Jesus, the
The title proclaiming Jesus as the rescuer of humanity from sin and death — given by angels at his birth and central to the gospel.
The title 'Savior' was given to Jesus before he was born. The angel told Joseph: 'thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins' (Matthew 1:21). The name 'Jesus' (Hebrew: Yeshua, short for Yehoshua/Joshua) literally means 'YHWH saves.' The salvation Jesus brings is specifically described: from sin, not just from circumstances. Salvation in the Bible is multi-dimensional. (1) From the penalty of sin. The death we have earned (Romans 6:23) is paid by Christ. Justification: declared righteous before God on the basis of Christ's righteousness. (2) From the power of sin. Sanctification: progressively freed from sin's grip in this life. (3) From the presence of sin. Glorification: finally, completely freed from sin in the resurrection. (4) From God's wrath. Romans 5:9 — 'we shall be saved from wrath through him.' (5) From eternal death. John 3:16 — 'whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Acts 4:12 makes the exclusive claim explicit: 'Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.' Christianity does not present Jesus as one possible savior among many but as the only Savior. This is not narrow-mindedness; it is the explicit claim of the New Testament. The biblical 'salvation' is therefore not just escape from hell. It is rescue from sin and death, restoration to God, transformation of life, and ultimately resurrection and new creation. To call Jesus 'Savior' is to confess: I cannot save myself; he saves me from what I cannot escape on my own.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Angelic announcement at Christ's birth
“Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
The angel's instruction to Joseph
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all.”
“Our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light.”
To call Jesus 'Savior' is to confess your need to be saved. Most non-Christians stumble at this point — not at Jesus's existence or teaching but at the idea that they need rescue. The Christian gospel insists that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is Savior because he has accomplished what we cannot accomplish ourselves: the payment of the penalty, the breaking of sin's power, the restoration to God. The believer's appropriate response is faith — trusting Christ as Savior instead of trusting your own efforts.
It means Jesus is the rescuer of humanity from sin and death. Matthew 1:21 — 'thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.' The name 'Jesus' itself means 'YHWH saves.' The salvation Christ brings is multi-dimensional: from the penalty of sin (justification), from the power of sin (sanctification), from the presence of sin (glorification), from God's wrath, and ultimately from eternal death. Acts 4:12 — Jesus is the only Savior: 'neither is there salvation in any other.'
According to the Bible, yes. John 14:6 — 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.' Acts 4:12 — 'Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.' 1 Timothy 2:5 — 'one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.' Christianity is exclusive on this point: Christ is the only Savior. The exclusivity is matched by inclusivity in another sense — anyone, from any background, may come to Christ and be saved.
Jesus saves through his death and resurrection. On the cross, he bore the penalty for sin — 1 Peter 2:24, 'who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.' By dying in our place, he satisfied God's justice. By rising from the dead, he defeated death and demonstrated the acceptance of his sacrifice. Those who trust him receive what he accomplished: forgiveness of sins, righteousness before God, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the promise of resurrection. Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), not by works.