Jesus is the archetype of eternal life

Jesus is the example of both the end and the means of salvation,¹ the archetype of eternal life. The role of the Lord as the archetype of eternal life is unnecessarily obscured by weak translations of the Greek word archégos (Strong’s 747), which means “the first example.”² An archégos is the first person who demonstrates something by doing it, and by demonstrating it, makes a way for others to do the same. Consider how much clearer the following verses become when archetype is used in place of the parenthesized word that the translators chose instead:

And killed the archetype (Prince) of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. (Acts 3:15)

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a(n) archetype (Prince) and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31)

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the archetype (captain) of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)

Looking unto Jesus the archetype (author) and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus is not just the Prince of life, the captain of our salvation, or even the author and finisher of our faith, but the demonstration of the process and outcome of obtaining the character of the Father—the archetype and fulfillment of eternal life.

In who he is and how he became that way, the Lord shows us the process we must follow if we are to obtain eternal life. We must become the same way he is, and we must do it the same way he did it. The Lord knows the process to become like he is because he went through it. Jesus is our “forerunner”³ because he has gone to where we can follow by doing what we must do to join him there. By embodying how the Father is through learning and living according to his character, Jesus made it possible for all who would live according to his demonstration to do the same.⁴

The life of Jesus Christ was the representation of how the Father would live mortal life, the example of how we can become like him, and the demonstration of the potential of man.

The Lord’s life demonstrated what the Father’s character looks like embodied in a mortal man, here on earth.⁵ In mortality, Jesus was the visible⁶ and apparent application of the divine model to mortal life,⁷ “the image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15) The Lord explained that his life was meant to show us how the Father is⁸ in terms that we could understand.⁹

The life of Christ provided the example of how to come to know God through becoming like him.¹⁰ We are to follow this example.¹¹ Jesus said that he sought, discovered, and did the will of the Father in all things:

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (John 5:30)

19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth... (John 5)

Jesus taught that everyone who follows him would do the same:

...He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do. (2 Nephi 31:12)

True religion is to learn how God would be in every situation, and to become that way yourself. Jesus predicted that a time would come when all people would understand this, and all believers would practice it.¹² Jesus instructed his disciples to obtain and live as God would in their place so effectively that others would learn more about God by seeing their actions.¹³

It is possible to follow the example of Jesus. Jesus was special in that he was the first to acquire and live the character of the Father. He is not meant to be the only one.14 When his disciples protested that Jesus’ standards were too exacting, and even impossible, Jesus intently fixed his eyes upon them, spiritually discerning their hearts, and then said: It is indeed impossible for men, as long as they continue to think, feel, and act like men. But everything God does is possible for God, and anything God does can be done by all who think, feel, and act like him. No man can enter into the kingdom of God, except through forsaking everything in him that is not like God. (Matthew 19:26, Author’s Reflection)

Those who believe they can become like God behave differently than those who do not. It is rare to find a person who actually believes that they can become like God. One who thinks this will act and feel very differently than one who does not.³¹² They will purify themselves by following his example as far as they understand it.³¹³

The life of Jesus Christ showed the fulfillment of the potential of what man can become.³¹⁴ During his life, the Lord constantly called himself the “Son of Man” (Hebrew: “ ben Adam ”) as the heir of the role of Adam. Adam was the first son of God, created in his image, charged to fulfill the purpose of creation by stewarding creation as God would in his place. Instead, Adam fell, leaving a void for one of his descendants to fill. The Lord called himself “Son of Man” to demonstrate that he was fulfilling the potential that Adam had—and the potential of all mankind—by learning and living the character of the Father. In using the title, he was not making a difference between himself and others, but calling all people to reach toward their full potential: “I am living as all of you could and should.”³¹⁵