I. The eternal backdrop and significance of Christmas
A. Theological Treasures in Christmas Carols
To many, Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Yet its deeper significance lies in the mystery that the eternal Son who was pre-existent with the Father from eternity entered human history as a newborn child.1“The term pre-existence refers to the idea of an entity having a heavenly existence before its earthly, historical or eschatological manifestation, sometimes even before the creation of the world.” [DPL, p. 743.] Pre-existence is the logical implication of the more scriptural term σὰρξ ἐγένετο (sarx egeneto), became flesh “incarnated”. This theological truth elevates Christmas beyond a sentimental birthday celebration, transforming it into a cosmic event of unparalleled depth and consequence.
Without the doctrine of Christ’s pre-existence, Christmas risks being reduced to a seasonal myth, akin to pagan narratives of cyclical dying-and-rising gods tied to nature’s rhythms. In contrast, the incarnation is a singular, unrepeatable act: the eternal Word becoming flesh. This truth is richly embedded in the lyrics of traditional Christmas carols, which often carry profound theological insights beneath their melodious tunes.
1) Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
This carol is particularly rich in theology concerning Christ’s divine nature and pre-existence.
a) Christ, by highest heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord! Come, Desire of Nations, come, Fix in us thy humble home.
The phrase “everlasting Lord” anchors the incarnation in eternity. The invocation to “come” presupposes a divine being who already exists and is now entering creation
b) Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel.
This stanza offers one of the clearest affirmations of the incarnation. The “Godhead” voluntarily veils His eternal glory by assuming finite human nature (“flesh”) to dwell among us.
2) O Come, All Ye Faithful
“God of God, Light of Light, Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb; Very God, Begotten, not created.”
These lines echo the Nicene Creed: “God of God, Light of Light” and “Very God, Begotten, not created” are definitive statements of Christ’s eternal, divine nature. The carol resists any notion of Christ as a created being. Instead, it proclaims that Christ who is eternally “begotten” of the Father entered the world through the “Virgin’s womb.”
3) O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Though primarily about messianic longing, it includes a line revealing a pre-temporal identity:
“O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, Who orderest all things mightily.”
“Emmanuel” means “God with us.” The one who “orders all things” is the divine Logos – pre-existent, sovereign, and active in creation. The carol thus links messianic hope with cosmic authority.
Christmas carols, often sung with simplicity or sentimentality, are in fact theological treasures that encapsulate the profound doctrines of the Christian faith. To overlook their doctrinal richness is to miss the heart of Christmas. These hymns reflect the foundational truths of Christ’s pre-existence and incarnation – truths that shaped the historic creeds and liturgies of the Church. Christmas should be the timely occasion to proclaim these foundational doctrines with joy and reverence.
II. The Theological Significance of the Pre-existent Christ
A. Christmas is not the beginning of Christ’s existence – it is the appearing of the One who always was.
If Christ truly pre-existed eternally with the Father, then Bethlehem is not the beginning of His existence. The cradle in Bethlehem is not the point of origin but the moment when the eternal Son enters human history. It is a historic moment because it is an act of divine self-humbling. This reframes Christmas from the birth of a remarkable man to the incarnation of the eternal Word (John 1:1, 14). We are not celebrating the birth of a great moral teacher or prophet, but the enfleshment of the “everlasting Lord.” The Child in the manger is not merely a baby blessed by God – He is God come in the flesh.
B. Christmas is God’s ultimate revelation of His eternal Son in visible form.
The writer of Hebrews declares, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets… but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). The pre-existent Logos (Word) through whom all things were created (John 1:3) has now become a man to “explain or interpret” the Father to us (John 1:18). Christmas is the celebration of God’s ultimate self-disclosure. Jesus taught with divine authority, forgave with divine prerogative and offered a sacrifice of infinite worth – because of who He eternally is. This is why the Magi and angels worshipped him, and why the shepherds glorified God. If Christ were not the pre-existent Son of God, such worship would amount to idolatry. Christmas worship rests on the truth of Christ’s divinity.
C. The pre-existent Christ reveals that the incarnation was an act of divine self-giving love.
The incarnation was no historical accident but a deliberate act of divine love. “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9). The pre-existing Son who eternally shared in the glory of the Father willingly veiled that glory, humbled himself, and took on a human existence of poverty and vulnerability (Philippians 2:6–7). Without the doctrine of pre-existence, Christmas is merely a touching story. With it, Christmas becomes a celebration of the incomparable love of the God who stoops to save.
D. The pre-existence of Christ anchors the atonement in the one who is the eternal God.
The incarnation is not an ad hoc response of God to sin and fallen humanity. The incarnation flows from God’s eternal redemptive purpose (Ephesians 1:4-10). A merely human death, even if morally perfect, cannot atone for the sins of the world. But the death of the eternal, pre-existent Son of God with infinite value is sufficient to cover the sins of all who believe. The cradle points forward to the cross, and both are grounded in the eternal identity of Chris
To summarize, the truth of Christ’s pre-existence elevates the cradle of Bethlehem into the realm of cosmic significance. It is not merely the birth of a child, but the entrance of the eternal Creator into His creation to redeem it. Christmas, rightly understood, is the celebration of the eternal Son’s loving descent into time for the salvation of the world.
III. Pauline Christology: From Pre-existence to Incarnation
A. Paul’s Christ Begins Not in Bethlehem but in Eternity
Paul’s understanding of Christ does not begin in Bethlehem but in the eternal realm of God. He situates the Son within the very identity of the one God of Israel while simultaneously distinguishing His person and role. In 1 Corinthians 8:6, Paul reworks the foundational Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) into a Christological confession: “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” Here, Christ is not portrayed as a creature but as the divine agent of creation. His pre-existence is both functional and ontological: He is the one through whom all things came into being and in whom all things hold together.
Paul further develops this theme in the Christ-hymn of Colossians 1:15–20. Here, the pre-existent Son is described as:
1. “The image of the invisible God”: The perfect manifestation of God’s nature, echoing Hebrews 1:3 – “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His being.”
2. “The firstborn of all creation”: Not in the sense of being the first created being, but as the sovereign heir who is supreme over all creation.
3. The one in whom, through whom, and for whom “all things were created”: His creative agency is total, encompassing all things visible and invisible, including spiritual powers.
4. The one “who is before all things and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17): He is temporally prior to all creation and his sustaining power preserves the unity and coherence of the cosmos.
B. The Divine Descent from Riches to Poverty
At the heart of the Christmas narrative is movement – a deliberate, gracious, and astonishing descent. Paul captures this trajectory with vivid theological language, tracing Christ’s journey from heavenly glory to earthly humility, and ultimately to the cross.
Paul does not view the incarnation as an isolated historical event. It is a movement – a descent. In 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
Philippians 2:6-11 outlines the trajectory of the incarnation of Christ:
1) He was in the form of God;
2) He emptied Himself and took the form of a man;
3) In His form as a humble servant, He was obedient to death on the cross.
This downward movement from glory to flesh is the most conclusive revelation of divine love. The incarnation is a purposeful act of divine self-humbling, culminating in the cross.
Christmas for Paul is not sentimental but a breath-taking story. It is a divine mission as the Son did not cling to His divine form but “emptied Himself” to enter the human condition and accepted the limitations of flesh, the vulnerability of infancy, the anonymity of a common carpenter in Nazareth, and finally, an ignominious death on the cross for the sake of our redemption. 1 Timothy 1:15 states: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
Christmas has a purpose: salvation. The cradle points to the cross. It is the celebration of the incomparable and saving love of God in Christ. This profound truth of Christ’s pre-existence establishes the staggering nature of the incarnation: the Creator and Sustainer of the cosmos enters His creation to redeem it.
May our Christmas carolling this season be filled with the awe and wonder of this truth? Christmas is not merely the birth of a child – it is the descent of the eternal Son into time, flesh, and suffering, for the sake of our salvation and the renewal of all things.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! Blessed Christmas!
Next Post: Contemporary Challenges to the Pre-existence of Christ.
Related Post: Basic Facts about the Virgin Birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke.