simple way to picture it is in three movements:
- Pre‑incarnate Jesus The eternal Son of God, fully divine, existing before creation and active throughout the Old Testament. This is the period before He became human.
- Incarnate Jesus From His birth to His resurrection: fully God, fully human, living a real human life within time and history.
- Resurrected / Exalted Jesus From the resurrection into eternity future: still fully God and fully human, now in a glorified, resurrected body — the form in which He reigns and the form believers are promised to share.
So “pre‑incarnate Jesus” simply names the first part of that story — who the Son was before He entered our world as a human being.
Jesus, from Hebrews:
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Christians use the phrase “pre‑incarnate Jesus” to describe the eternal Son of God before He was born in Bethlehem. Hebrews 13:8 — “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” — gives us a simple way to picture it:
Yesterday — Pre‑incarnate Jesus
The eternal Son, fully divine, existing before creation and active throughout the Old Testament. This is everything from eternity past up to the moment He took on human flesh.
Today — Incarnate Jesus
From His birth to His resurrection: fully God and fully human, living within time, history, and human limitation.
Forever — Resurrected and Exalted Jesus
From the resurrection into eternity future: still fully God and fully human, now in a glorified body — the Jesus who reigns, intercedes, and will return.
So “pre‑incarnate Jesus” simply names the first movement of that unbroken identity: who the Son was before He entered the world as a human being.
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