Last week I wrote an article based on Colossians 2:16-17 about how the law was a shadow that that pointed to the substance of Christ. It was a really encouraging article. If you’d like to check it out, click here. As I was writing, I knew I was leaving out so many necessary details for each of you to understand about how the Old Covenant always pointed to Christ.
You may be thinking, “Cool theology, but why does all of this matter?” Because many people read the Bible through an Old Covenant lens. When they do this, they miss the finished work of Christ and can end up in bondage instead of freedom when reading the Bible.
Let’s look at Colossians 2:16-17 again:
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
In this passage, the food and drink refer to the Old Testament dietary requirements, while the festivals (feast days), and sabbaths were Old Covenant events and days Israel was commanded to observe until the coming of Christ. These observances were shadows that pointed to a greater reality; Christ!
Think about this statement for a minute. These Old Covenant observances were shadows. What do shadows do? They point to a greater reality, which is substance. For example, if I was walking around the corner of a building on a sunny day, you would see my shadow before you see me. Before I turn the corner, it would be completely understandable if you looked at my shadow. After I turned the corner and you could physically see me, it would be weird if you kept looking at my shadow instead of looking at me. You would get a far greater understanding of what I look like, by looking at me and not my shadow as you would see the color of my eyes, the color of hair, the freckles on my face and so on.
When we look at Jesus, we see what God looks like. When we look at the law, we do not, unless we allow it point us to Christ. Look at Galatians 3:24:
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
When we look at the the law through the eyes of the New Covenant, it points us to Christ. Here are a few examples:
- Under the law, the Jews had to keep the sabbath to be right with God. In the New Covenant, Jesus is our Sabbath rest. Matthew 12:8 and Hebrews 4:8-11.
- Under the law, the Jews were required to observe the Passover holiday every year. In the New Covenant, Jesus is our Passover lamb. 1 Corinthians 5:7
- Under the law, Israel was forbidden to eat certain types of foods seen as unclean such as pork because they were associated with decay and death. They were also told to abstain from these food so they could be separate from the nations of world. Under the New Covenant, all food is cleansed if it is eaten with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4:3-4and Acts 10:10-16.
- In Leviticus 16, Israel sacrificed a goat to pay for the sins of the people and then the priest laid hands on another goat referred to as the scapegoat and transferred Israel’s sins to the scapegoat. He was then released into wilderness and took away the sins of the people. In the New Covenant, Jesus is our scapegoat. He took our sins upon Him and removed them as far as the east is from the west. We have been set free! Matthew 27:20-25.
These are just a few examples. There are hundreds more. I hope all of this has encouraged you and given you a clearer picture of God! Remember, when in doubt, always look at the substance and not the shadow and watch as faith rises in your heart. If you’d like to learn more, check out this message I taught at Grace Life Church.
