QUESTION: Dear Theologians, must Jesus be perfect (not sinning, not committing any wrong, not transgressing any law, or moral code) to qualify as our Redeemer/Saviour? What if he commits some wrong, breaks some moral code/law or sins in one way or another (since he’s a human being), does he fall short of a Redeemer/Saviour? Peter Carlveland Sserubidde
RESPONSE: Thank you, brother Peter, for the question. If it were a debate, I would be accused of exercising a logical fallacy known as Straw man, but since it is not, then please allow me to review your question before I respond. “Must Jesus be perfect to qualify as our Redeemer/Saviour? If he sins, does he fall short of a Redeemer/Saviour?”
Who is a Redeemer?
In the structure of your question, you seem to imply that redeemer and saviour mean the same thing. Well, many think so, but that is not the case. While often used interchangeably, these titles emphasise distinct, though complementary, aspects of Jesus’ work. Now, first let us look at the Old Testament Understanding of a Redeemer (Hebrew: Go’el).
The concept is deeply rooted in Israel’s covenantal and kinship culture, not merely a theological idea. In the Cultural/Legal Role of the Go’el (Kinsman-Redeemer), the Go’el was a near kinsman with four primary responsibilities:
- To redeem family land lost due to poverty (Leviticus 25:25).
- To redeem a kinsman sold into slavery (Leviticus 25:47-49).
- To avenge the blood of a murdered relative—the “avenger of blood” (Numbers 35:12).
- To perpetuate the name of a deceased relative by marrying his widow (levirate marriage, Deuteronomy 25:5-6).
Now I want us to note that according to the Old Testament cultural background to the term, Go’el is a Biological issue. Therefore, a redeemer is an exclusive term.
Theological Development in the OT
This powerful familial role was applied metaphorically to God Himself, shaping the understanding of divine redemption. God as Redeemer of Israel: Yahweh is frequently called Israel’s Go’el, especially in Isaiah (e.g., Isaiah 41:14, 43:14, 44:6, 54:5). His redemption is from political slavery (Egypt, Babylon) but also from sin (Isaiah 44:22).
The Book of Ruth. Boaz is the perfect human go’el, redeeming land and taking Ruth to wife to perpetuate the family line—a direct ancestor of King David and, ultimately, Jesus. That is why the book of Ruth is not in there as a historical book but as a theological thesis that communicates this ideology of God as the redeemer of His people.
The Psalmist’s Cry: “Redeem me, O God” (Psalm 69:18) appeals to this covenant faithfulness. A redeemer is a kinsman who acts with commitment, at personal cost, to restore what was lost, liberate from bondage, and ensure the future of the family. This provides the rich backdrop for understanding Jesus as our Go’el.
To better understand Jesus as the biological Go’el one needs to read Hebrews 2:14-18 and understand it: “Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who, through fear of death, were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He can come to the aid of those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:14-18 NAS)
Who is a Saviour?
A savior unlike a redeemer, does not necessarily have to be a kinsman (a biological relative). The New Testament believers declared God as the saviour in protest to the existing Roman position that the Roman Emperor (Ceaser) was the “Saviour of the World”. That is why when NT believers start declaring the birth of a saviour (Mathew 1:21; Luke 2:11; 1 John 4:14), the Roman leadership kill all the boy-children (Mathew 2:16), and later, when Jesus faces Pilate, he tells him that unlike the war/appointed saviours-emperors of the Roman world, He-Jesus is a born Saviour-King (John 18:37).
In the Old Testament usage, a saviour is Moshia in Hebrew, and this term means being saved as a nation, often from national enemies, but also from sin and evil (Psalm 51:12-14). In the OT, the term Moshia appears in Isaiah 43:3, 11; 45:15, 21; Hosea 13:4. While redeemer is exclusive, Moshia (Saviour) is Inclusive and the saviour saves all those who are willing. While the redeemer deals with a local and family problem, the saviour deals with a global issue; since the Problem of sin and death is a universal matter so is the saviour.
God bless you, I invoke Truth, Wisdom and Faith {2 Tim 2:7}
Priest Mutabazi Tumwine (December 30th-2025)
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24)
Questioning to Believe, Believing to Live
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 