Throughout history, many men have described themselves as the saviors of those around them. For example, Hitler and Mussolini were hailed as the Messiah at the height of his glory. An East Prussian woman was enthusiastic about the progress made in Hitler's early days and said to her neighbor: "You deserve to be kissed on the feet." But these dictators eventually became saviors. You were responsible for the deaths of millions of men, women and children. What a disappointment were the people who believed in themselves when their respective nations were defeated!
These and many other examples illustrate the wisdom of the biblical warning: “Do not trust the nobles or the earthly Son of man who has no salvation. His spirit was extinguished, he returned to his land; that day his thoughts died. . Reliable salvation must come from a source far greater than that which dies. The Bible shows that this source is our Creator, God. "Salvation belongs to Jehovah," the inspired psalmist Almighty told the prophet Isaiah: "I ... I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior." - It's 43:11.
But one may wonder, "Is not Jesus Christ the Savior?" Is not Jehovah and Jesus the same, and does our Savior make one, God? ""
The Bible does not limit the term "Savior" to the Most High. In the past, the men whom God delivered his people Israel from oppression were called saviors. We read: “Jehovah raised up a Savior for the children of Israel to save them, Othniel the son of Quenaz, Caleb's younger brother. (Judges 3: 9) Once again, we hear: “The children of Israel sought Jehovah's help. Then Jehovah brought them a savior, Eod. "- Judges 3:15.
Notice that Otniel and Eod were brought up as saviors by Jehovah God. They were only the agents through which the great Savior, God, was delivered from the oppression of the enemy. Otoniel, Ehud, and others like them did not pretend to be saviors. They realized that he was using them as his Savior and God. David, who was often involved in rescuing the Israelites from their enemies, said: “My God is my rock. In him I will seek refuge, my shield of salvation and my horn of salvation, my safe plant and my refuge, my Savior. save me from violence. 2. Sam. 22: 3.
But what about Jesus Christ? Nor can we speak of him as a Savior other than Jehovah, that is, a father's rival. The scriptures make it clear that his father entrusted Jesus with the role of Savior. The Christian apostle John wrote: "We ourselves have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world." Elder Simeon, when he saw Jesus in the temple, exclaimed, “Well, Lord, you allow your slave to be released in peace, according to your testimony; Because my eyes have seen your means to save. Luke 2:29, 30.
This is why Jesus Christ the Redeemer is called as God's means of salvation. Apart from him, no one on earth can be saved from sin and death. When the apostle Peter appeared before the Jewish Supreme Court, he said, "There is no salvation for another man because the people under heaven are not given any other name in which we can be saved." Acts 4:12.
Just because Jesus is called the Savior does not mean that he is equal to Jehovah God. The name “Jesus” indicates God as the source of salvation. It means “Jehovah is salvation” and thus honors the Father as the Savior, whom the Son also provided. In Hebrews 5: 7 we read: “In the days of his flesh Christ offered prayer and also prayer for him who could save him from death with loud cries and tears, and he was heard positively in because of his divine fear. “After His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ continued to place Himself in a position subordinate to His Father. For example, he said to Mary Magdalene: Go to my brothers and say to them: “I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and to your God.
While correctly emphasizing the role of Jesus Christ as Savior, the Christian Greek Scriptures also make it clear that Jesus Christ, God, is the true author of salvation. The disciple Jude concluded his short letter with these words: For one God, our Redeemer through Jesus Christ our Lord, there is glory, majesty, power and authority for all eternity and now and for all eternity. Amen. Likewise, in his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul spoke of our Heavenly Father as the Redeemer in the eyes of our Redeemer, God, whose will is that all kinds of people be saved and come to the correct knowledge of the truth. . Because there is a God and a mediator between God and man, a man, Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all. We place our hope in a living God who is a Savior to all kinds of people, God in particular is also identified in a context in which Jesus Christ is referred to as the Savior.
The testimony of the Bible as a whole clearly shows that there is only one Savior, Jehovah God. All others rightly called Savior, including Jesus Christ, are equal. Instead, they were ready to be instituted in this role by Jehovah God. Therefore, those who seek God's approval must see that salvation comes from the Father through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
