Colossians 2:17 - Shadow Lilies

Yesterday, I heard a sermon on Luke 24. Even though Jesus had explained His mission many times, His disciples couldn't understand why He had to be crucified and then raised from the dead.

After His resurrection, Jesus met up with Cleopas and another disciple who were walking, downcast, to Emmaus. Full of grief, they didn't even recognize that Jesus Himself had fallen in step with them.

Jesus asked them, "Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then for several hours He personally, "took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:26-27, New Living Translation, 2015)

Pastor James was preaching on this passage the week after Easter, and lilies were still displayed in the front of the church. Light was casting a shadow of the lilies on the wall behind the pulpit. So what do lily shadows have to do with Luke 24?

The writings of Moses and the prophets were full of religious laws: foods to eat or not eat, sacrifices to make, holy days to observe. The New Testament tells us that these things were "only a shadow of the good things to come," "but the substance belongs to Christ." (Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17. New American Standard Bible, 1995)

To the disciples, their deepest spiritual reality had been religious rules and practices. But Jesus gave Cleopas and his friend a personal Bible study on how all those seemingly obscure laws in Leviticus, and detailed prophecies in books like Zephaniah and Habakkuk... all those scriptures were fore-shadowing the coming Messiah.

Lord,
Shadows can be attractive in a two-dimensional, grayscale sort of way. But don't let us settle for shadows when "the substance belongs to Christ." Open our eyes to see Jesus for who He truly is. In His name we pray, Amen.