“Why Holding to the Sabbath May Mean Letting Go of the Savior (Without Realizing It)?”

“Therefore, do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” — Colossians 2:16–17

The Beauty of the Shadow and Its Purpose

In the Old Covenant, God gave Israel a rhythm of sacred time: Sabbaths, feasts, and ceremonies. These were beautiful shadows, divinely designed to point forward to a greater Reality. The weekly Sabbath, in particular, was a reminder of God’s rest after creation and a symbol of His promise of redemption and rest for His people.

But shadows, though precious, are not the person. They are outlines, silhouettes cast by the presence of something or someone greater. The Sabbath pointed to a Person, not merely a day. It pointed to Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8), the One who gives true rest to weary souls (Matthew 11:28–30).

The tragedy is that it’s possible to fall in love with the shadow and miss the substance. Just as Israel once revered the temple but rejected the God who dwelled in it, many today revere the Sabbath day but neglect the One it was meant to reveal.

The Fulfillment of the Sabbath in Christ

When Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), He completed the work that the Sabbath symbolized. The rest of God was no longer a weekly appointment but a spiritual reality. Through faith in Him, believers enter into a continual Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9-10). This is not about one day of the week, it’s about resting from our own works and trusting fully in His.

Colossians 2:16-17 is clear: Sabbaths were shadows; the reality (Greek: σῶμα, “substance”) belongs to Christ. The word “belongs” here shows possession; the shadow does not belong to us anymore; it belongs to the One who cast it.

To insist on holding the shadow as if the light had not yet come is to turn one’s back on the very One the Sabbath pointed to. That’s not rebellion; often it’s a misunderstanding, but the spiritual effect is the same: it implies that the cross was not enough, and that Christ’s finished work needs to be supplemented by ceremonial observance.

The Contrast with the Investigative Judgment

The doctrine of the Investigative Judgment, unique to the SDA tradition, teaches that since 1844 Christ has been examining the records of believers to determine whose sins are forgiven but not yet blotted out.

Yet Colossians 2:14 declares something gloriously different:

“He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us... nailing it to His cross.”

Notice the past tense: He blotted out. Not “He will blot out.” Not “He began to blot out in 1844.” The cross was decisive. Our sins were not only forgiven but also removed from God’s record once and for all (Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 10:17–18).

If our sins are already blotted out, then the shadow system of judgment and probation loses all meaning. To return to the shadow of the weekly Sabbath as a requirement or to the idea of ongoing judgment is to live as though the cross did not finish the work.

A Loving Plea: Don’t Settle for the Shadow

Dear friend, if you grew up cherishing the Sabbath, know this: God sees your sincerity. He delights in hearts that long to honor Him. But He also invites you into something even greater, not just a day of rest, but a Person of Rest.

The Sabbath was never meant to compete with Christ; it was meant to lead to Him. To cling to the Sabbath as binding under the New Covenant is to unintentionally say, “I still need the shadow because the substance has not yet come.” But the Light has come! (John 8:12) The reality has arrived, and His name is Jesus.

Let go of the symbol and hold fast to the Savior. Enter His rest by faith. The true Sabbath is not found from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset; it’s found from Calvary onward, where rest was purchased once for all.

Reflection and Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for being my true Rest.

Forgive me for clinging to symbols when You offer substance.

Teach me to rest, not in a day, but in Your finished work.

Help me to live each day in the light of Your grace,

rejoicing that my sins are already blotted out at the cross.

Amen.

Final Thoughts

When we understand the difference between shadow and substance, religion turns into a relationship, and rest turns into rejoicing. Let us honor the Sabbath’s purpose not by keeping the day as law, but by keeping the Lord as life.

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God... whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from His.” Hebrews 4:9–10

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