Donald W. Parry
The Lord Is Our Savior
Donald W. Parry, “The Lord Is Our Savior,” in The Jesus Christ Focused Old Testament: Making Sense of a Monumental Book (Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2022), 57–59.
Jehovah (=Lord) of the Old Testament is designated Savior, and Jesus Christ of the New Testament is also named Savior; that is because Jesus Christ is none other than Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament!
Several Old Testament verses reveal, in the plainest language possible, that the lord is our Savior. For example, Isaiah 49:26 states, “All flesh shall know that I the lord am thy Saviour,”[1] and Isaiah 45:15 reads, “O God of Israel, the Saviour.” Moreover, several New Testament passages testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior: “a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11), “our Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 1:10; Titus 2:13), “the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 1:4), “our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13; 2 Pet. 1:1), “the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14), and so forth. These statements, written by New Testament Apostles and writers, are testimonies that Jesus Christ is our Savior.
The terms Savior, salvation, and save are interrelated: Savior and salvation are derived from the Latin salvare, meaning “to save.”
The Bible uses the word save to mean to protect persons from danger. This meaning is used in the Bible to refer to Christ’s disciples who feared that they were going to drown during a great storm while out to sea in a ship. They woke Jesus, “saying, Lord, save us, we perish” (Matt. 8:25; emphasis added). The scriptures include numerous other examples in which the verb save refers to temporal safety (e.g., Matt. 14:30; Mark 3:4; Acts 27:31, 43).
The scriptures also use the verb save in various spiritual ways: through the power of the Resurrection, Jesus saves us from physical death; He also saves us from spiritual death, wherein we are separated from God’s presence because of our sins. Matthew wrote regarding Mary, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21; emphasis added). In view of the fact that Jesus saves us from sin and death, He is called our Savior. The lord Himself revealed to Isaiah, “I am . . . the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior” (Isa. 43:3). Jesus Christ alone is the Savior; no one else has the authority or the entitlement to possess that responsibility. “Beside me there is no Savior” (Isa. 43:11), the lord revealed.
In addition to Savior, salvation, and save, the prophets used different words to describe the Atonement, including redemption, reconciliation, mediation, salvation, propitiation, ransom, atonement, and intercession. Some of these words are related to other words that are derived from the same roots. For instance, redemption is linked to redeem and Redeemer. Each of the Atonement-related words evokes a particular understanding, feeling, or meaning to those who read the prophets’ words. Each casts a beautiful light on Jesus Christ and His extraordinary and magnificent Atonement.
The Lord of the Old Testament Is Designated Savior
Scripture | Reference |
|---|---|
“All flesh shall know that I the lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” | Isa. 49:26 |
“For I am the lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” | Isa. 43:3 |
“The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.” | 2 Sam. 22:3 |
“I, even I, am the lord; and beside me there is no saviour.” | Isa. 43:11 |
“There is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.” | Isa. 45:21 |
“Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.” | Isa. 45:15 |
“Yet I am the lord thy God; . . . thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.” | Hos. 13:4 |
“They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt.” | Ps. 106:21 |
Jesus Christ Is Designated Savior
Scripture | Reference |
|---|---|
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” | Luke 2:11 |
“We have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” | John 4:42 |
Jesus “hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” | Acts 5:31 |
“Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.” | Acts 13:23 |
“From whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” | Phil. 3:20 |
“But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” | 2 Tim. 1:10 |
“The Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.” | Titus 1:4 |
“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” | 1 John 4:14 |