Our Jesus of the Shadows
Mike Criswell
Language can be tricky. Sometimes, the words we choose end up conveying a different meaning than intended. For example, look at the title of this article: “Our Jesus of the Shadows.” Does it imply that Jesus oversees the darkness in our lives? Or that He hides to avoid revealing Himself? Or is He merely an apparition, a ghost we imagine? The point is, words are more than just their letters. Context has the power to alter the meaning of even the most innocent-sounding phrases.
What does “Our Jesus of the Shadows” signify? Let me approach this question from an uncommon angle. When Christians examine the Old and New Testaments together, they frequently notice parallels that highlight the New Testament. These include people, locations, and objects that appear to foreshadow a greater fulfillment to come. Scholars may categorize these similarities in various ways, but commonly, the Old Testament is described as containing “types and shadows” that are ultimately fulfilled in the New Testament.
When we connect the previous information to Christ, we notice Jesus appearing repeatedly in the Old Testament. Long before he started his ministry and before his crucifixion, Jesus was already “prefigured” in these scriptures. In truth, the whole Old Testament anticipates Jesus!
After his resurrection, Jesus walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus and reproached them for not recognizing that Moses and the Prophets had foretold the events of his entire ministry (Luke 24:27). Whether explicitly predicted or understood as the ultimate fulfillment of figures like Moses, the Lamb of God, the High Priest, or the Temple, Jesus can be found in the long shadows they cast into the Christian age. Jesus genuinely and completely fulfilled the Law of Moses.
In our upcoming Bible Study Worldwide sessions, we'll explore the “types and shadows” in the Old Testament and their fulfillment in Christ. As we study, we'll discover that Jesus is the Seed of the Woman who defeats Satan. We'll also see Jesus as the New Moses, the New Israel, the New King David, the New Lamb that takes away sin, and so many other meaningful parallels.
We invite you to join us as Jesus reveals the shadows and demonstrates that He is the way, the truth, and the life.
