“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities…”
— Hebrews 10:1 (ESV)
Some shadows look convincing — but shadows are never the real thing.
The Law — with its priests, sacrifices, and rituals — was rich with God-given meaning, yet limited in power. It formed expectations, revealed sin, and pointed forward… but it could not finish the job.
A shadow can show you a shape.
It can reveal something is near.
But it cannot save.
Hebrews 10 invites us to step out of the shadows and into the substance — Christ Himself.
In high school, I got my first taste of faith when I rode the Looping Starship at Six Flags, Atlanta. It finally dawned on me, when I go upside down, I will be fine. So, I didn’t white-knuckle the safety bar. I relaxed, even upside down, I opened my eyes, let my arms fall- looked down and saw all the money, keys, and sunglasses of passengers falling down. I ‘trusted’ that bar and found freedom and fun…. Christ is MUCH more trustworthy.
Faith always has an object:
If it’s a chair — you sit on it
If it’s a ride — you lean back into it
If it’s Jesus — you rest in His finished work
Faith is not the power of my hold on God.
Faith is the power of God’s hold on me.
The Law said: “Hold on tight!”
The Gospel says: “Christ holds you.”
Hebrews 10 shows how the Old Testament anticipated Jesus:
It is FULL of these Old Testament quotes:
Psalm 40:6–8 — “Behold, I have come to do your will…”
Jeremiah 31:33–34 — God’s law written on hearts
Habakkuk 2:3–4 — the righteous live by faith
These aren’t random proof-texts.
They are threads woven together into a tapestry revealing Christ.
The author of Hebrews knows the Scriptures — especially the Septuagint (Greek version of the OT) — with deep fluency. And he uses them to show:
Jesus didn’t cancel the Law.
He completed it.
Every lamb on every altar whispered:
“He is coming.”
Hebrews 10 is all about the fulfillment of all the old types and shadows.
Under the old covenant:
Priests stood daily
Sacrifices were repeated constantly
Sin was never fully removed
But Jesus — our Great High Priest — sat down.
Why?
Because the work was done.
“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
(Hebrews 10:14)
No more striving to appease God.
No more offerings for guilt.
No more fear of not being enough.
This leads to the wonderful “Let us” statements in this chapter.
Because Christ has opened the way:
Let us draw near with a true heart… (v. 22)
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope… (v. 23)
Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works… (v. 24)
Three “Let us” commands — a community response:
Draw near — no fear
Hold fast — no turning back
Stir up one another — no walking alone
This is not just “me and Jesus.”
Faith flourishes best in a family.
Hebrews is honest about the danger of spiritual drift:
“Do not throw away your confidence…” (v. 35)
We lose confidence when:
We trust our grip over His grace
We isolate instead of gather
We forget what Christ has already done
The warning is loving, not threatening.
Hebrews 10 doesn’t say:
“Shape up or God will ditch you.”
It says:
“Don’t forget who holds you.”
We are not of those who shrink back.
The Substance Has Come — Why Live in the Shadows?
The Law was a necessary shadow — a divine preview.
But Jesus is the full reality.
Shadows say, “Something is coming.”
Jesus says, “I came for you.”
Shadows warn.
Jesus saves.
Shadows expose sin.
Jesus removes it.
When we cling to old systems of self-sufficiency, it’s like squeezing the safety bar with all our might — forgetting the bar is what holds us.
Christ has secured our present and our future.
Song Link: Let Us (Hebrews 10)
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