Answers to the question vary.
My answer (Jewish monotheism) is incompatible with the answers given by trinitarians, binitarians and the majority of unitarians.
Jesus existed before Abraham but Jesus isn’t older than Abraham; Jesus is younger than Abraham.
A valid point. The
man Jesus did not exist before Abraham and was descended from him in a direct lineage, all recorded in Scripture. But the spirit being who became the man Jesus certainly did exist before Abraham. As the “only begotten Son of God” he was the facilitator of all creation, including all that exists in the spirit realm. (Colossians 1:15-17; John 1:2-3)
He was not “begotten” at his human birth, but has been by his Father’s side since his creation. He has always be God’s “firstborn”. (Proverbs 8:30-31; Revelation 3:14)
Only the trinity forbids this fact because it cannot reconcile that God and his son are completely separate beings, one is clearly in complete subordination to one he calls his God and Father.
The holy spirit is not a person. Greek grammar is in play when the holy spirit is called “he” because the language has gender (like French) the “Paraclete” is masculine gender, and is therefore rendered with masculine pronouns. The holy spirit is the administration of God’s powerful energy. It is given in due time and in due measure for the task assigned. The scriptures confirm that this energy can facilitate supernatural deeds and is given by the Father to his son at his baptism. Jesus could then empower his apostles to perform supernatural deeds with the mention of his name. After Jesus ascended to heaven, God sent the holy spirit to anoint Jesus disciples at Pentecost. They then could carry on the work Jesus started under the same power that God had given him. It was there to facilitate the growth of Christianity in difficult circumstance, until the strength of the congregations was sufficient to stand up to the opposition that Jesus said would come. (John 15:18-21) The power of God’s spirit in this physical expression died with the apostles, but continued with the genuine Christians even after the weeds were sown by the devil. It strengthened them to carry on the work assigned to them. (Matthew 28:19-20)
Jesus wasn’t telling his ex-followers - and therefore he isn’t telling us - that he is older than Abraham. He isn’t telling them, nor is he telling us, that he is God himself.
Exactly....he is telling them that he existed before Abraham because they had asked him a question about his age, not his deity. In his spirit form, he did exist before Abraham.
Jesus is positionally before Abraham. His ex-followers once believed that he was, but no longer did. They believed that Abraham is greater than Jesus, whom they have now rejected.
The Jews put great store in being “sons of Abraham”....but John the Baptist put them straight on that point...
“When he caught sight of many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the baptism, he said to them: “You offspring of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore, produce fruit that befits repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 10 The ax is already lying at the root of the trees. Every tree, then, that does not produce fine fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire.“
The ax fell, and the trees were cut down.....(Matthew 23:37-39)
This is all about whether or not Jesus is the Messiah.
Their Messiah was not going to be God incarnate and not once did Jesus ever claim to be his Father’s equal, reinforced by the fact that Jesus addresses his Father as “my God” even in heaven. (Revelation 3:12)