April 16th, 2025

 The Danger of Judaizing: Embracing the Fullness of the New Covenant

In a world that often looks back to the past, it's easy to find ourselves drawn to the shadows of the Old Covenant, long after the reality has arrived in Christ. The Passover, with its rich history and symbolism, is one example of a shadow that pointed forward to a greater deliverance through a greater Lamb—Jesus Christ. Yet, some today are eager to return to these Old Testament rituals, believing that observing feasts like the Passover brings spiritual benefit or obligation. This is not a small matter. In fact, it is a serious issue that has deep implications for the purity of our worship and the sufficiency of Christ's work.

Christ, Our Passover Lamb

The Passover was a glorious symbol, pointing to the future salvation that would come through Christ. But now that Christ has come, the Passover has been fulfilled in Him. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” His blood has been poured out, His work is finished, and the deliverance He provides is greater and final. The Lamb of God has come to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29), and through His sacrifice, we are freed from the bondage of sin and death. There is no need to return to the shadow when the substance is here. Yet, some today are tempted to turn back to these old observances, believing that somehow these rituals can provide something spiritually necessary. They are drawn to the Passover, the ceremonial laws, and the feast days, thinking that by observing them, they are somehow honoring God or gaining spiritual benefit. But the Bible warns us against this tendency.

The Warning from Galatians
In Galatians 4:10–11, Paul offers a stern warning to those who would revert to the old ways of the law: “You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you.” Paul’s concern is not merely about preferences but about the sufficiency of Christ’s work and the danger of returning to a works-based righteousness. To Judaize—returning to these Old Covenant laws and rituals—is to deny the centrality of Christ and His finished work. It is to say, in effect, that what Christ has done is not enough, and we must add something to it.
This is a dangerous place to be. To look back at the shadows of the Old Covenant is to diminish the glory of Christ and the fulfillment He has brought. It’s as if someone, having received the fullness of light, chooses to return to the darkness.

The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith: A Clear Testimony

The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith provides a helpful reminder of the nature of Christian worship in the New Covenant. In Chapter 22.7, it states that under the gospel, worship is no longer restricted to specific places or rituals: “God is to be worshiped everywhere in spirit and in truth… as He has appointed in His Word.” Worship in the New Covenant is not about observing feasts or following ceremonial laws. It is about worshiping God in spirit and truth through the person of Jesus Christ. The Confession also affirms in Chapter 7.1 that the Old Covenant has been fulfilled and replaced by the New Covenant, which brings with it a new way of relating to God—through Christ, not through external rituals. The Old Covenant rituals, including the feasts and ceremonies, were shadows of the greater reality to come in Christ. Once Christ has come, those rituals are no longer necessary because they have been fulfilled in Him. As the Confession states in 19.3, “All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament.” The Lord’s Supper has replaced the Passover as the meal of the church, the sign and seal of the New Covenant, designed to nourish our faith and point us again and again to Christ crucified, risen, and reigning.

The Danger of Legalism: Turning Liberty into Bondage

When we begin to reintroduce Old Covenant practices into our worship, we risk undermining Christ's work. The gospel is a message of grace, and salvation is based on the finished work of Christ alone—His life, death, and resurrection. The New Covenant frees us from the law of the old covenant and invites us into a relationship with God through faith in Christ. To return to Old Covenant laws is to confuse the nature of Christian liberty with legalism. The apostle Paul addresses this very issue in Colossians 2:16–17, saying, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” To impose these Old Covenant practices on Christians today is to take away their freedom in Christ and replace it with an unnecessary burden.

The Church and the New Covenant Meal

The church, as the body of Christ, has been called to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, not the Passover. The Lord’s Supper is the New Covenant meal that points us to the body of Christ, broken for us, and the blood of Christ, poured out for us. It is a meal of grace, given to nourish our faith, reminding us of the full sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice. The Passover, as an Old Covenant feast, pointed forward to Christ, but now that Christ has come, it is the Lord’s Supper that we are to observe as a sign of the New Covenant.
To return to the Passover or any other Old Covenant ritual as a requirement for spiritual growth is to miss the point of the gospel. It is to look back at the shadow instead of embracing the reality of Christ. As John Owen wisely said, “Christ is the substance of all the Old Testament institutions; and where the substance is come, the shadow must vanish.”

The Heart of the Issue: Christ Is Enough

The issue at the heart of Judaizing is the sufficiency of Christ. To Judaize is to deny that Christ has fulfilled the law and the prophets. It is to say that Christ’s work is not enough to make us right with God. The gospel is clear: Christ is the fulfilment of all the Old Testament institutions, and He has brought us into a new covenant through His blood (Luke 22:20). In Christ, we have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We do not need to return to the shadows; we need to walk in the light of the New Covenant.

Conclusion: Let the Shadows Vanish

As believers, we are called to celebrate Christ, our Passover Lamb, who has been sacrificed for us. We do not need to observe Old Covenant rituals to be spiritually enriched. Instead, we have the broken bread and poured cup of the Lord’s table, which point us to Christ crucified, risen, and reigning. Let us reject the shadows and embrace the fullness of the New Covenant. In Christ, we have the substance, and where the substance is, the shadows must vanish. Celebrate the Lamb, reject the shadows, and worship in the light of the New Covenant.