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: In the first part, I addressed how important it was to understand that the question asked by brother Peter was a two-part question where the first part dealt with understanding the difference between a Redeemer and a Saviour. Last time we left off at the point I was explaining who a saviour is in contrast to the redeemer, and I would like to continue with that first, then later address the question of whether Jesus must be perfect and what it means.
Saviour- An inclusive Title
As I had stressed earlier, the term ‘Saviour’ is more of an inclusive term than ‘redeemer’, which is why the Samaritans in John 4:42 expected not a redeemer but a Saviour of the world. The Saviour that the Samaritans and the rest of the world anticipated was not just a tribal or national saviour like the Jewish anticipation of the Messiah, but rather a universal Saviour. Jesus of Nazareth always communicated that his mission transcended the Jewish borders, and that is why he always had issues with Judaism, whose expectations were of a national saviour and not a global one. The reason Jesus’ mission is universal is that the problem (sin, death) is universal, and therefore the remedy must be for all humanity.
The redeemer is an exclusive representative whose representation is limited to the scope of familial ties, the Saviour on the other hand is an inclusive representative whose scope covers all the biology/ humanity that believes or subscribe to the representation. This is what Apostle Paul and Luke communicate in their address about Adam.
Mathean and Lukan Genealogies
When Mathew introduces Jesus, he presents Jesus as a national saviour and makes sure his audience understands the familial ties they have with Jesus Christ, the saviour (Mathew 1). Later, when John the Baptist from the purist (Qumran) community of the Jews comes preaching repentance and purification for the coming of the Messiah, John communicates a national saviour, hence the national baths (baptism) to prepare for a national saviour. John the Baptist and Mathew communicate a Redeemer who has graduated as a national Saviour who has been prophesied as the Son of Man or Son of God in prophets like Daniel.
When it comes to Luke, however, (who is not a Jew), he appreciates the Jewish ties of Jesus, but first he deals with Jesus as a historical figure (in other words, a character whose birth, life and death had an impact beyond his region) and Luke communicates this in Luke chapters 1-3:1-22. When Luke writes his genealogy, he starts by appreciating the Jesus-Jewish relations (which are actually far-fetched as far as the Matthean genealogy is concerned and the fact that Joseph did not sire Jesus) and then traces his lineage upwards from Joseph, through David, Abraham, and all the way back to Adam and God (Luke 3:23-38).
In other words, the saviour we are talking about is God Himself who became man (Adamah-humanity), and as far as Luke is concerned, he was not just a tribal or a national god, but the God who created the universe is the one who became flesh and dwelt among us, died and resurrected for our salvation (John 1:1-3, 14).
Redeemer and Saviour as Complementary
Now I turn to the second part of your question: 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? The answer is YES, he must be perfect.
First, he must be perfect BIOLOGICALLY, kinsman redeemer (Hebrews 2:14). If he is to redeem biology, he must qualify biologically (For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. Hebrews 2:16 NAS) so He must be perfect in this regard for if God did not come in flesh (Bios) then He does not qualify as humanity’s kinsman and therefore our Redeemer (1 John 4:2-3 and 2 John 1:7)
Secondly, YES, He must be perfect and therefore without any fault in thought and deed as our saviour. The reason is simple, he is the Second Adam (the seed of a new humanity). Paul presents Jesus as the new, representative head of humanity (Romans 5:12-19, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45-49). The first Adam brought sin and death to all he represented (humanity). The “last Adam,” Jesus, brings righteousness and life to all he represents (those “in Christ”).
A Saviour of culprits and the guilty must not and cannot be found guilty in any way for him to qualify as their saviour (Mathew 5:17). A saviour is a Vicarious (representative) sin-bearer, and therefore a sinner cannot represent a fellow sinner. As the representative human, Jesus “became sin for us” that we may become his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) and bore the curse of the law “for us” because only He was the only human being not guilty of what all humanity was guilty of (Galatians 3:13).
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) 