Shadow, that is how Paul describes the Law of the Old Testament. And a shadow begs the question, “What casts the shadow?” The answer is very simply, “Christ!” The image is a surprising one, for one usually sees the thing first, then the shadow. But in this case the shadow of Christ is found in the Law, which came first in time. The implications of this are huge!

First, the thing casting the shadow, in this case, Christ, is absolutely more significant than the shadow, in this case the Law. Therefore, if one has Christ, then it is supremely inferior to focus on the Law as a means for regulating life. The Law was a shadow of Deity, but in Christ Deity resides (Col 1:19, 2:9). In Christ we are “complete” (Col 2:10), fully accepted by God—so we no longer need to keep the Law in order to find complete acceptance with God. We are now to “walk in Him” (Col 2:6), not walk in the Law. Why then would any of us spend time focusing on the shadow when we can focus on Christ?

But there is another implication—the Law cast a long shadow. Human nature, fallen as it is, always gyrates toward law. There is significant odor of self-promotion in trying to live by a set of rules. It goes something like this: “It is possible for me to become a good person by my own efforts, I just need to keep the rules in order to make it happen.” The fallacy with such thinking is that the focus is in the wrong place, on the shadow, that is, the rules. Our focus should rather be on Christ, the thing casting the shadow. That takes our eyes off ourselves and puts the attention on Christ.

The book of Hebrews expands on the superiority of Christ over the Law. “[The priests] serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, ‘See,’ He says, ‘that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.’ But now He [Christ]has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises” (Heb 8:5–6). “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near” (Heb 10:1). “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Heb 10:14). So, in Christ, and not in the Law, we find perfect, complete acceptance with God.