Shorter Catechism Q. 21. Who is the redeemer of God’s elect? A. The only redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.
Commentary: God delivers us out of our sin and misery by a redeemer. There are several things to note about this redeemer. First, there is only one. There aren’t several saviors from which you can choose your favorite. There is only one true savior. There is only one person who is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:16). “There is salvation is no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).”
Second, the redeemer is Jesus, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth. His life and redeeming work are recorded in the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Third, Jesus is Lord. He is Lord in that he has been exalted to the highest place in the universe. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He is “King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).” Every person, therefore, ought to bow to him and confess that he is Lord.
Fourth, Jesus is the Christ. He is the Messiah, God’s anointed servant, the one the Old Testament promised would come to save the world. He is the prophet, the priest, and the king.
Fifth, Jesus is God. He is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity.
Sixth, Jesus is a human being. God the Son became a man. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).
Finally, Jesus is the God-man, one person with two distinct natures. Jesus doesn’t have two persons or a split personality. He isn’t a divine person and a human person. He is one person, who is God the Son. He does, however, have two natures, divine and human. These two natures are not mixed so that he is a divinized human or a humanized deity. The two natures remain distinct so that he is both divine and human. Two distinct natures united in one person forever.