“These are a shadow of the things that were to come, the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
The holidays are almost over.
Soon, all of the beautiful Christmas colors, delicious foods, and joyous festivities will fade into a drab, lifeless winter.
Uh, oh. I think I’m coming down with a mild case of the post-Christmas blues.
If you, like me, tend to get a little melancholy after Christmas, I sympathize with you. But let’s not wallow in despair. Here’s a truth that brings me great comfort at this time of year:
While the shadow of Christmas may be gone, the Substance remains.
Allow me to explain.
A shadow occurs when a person/object comes between a source of light and a surface. For instance, when we see a bird’s shadow on the ground, we know the shadow isn’t the actual bird. The shadow simply indicates that a real bird, like a Robin or Blue Jay, is soaring overhead. All shadows, albeit a bird’s, a person’s, or whatever, point beyond themselves to a greater reality or substance.
(At this point, I’m not saying anything you don’t already know, but bear with me.)
As wonderful as Christmas is, the celebration is only a shadow. The Substance is Christ. The lights, parties, presents, music, etc., were never meant to satisfy our hearts. Rather, they’re intended to point our hearts towards Jesus. Our relationship with Him is the genuine source of lasting joy and peace. Everything else is a fleeting shadow.
On these final days of the holiday season, we must remember that it’s the shadow that’s fading away, not the Substance. Jesus is ‘God is with us,’ and He is still with us when Christmas is over.
So…take heart, the real Substance of Christmas isn’t going anywhere.
But it can be easy to confuse the shadow with the Substance.
This is what the believers in Colosse were in danger of doing.
While the Colossians weren’t celebrating Christmas, they were being urged to participate in Jewish customs and traditions (Colossians. 2:16). Paul argued that the Old Testament law and religious festivals were merely shadows pointing to a greater Reality: Jesus Christ. You see, Christ and Christ alone is the fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17, Hebrews 10:1). Since the Colossians had Jesus, Paul reasoned, they could leave the shadows behind.
Similar to these Jewish festivals, Christmas also foreshadows a coming reality. Yes, Christmas reminds us of what God has done in the past, but it also gives us a foretaste of the future. It whets our appetite for a day when all of the shadows of this present world will be no more.
On that day, my brothers and sisters, we will be in the literal presence of Immanuel and will see Him, not “as in a mirror, but face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). We’ll no longer need Christmas lights because His light will shine brighter than the noonday sun (Revelation 21:23).
What a glorious day it will be!
But please don’t misunderstand.
I’m not saying you must stop enjoying the ‘shadows’ of the Christmas season. Go ahead and revel in the final moments of the holidays with a big ole’ ‘Buddy the Elf like’ grin on your face.
Just remember that the real, soul-enriching, life-changing substance is found in Jesus. If you’re a believer, you have “Christ, the hope of glory” in you (Colossians 1:27). He is the “image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,” in whom all “the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are found (Colossians 1:15, 2:3).
Doesn’t that sound way more fulfilling than some kind of feel-good, holiday, Hallmark sentimentality?
You bet it does.
So, don’t be sad as you box up the decorations and take down the lights. Rejoice!
The shadow may be gone, my friends, but praise God, the Substance remains.
Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director, RFTH
