10/5 Colossians 2:16-17

¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Jesus is the fullness of God. The fullness of Jesus lives in everyone who has received Him as Lord of their life. His Spirit helps us to understand His Word and guides us into all truth. All the worship rituals of the Old Covenant were to guide us to Jesus. He is the substance that casts those shadows. Now that He has come, the worship and dietary laws of the Old Testament have found their completion in Christ.

God's rules that set the Jews apart as the unique people of God are now fulfilled in a relationship with Jesus. His lordship in our lives causes us to stand out as different but without the rigidity of rule-keeping. Instead, His Spirit leads us as God would have us speak and behave in each situation we face.

Jesus is our Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9-10). He is: our sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:26); our scapegoat; our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14); the Shekinah in us His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16); and our righteousness is of Him. He sanctifies our food when we pray (1Timothy 4:3-4). He leads us through the wilderness of life and into the Promised Land. He is the One who is lifted up that we might look to Him and live (John 3:15), being healed from the venom of sin. Every day is a feast day when we walk with Him.

Consider: People will judge you for not following religious expectations; but when you are walking with the Lord, you know you are free from the only judgment that really matters.