Redemption

Redemption by John T. Hocutt is a favorite Sacred Harp song with a sound message of Jesus shedding his blood for our redemption. It was first written and published in the 1959 edition of The Original Sacred Harp, Denson Edition (page 480) and the Alabama edition of The Christian Harmony (page 349). He wrote the words as well as the tune.

 

John Tillman/Tilmon Hocutt was born February 28, 1916 in Walker County, Alabama to Elijah T. Hocutt and Phoebe Elizabeth Barton.[i] In 1958 he married Agnes Idell Wall. They had no children. John was taught in both four-shape and seven-shape in Alabama singing schools, and later taught himself how to compose songs. In addition to Redemption, John Hocutt has three more songs that appear in the 1991 Edition of The Sacred Harp (475 A Thankful Heart, 498 The Resurrection Day, 564 Zion), one in the 2012 Cooper Edition of The Sacred Harp (464 Hocutt), and eight in the 2010 Edition of The Christian Harmony (18 Praise Our Redeemer, 40a Mamie, 81b Eternal Joys, 120 Home in the Sky, 167b Come Along, 316 This Heavy Load, 349 Redemption). He also arranged Resignation (107 in The Christian Harmony).

John died February 16, 2005. He and Agnes are buried at Boldo Memory Gardens in Boldo, Alabama.

1. There upon the cross of Calvary
Our blessed Savior died;
There between two thieves our blessed Lord
For us was crucified.

2. Oh! He suffered there for guilty man,
His life so freely gave,
When He paid the debt we could not pay
And triumphed o’er the grave.

Chorus:
Oh, His blood was shed that we might live
With Him when life is o’er,
And upon the clouds of glory ride
Safe to that peaceful shore.

Philippians 2:8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Sacrifice - the offering of plants, possessions, or life & blood to a deity, as in propitiation, appeasement, homage.

Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Hebrews 9:26 for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Ransom - the redemption of a person for a price; the sum or price paid or demanded.

Exodus 30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

1 Timothy 2:6 who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Propitiation - something that makes favorably inclined; appeases; conciliates.

2 Chronicles 29:24 and the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel

Romans 3:25 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;

1 John 2:2 and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Satisfaction – the cancelation of a legal obligation; satisfaction in terms of a penal substitution for sin.

Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Hebrews 10:12 but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Substitution Leviticus 16:7-10

Colossians 1:19-22 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. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight

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[i] There is a question in my mind whether the correct spelling of John’s middle name is Tillman or Tilmon. His World War II draft registration has “Tillman” in the printed name entry, but he only signed it “John T. Hocutt.”