Why do Christians say that Jesus is the only “Saviour” and “Redeemer” among the prophets?

Answer:

Christians call Jesus “Saviour” and “Redeemer” because he is more than and different from a prophet. A prophet brings the people a message through which they can recognise God’s will and know how they should act. Jesus did not only, nor first and foremost, bring the people a message. Rather, God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ truly, definitively and unsurpassably as who he is: Love and Mercy that conquers death. It is therefore important that the earliest texts of the New Testament, which are the very first testimonies of Jesus Christ, declare him as having died for us and having been resurrected by God. The early tests are not a means of passing on information, but joyful awe and admiration of how God has acted: He genuinely raised Jesus who had been judged and murdered by humankind. Humankind therefore has good reason to hope and trust that God’s power is stronger than death and that his love and can break the cycle of violence and counter-violence. That makes him a true Saviour because he takes away the power sin has over people. Because the repeating sequence of hatred and violence is a sin: People experience violence, experience themselves as victims and then commit further violence. According to Christian faith, good will alone and no message to humanity can rescue humanity from this vicious cycle. It can only be achieved through God’s action. And this is precisely what happened in Jesus Christ, so that humanity are now justified to trust in the all-conquering power of forgiveness, reconciliation and love.