Is Redemption the Same as Salvation?
June 27, 2025 | By Tyrone Johnson | The Biblical Framework |
When most people hear the word “salvation,” they immediately think of the cross. And while the cross is central to the story, there’s a biblical truth many overlook: redemption and salvation are not the same thing.
The cross marks the beginning of salvation—not its completion.
What Does Redemption Actually Mean?
Redemption is the act of being bought back. In biblical terms, it’s when God pays the price to deliver His people out of bondage. This happened in Egypt, during the very first Passover.
“You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.”
— Psalm 77:15
When God delivered Israel from Egypt, it was through the blood of a lamb on their doorposts (Exodus 12). That blood marked them as His, and Pharaoh let them go. But that was just the start.
The same is true of Jesus. His death on the cross redeemed Israel from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13). But that act of redemption wasn’t the full package. It was the purchase. The beginning.
Paul affirms this:
“If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,
much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.”
— Romans 5:10
Notice that: reconciled by His death… saved by His life.
Redemption and salvation aren’t identical.
So What Is Salvation Then?
Salvation is the complete process of being joined to God in covenantal relationship. In the Israel Covenant story, that process was expressed in the events of their 7 Feast Days.
Each Feast Day represents an event that took place during Israel’s exodus from Egypt. These events began in Egypt and culminated at Mount Sinai, starting with the Passover and culminating in the building of the Tabernacle (the Feast of Tabernacles), which represented God’s dwelling with his covenant people.
It was through the event of the Passover that Israel found her redemption from Egypt.
Let’s examine the biblical process of Israel’s salvation and how it reveals the full work of Christ—not just in dying but in fulfilling each of the Feast Days.
1. Redemption: The Passover Lamb
Salvation began with redemption. The first Feast Day—Passover—marked God’s act of buying back Israel from Egyptian slavery through the blood of a spotless lamb. As Exodus 12 shows, the blood on the doorposts preserved Israel from death and led to Pharaoh’s release of the people (Exodus 12:1–42). Paul confirms this typology in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed.”
This was redemption—the purchase price paid.
2. Proof of Redemption: Unleavened Bread
Immediately following, the Feast of Unleavened Bread proved that redemption was real. Israel left Egypt in haste—no time for leaven (Exodus 12:33–39). This haste symbolized their break from Egypt’s sin system. In leaving, God declared them forgiven and free (Exodus 14:13-14).
3. Resurrection: First Fruits
Three days after the Passover event, Israel crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-31). Pharaoh’s army was destroyed, never to enslave them again. They emerged into a new land—a symbol of resurrection. Paul sees this event as typological of new life (1 Corinthians 10:1–2). At Elim, they found “twelve springs and seventy palm trees” (Exodus 15:27), representing the first fruits of new life.
4. Covenant Given: Pentecost (Weeks)
Fifty days later, they arrived at Mount Sinai. There, God gave them the Law (Exodus 19–20), establishing the terms of the covenant. This was the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost. As in Acts 2, the Law and the Spirit both arrive on Pentecost. God now bind among His people by covenant.
5. Covenant Broken: Trumpets
Yet not long after the covenant was confirmed, Israel sinned. At the foot of Sinai, they built and worshipped a golden calf (Exodus 32). The Feast of Trumpets marks this moment of warning—a trumpet of judgment. It sounded the breach of God’s Law by Israel’s leaders.
6. Atonement Made: Day of Atonement
In response, Moses ascended Mount Sinai again, seeking atonement for those who had not rebelled (Exodus 32:30–32; 34:1–10). This was the Day of Atonement—a time for intercession and forgiveness. Through Moses’ mediation, the faithful remnant received mercy.
7. Salvation Completed: Tabernacles
After atonement, God commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle (Exodus 40). Now, the fullness of salvation was realized: God dwelling with His people. This is the Feast of Tabernacles—the final act, the full union. This parallels Genesis 2:1–3, where God rested after completing His work—signifying covenantal wholeness.
In the same way, Jesus had to do more than die. He had to rise, ascend, pour out the Spirit, judge the covenant breakers (AD70), and establish a permanent dwelling with His people under the New Covenant.
Jesus fulfilled the entire process—mirroring Israel’s journey from Egypt to the Tabernacle.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Stop at the Blood
Redemption was never the final goal. It was the necessary first step in a much bigger plan—a plan to restore Israel, dwell among His covenant people, and open the door for the nations to join in.
The blood of the Passover Lamb got Israel out of Egypt. But full salvation wasn’t realized until God Himself tabernacled among them.
In the same way, Jesus didn’t die just to forgive sins. He died to begin the journey, then rose, poured out the Spirit, judged the Old Covenant world, and established a permanent New Covenant union.
If we confuse redemption with salvation, we settle for the down payment and miss the inheritance. But when we see the full picture, we understand that the cross was powerful because it was the beginning of something far greater.
Christ redeemed us—so He could dwell with us.
That’s the goal of salvation.