Was the Lord Jesus pre-existant

All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. 
This is the question that has plagued theologians for centuries. Did the Lord Jesus exist from all eternity? John wrote in John 8:53-59,  "Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?  (They were asking if Jesus claimed to be God) Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." The Lord told the Jews that He existed before Abraham existed. Then they took up stones to stone the Lord but He passed through their midst. It would seem on the surface that He was indeed pre-existant.

In another instance the Bible says in John 10:30-33 the Lord Jesus said to the Jews,  that "I and my Father are one."  (Certainly the Jewish people believed in the pre-existence of God but this was a man that proclaimed that He and the Father were one) "Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.   Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." The Jewish nation have historically not believed that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. That is why in part when He was with them,  they called for His death.

The Bible says in John 19:6-14  (This is a rather long reading.), "When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?  Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever ,maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar." The Jewish nation called for the crucifixion of the man, not realizing that it was their God, who had come to them as a man, they were crucifying. 

Was Jesus pre-existant? My friend, Jesus, as the man was crucified for you and I. Their God who was in the form of a man was pre-existant. When the Man Christ Jesus was crucified He cried out in great agony, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (See Matthew 27:4 and Mark 15:34) But He was also fulfilling the scripture found in Psalms 22:1a in which David said, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" David wasn't speaking just of himself but was speaking of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah. As a man the Lord was crucified, as God Almighty He rose from the grave called the Son of God to be our Redeemer. (See Romans 1:3-4) Yes He was pre-existant as God. The Man Christ Jesus rose from the dead never to die again for you and I. If you have never done so, make the Man Christ Jesus your choice today. Repent of your sins, put your faith in the Lord Jesus. (See Romans 20:21) Find someone who will baptize you in the name of Jesus and you will receive forgiveness of sins. And God has promised to give you the Holy Ghost. (See Acts 2:38-39)