The Most Important Word in The New Testament
“Sozo” in Greek, has different meanings, and it is the most used word for salvation, healing, deliverance and freedom from evil.
Sozo actually encompasses the whole message and meaning of the New Testament. When Jesus told a man “your sins are forviven”, and the Pharisees were offended saying, “how can you say that? Only God can forgive sins”. And Jesus said, “what’s easier to say, “your sins are forgiven or rise up and walk?”
In this explanation, Jesus was giving them the key to the whole New Testament . He was explaining to them that the Son of man has power on earth to redeem the whole man –spirit, soul and body.
The full meaning of salvation is redemption. The word “redeem” means “to buy back”. He paid our debt in full. You can’t pay a debt twice, nor can you punish the same crime twice. He came to redeem us in full. It is not only our spirit that benefits from His redemption, but our body gets healed and our soul is freed and is restored to full capacity and potential.
The purpose of Jesus’ coming was to reveal the Father to us. We were fatherless, living our lives without identity and without knowing either our heritage nor our inheritance. Jesus took on our sinful identity and consequent condemnation, so that we could get His sinless identity and consequent inheritance of righteousness. That’s the message of the Gospel of the kingdom that Jesus wants us to share.
“Sozo” is used 54 times in the Gospels and it literally means redemption of the whole man. The translators of the Bible used different words when translating the Greek word “sozo”, such as “saved”, “healed”, “redeemed”, “delivered”, “made whole”.
These few names of God alone are a distinctive indication of His redemption.
- He’s a provider (Jehovah-Jireh),
- He’s a refuge (Jehovah-Nissi),
- He’s a healer (Jehovah Rapha),
- He’s our peace (Jehovah-Shalom),
- He’s our shepherd (Jehovah-Raah),
- He’s our righteousness (Jehovah Tsidkenu),
- He’s ever-present (Jehovah-Shammah).
Jesus’ redemption covers all the aspects and attributes of God. And the grace He supplied brought us into the inheritance of all of God is.
Here are a few examples of how the Word SOZO is used:
“She (Mary) will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save (SOZO) His people from their sins.” (Mt 1:21)
“and wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were (SOZO) made whole (Mk 6:56)
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be (SOZO) saved.” Acts 4:12
“If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was (SOZO) healed,” (Acts 4:9)
“Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has (SOZO) healed you” (Lk 18:32)
“And the prayer of faith shall (SOZO) save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (Jam 5:15)
“They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was (SOZO) healed.” (Lk 8:36)
“For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be (SOZO) made well.” (Mark 5:28)
Hallelujah, we’re fully SOZO’d and have been made WINNERS (Rom 8:37).
* * *
You can do your own study of the word “SOZO”:
14 times, it is used for “deliverance” from disease or demon possession
Mt 9:21, 22; Mk 3:4; 5:23, 28, 34; 6:56; 10:52, Lu 6:9; 8:36, 48, 50; 17:19; 18:42; Jn 11:12
20 times, it is used for “rescue” of physical life from some impending peril or death
Mt 8:25; 14:30; 16:25; 27:40, 42, 49; Mk 8:35; 15:30, 31; Lu 9:24, 56; 23:35, 37, 39; Jn12:27
And 20 times, it is used for “spiritual salvation”.
Mt 1:21; 10:22; 19:25; 24:13, 22; Mk 8:35; 10:26; 13:13, 20; 16:16; Lu 7:50; 8:12; 9:24;13:23; 18:26; 19:10 Jn 3:17; 5:34; 10:9; 12:47