Shadows to Reality

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Good morning, Lord

Father in Heaven, I seek You first-the knowledge of Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Fill my consciousness constantly and complete Your joy in me as I take up my cross and follow...In Jesus' name…

Memory verse: Psalm 27:13-14 (NIV)

“I remain confident of this, I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Verse of the day: Luke 1:26-28

26 “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

Today’s reading: Joel 1-3 Revelation 5

From Shadows to Reality

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. . . . They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” (Hebrews 8:1–2, 5)

The tent spoken of here is the tent for worship of our most high God. God gave Moses instructions on how the worship tent was to be set up. This passage tells us that this earthly tent is just a ‘shadow’ of reality and that our high Priest, Christ Jesus our Lord, sits at the right hand of God in the ‘real tent’.

The coming of Christ Jesus is the coming of reality.

John Piper gave the best illustration of this that I have seen.

A child and mother are in the market shopping for groceries. They get separated. The child and mother are both looking for the other. The child sees a shadow on the floor that looks like his mother and is excited but not as much as when the child’s mother actually comes into view and they embrace.

We worship a savior, Christ Jesus, who is not a shadow. He has come in the flesh and has lived among us and given His perfect life for us and now sits at the right hand of our Heavenly Father on our behalf.

What we see in the world of Christmas is a very weak shadow of what the birth of Christ is all about. His birth, the first coming of Christ should always remind us of His second coming:

7 “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him.” (Revelation 1)

John reminds us of the words of our Lord at the end of the book of the Revelation: Revelation 22:20

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

As we celebrate this awesome season of Christ’s birth, tell God you really want to yearn for His coming-that you are tired of seeing the false shadows of this world-and even as we enjoy the love of family and/or friends-that you want to shout in your heart-

“Amen, come Lord Jesus!”

The Lord has a present for us:

“Now, a crown is waiting for me. I will get that crown for being right with God. The Lord is the judge who judges rightly, and he will give me the crown on that Day. He will give that crown not only to me but to all those who have waited with love for him to come again. “2 Timothy 4:8

...because He loves us, He will do it…

Father in Heaven,

Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come and Your will be done come in my heart. Give me for today the desire to use what You have designed and give me. Forgive me for my laziness. Lead me away from evil.

Father of all perfect gifts,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen