As I considered writing an article on the concept of redemption, my thoughts kept returning to the title of a movie I’ve never seen, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. In my search of the internet, I discovered the theme is this: “Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years and experiences, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency. One man is innocent; one man is there long-term.” And the tagline is – “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.”

For me, as a lifelong Christian, redemption has always meant the forgiveness of my sins by Jesus Christ’s sacrifice; his innocent blood shed on the cross at Calvary, and His resurrection from the grave. He is the propitiation for all sinners; we humans who could never keep God’s law perfectly. Never. Not one.

A synonym of the root word, ‘redeem’, is ‘absolve’: to set or declare (someone) free from blame, guilt, or responsibility. Our redemption, by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, frees us from the guilt of our sins…IF we seek forgiveness from God in Jesus’ name. Herein is the substance of our Christian faith. As we continually seek forgiveness of our sins, we have assurance of eternal life with our Lord. We are delivered from the bondage of sin; freed from the curse of God’s law. We are at peace with God as His beloved children. And, we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit – God living within our hearts. The Holy Spirit also acts as our teacher to reveal God’s will and God’s truth to us.

So, with that in mind, how did the prisoners in the movie achieve redemption? And, redemption of what?

I researched the storyline of this movie for its concept of redemption. Andy, the innocent man, is abused by his inmates; then regarded for his intelligence; used by the powers-that-be in prison for their personal gain; his chance at proving his innocence is crushed out of selfishness by those powers; and yet, he perseveres…. literally escaping to freedom by a means he had been steadily working on for nineteen years, unbeknownst to even his friend, Ellis, the long-termer. As Andy survives his dire circumstances, while secretly working on his unwavering escape plan, he also kindly ensures provision for Ellis on his eventual release.

Let’s see. Redemption is defined as ‘the act of making up for something’; ‘paying a debt’; ‘atonement for guilt’.

Andy is redeemed (saved) by his own hand, slowly digging his escape tunnel as he is caught up in the brutal reality of nineteen years in prison. He redeems himself (atones for guilt) in the money-laundering scheme by exposing those truly responsible. Yes, he was innocent of the crime for which he was imprisoned, but, how innocent is he of the accessory crimes he committed, even though he was under threat of death? And the escape itself…isn’t that illegal? Therefore, Andy is still a guilty man, even though he is free from the prison’s physical walls.

And there’s Ellis. The redemption (salvation) of his character is through the interaction with his conscientious friend Andy. When he is finally released after serving his sentence, Ellis violates his parole, and relies on Andy to be the ‘savior’ of his meaningless life. These two friends, these guilty men, supposedly live happily ever after…. hiding in another country. How truly free are they?!

The redemption that we as Christians experience is through faith in Jesus’ resurrection on Easter morning; through our appeal to God for forgiveness, by the confession of our sins in Jesus’ saving name; and, by our enduring hope in our redemption (salvation) to eternal life in Heaven.

The movie’s tagline, “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free” is a very simple analogy of God’s redemptive plan for us. Our conviction by the Law produces the fear of knowing we are incapable of being perfect, and will never be able to achieve forgiveness of sins by our own hand. Our faith in Jesus Christ, as the propitiation for us, ensures us of our hope which rests solely in Him. The word ‘hope’ here is used to mean ‘trust in’, not as ‘things wished for’. We have a blessed assurance in God’s redemption of us, His beloved children, through the atoning sacrifice of His perfect son, Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, our redemption through Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the promise of God made many centuries earlier to His chosen people. The shedding of blood, using specifically selected animals of physical perfection (no bodily blemish), was for them the atonement for the sins of those who truly repented during the sacrificial ceremonies decreed through God’s specific instructions, for the redemption (payment) of their sins.
Christ IS the perfect sacrificial Lamb of redemption. No more is ever needed. It is finished.

~ Kathy McClure