Exago (ἐξάγω) means to lead out or bring forth — it is the verb of the Exodus. Composed of ek (out) and ago (to lead), it describes the decisive leading of a person from one place to another: out of Egypt, out of prison, out of death. Acts 7:36 uses it for Moses leading Israel out of Egypt; Acts 13:17 for the Exodus event; Luke 24:50 for Jesus leading the disciples out to Bethany before his ascension. The word carries the authority and direction of a leader who actively conducts those in his care.
The Exodus theology embedded in exago extends throughout the New Testament as a paradigm for salvation. As Moses led Israel out of slavery in Egypt, Jesus leads his people out of the slavery of sin. The Letter to the Hebrews explicitly draws this parallel, calling Jesus 'the pioneer of salvation' (2:10). The Good Shepherd who 'leads his own sheep out' (John 10:3) uses this same vocabulary — exago in John 10:3. The spiritual Exodus from sin to freedom, from darkness to light, from death to life, is the great story of redemption that exago keeps alive in its usage.