Why Only Jesus Could Be The Christ

Q: Was Jesus the only one who could have been the Savior? Was it possible for someone else to have been the Messiah?

A: Jesus alone was anointed as Savior because He was the only one who had the right to be the Christ (or the Messiah).  He could claim that right because it was His by birthright and by righteousness, and also by covenant.

“Jesus was chosen from before the foundations of the world to be the Christ, the Anointed One…He was the birthright son, and he retained that birthright by his strict obedience” (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and his Apostles, 15).

Christ’s claim to the Messiah-ship is actually fairly well established in scripture (particularly in the Bible).  Here is the case for Jesus’ unique and exclusive claim to the title of “The Christ” as well as to the responsibility and blessings that come with that title.

I.                 It was His birthright as the firstborn of the Father:

"If He was the first born and obedient to the laws of His Father, did He not inherit the position by right to be the representative of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world? And was it not His peculiar right and privilege as the firstborn, the legitimate heir of God, the Eternal Father, to step forth, accomplish and carry out the designs of His Heavenly Father pertaining to the redemption, salvation and exaltation of man? And being Himself without sin (which no other mortal was), He took the position of Savior and Redeemer, which by right belonged to Him as the first born." (John Taylor, The Mediation and Atonement, 135–38).

“Jesus was born of heavenly parents in a premortal world—he was the firstborn of our Heavenly Father. In mortality, the Babe of Bethlehem’s birth and life, concluding with the atoning sacrifice, was prophesied by ancient prophets in all dispensations. Only he could make the atoning sacrifice—having received the power over death from his Father. He overcame death, the grave’s power was nullified, and he became our Savior, Mediator, and Master of the Resurrection—a means of salvation and immortality to all of us. We will all be resurrected and become immortal because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ” (Robert D. Hales, “Your Suffering Shall Be Turned to Joy, Ensign, Nov. 1983, 66).

Hebrews 1:1-6 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

Colossians 1: 12-20 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

II.               It was His by righteousness because he kept the whole law (and so retained his birthright).

Hebrews 1:7-9 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Christ kept the whole law perfectly, and He was without sin (see Hebrews 4:14-16, 1 John 3:1-5).  Only a lamb without sin or blemish could make for a sacrifice sufficient to pay the price for sin.  Because Christ was perfectly obedient, He was able to answer the ends of the law by making Himself a sacrifice for sin in order to pay the terrible price for the sins of the world by the merits of His own righteousness and obedience.  Through His grace He chooses to extend the merits of His righteousness to those who follow (and are born again through) Him and His gospel by making intercession for us with the Father.

“Jesus Christ, the Lamb without blemish, willingly laid Himself on the altar of sacrifice and paid the price for our sins to ‘the uttermost farthing’” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “You Can Do It Now!” Ensign, Nov. 2013, 56).

1 Peter 2:21-24 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Romans 3:23-26 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

2 Nephi 2:6-9 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.

“Jesus Christ possessed merits that no other being could possibly have. He was a God, Jehovah, before His birth in Bethlehem. His beloved Father not only gave Him His spirit body, but Jesus was His Only Begotten Son in the flesh. Our Master lived a perfect, sinless life and therefore was free from the demands of justice. He is perfect in every attribute, including love, compassion, patience, obedience, forgiveness, and humility. His mercy pays our debt to justice when we repent and obey Him. Since with even our best efforts to obey His teachings we will still fall short, because of His grace we will be “saved, after all we can do.”

I testify that with unimaginable suffering and agony at an incalculable price, the Savior earned His right to be our Redeemer, our Intermediary, our Final Judge. I know that He lives and that He loves you.” (Richard G. Scott, “The Atonement Can Secure Your Peace and Happiness,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 40-42).

**For more on why Christ’s perfect obedience and sinlessness enabled Him to bring about the atonement, check out my article “Why Did Jesus Have to Die on the Cross?”

III.           By Covenant with the Father

"A covenant was entered into between Him [Christ] and His Father, in which He agreed to atone for the sins of the world, and He thus, as stated, became the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world [see Moses 7:47]." (John Taylor, The Mediation and Atonement, 97).

"The plan, the arrangement, the agreement, the covenant was made, entered into and accepted before the foundation of the world; it was prefigured by sacrifices, and was carried out and consummated on the cross." (John Taylor, The Mediation and Atonement,171–72).

This doctrine has a Biblical basis beyond the mere fact of the pattern of sacrifice; however, in order to grasp this, it helps to understand that when God is depicted in Hebrews Chapter 1 (as quoted above) as declaring “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee,” and “I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son,” He is using covenant language.

When God makes a covenant with His children, an important part of the process is naming the participants in the covenant, and describing their relationship with one another (especially as it pertains to the new covenantal relationship).  Examples of such language being used by God in relation to covenants and covenant-making can be found throughout the Bible without looking too hard:

Jeremiah 31:31-33 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 32:38-40 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

Jesus was not elected by majority vote.  He was chosen and anointed by the Father from the beginning. Jesus Christ answered when the Father called Him, and He did so out of an obedient heart and a willing mind.  He voluntarily made promises to God to do and to be certain things.

Another reason why it matters that Jesus was anointed as Christ by covenant has to do with the fact that anointing has direct reference to priesthood ordination (and the associated oath and covenant).

Hebrews 5:1, 4-6 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron [who was anointed as a priest by Moses at God’s command—see Exodus 30:30]. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

The Atonement offering as performed by mortal priests is an ordinance in the Aaronic priesthood, which is performed in the temple, and which must be repeated year after year. The Atonement which Christ performed is a Melchizedek priesthood ordinance which was finished when Christ entered into heaven and took His place at the right hand of God, and which Christ completed “once for all” in His ordained role as the great High Priest and Mediator of the New Covenant.

Hebrews 9:11-15 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

**For more on Christ’s role as the great High Priest in working the atonement, see my article “Why Gethsemane is as Important as Calvary.”

Alma 34:10-16 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.  Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.  But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.  Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.  And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.  And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.  And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.

It was only by performing this “great and last,” and “infinite and eternal” sacrifice, that Christ could bring about God’s plan of redemption and salvation for His children.  In order to accomplish this, Jesus was chosen and anointed and foreordained to be the Christ by the Father. However, Jesus accepted the Father’s charge willingly. He willingly covenanted with the Father “before the world was” to come to Earth, to suffer, bleed and die (and rise) for us, in order that He might bring about the blessings of the gospel (faith, repentance, the remission of sins), and ultimately the blessings of immortality and eternal life, for as many of God’s children who are willing to lay hold upon them (through His grace).

Abraham 3:27 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.

There was never anyone else who could have been the Messiah.  Jesus was always the center of the plan.  Only Christ had the necessary right, righteousness, and covenant to act as the Messiah, and our Savior and Redeemer.  He did his Father’s will, and He has taken His place “on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

“No one else could effect the Atonement. No other person, even with the greatest wealth and power, could ever save one soul—not even his own (see Matthew 19:24–26). And no other individual will be required or permitted to shed blood for the eternal salvation of another human being. Jesus did it “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).”  (Russell M. Nelson, “The Mission and Ministry of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, March 2013, p.34).

Jesus was the only one who could be the Christ (and work the atonement) because He was the only one who had the right.  He alone had the right because no one else was as righteous, and no one else held the birthright as the firstborn son of God. No one else had been ordained and anointed as the great High Priest and as the Mediator between God and Man. No one else had covenanted with the Lord to take up the burden of our sins and our suffering, and no one else was entitled to the blessings and the glory associated with the fulfillment of that covenant. 

Jesus Christ is the King of Kings, and the Lord and creator of the universe.  He was the best and most perfect individual out of any who have walked this Earth.  Yet He chose of His own free will to lower himself to suffer and die as a man so that we could have the opportunity to return once more to the presence of the Father. I am grateful He chose to obey the Father in all things, so that I (who often fail to obey in many things) might have the chance to repent of my sins and follow in Christ’s footsteps.

**To learn more about LDS beliefs about Jesus Christ, see my article "The Living Christ: The Scriptural Basis for Mormon Beliefs About Christ"