11 Apr The Veil Has Been Torn

Like many Christians, each year on Good Friday I read the story of the Crucifixion of Christ. Today my heart was gripped once again as I read of Christ’s betrayal and arrest. How he was spit upon, mocked, stripped, scorned, beaten, whipped, and crucified – all the time committed by unwavering love to finishing the task He had been given by His Heavenly Father – to take upon Himself the punishment that we deserve for our sins and through His great sacrifice to open the way for us to have a relationship with God our Father.

What I found myself meditating on most this year are the signs and wonders that accompanied Christ’s death, which are absolutely unprecedented. Matthew 27:50-53 gives us a glimpse into what happened after he breathed his last breath:

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.  The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,  and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” 

In addition to an earthquake, faithful followers of God were raised from the dead, literally coming out of their tombs and appearing to many people. No wonder the soldiers who were beside him then said, “Truly, this was the Son of God.”

But the sign that I can’t stop thinking about it this: The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The tearing of this sacred curtain that separated the holy place from the most holy place would have had incredible significance for the Jewish people of Jesus’s day. No one was allowed behind that curtain besides the high priest and he only once a year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The highly restricted access to the presence of God in the holy of holies, veiled from the sight of common man, had now been ripped open. The words “in two” give us the idea that this damage was without a chance for repair.

In his great article about the significance of this sign, Daniel Gurtner explains, “The passive-voice construction “the curtain of the temple was torn” (Matthew 27:51) implies that God himself tore the veil. This is confirmed by description of the damage: “from top to bottom.”

As I thought about God Himself ripping open access for us into His presence through the blood of His Son, I am filled with joy and thankfulness!

We are all looking for good news in these days. There is no greater news for us than the Gospel! When we place our trust in Christ alone to save us from our sins, we gain unbroken and unlimited access to His holy presence:

 ^“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:19-23).

This Holy Week and always, God is inviting each one of us to draw near – to come close to Him by faith in His Son’s sacrifice and receive the great gift of eternal life in His presence. No matter where you come from, no matter the pain or shame you may carry, He knows it all and He will not turn you away. Over 2,000 years ago, He Himself tore the veil that barred us from His presence. His love has made a way.

Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Thank you for opening up the way for me to have a relationship with God the Father. Thank you that there is nothing that I can do to add to what you have done. Your sacrifice is sufficient and I put my faith in you alone for salvation. Thank you that nothing can separate me from your love!