“And the curtain of
the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” Mark 15:38
This is one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture. The curtain was
a huge elaborate veil that separated two important parts of the Jewish temple. (Exodus
26:31-35) There was the Holy Place where the priests went fairly often to
preform rituals required by Jewish law. On the other side of this curtain was
the Most Holy Place, This place was sacred, this was where the Spirit of God
dwelled. Only the high priest could enter this area and even he could only
enter once a year and only after a sacrifice was made to atone for his sin and
the unintentional sins of the people. Failure to abide by strict guidelines in
entering this area resulted in God striking you dead. (Hebrews 9:1-7)Exodus 25-30
also gives lots of details on the layout of the whole thing.
As the curtain was torn from top (God) to bottom (us) His Spirit was
poured out on the earth. Don’t miss the symbolism here! The tear started at the
top and ran to the bottom. God initiated a relationship with us. It was Him
reaching down and redeeming His people.
This account of the curtain being torn in two can also be found in
Matthew 27:51 and Luke 23:45. Why does it matter? Why do I care so much about
this seemingly small part of Good Friday? The curtain being torn in two and the
separation between God and man being destroyed is the crux of Christianity. It
is this point that changes everything. Because of this moment, I, a lowly
gentile have access to the Eternal God. I now have access to the Most Holy
Place (Hebrews 6:19-20)
Hebrews 10:19-22 says that I can enter these holy places because Jesus is now the High Priest and His body is the curtain. He is my access. He is my atonement.
As I celebrate this weekend that is central to my faith, in fact it is the reason for my faith; I never want to forget the depth of meaning of Jesus' sacrifice. The abuse He suffered was unfathomable. (John 19) His focus and the Father and submission to His will was unbelievable. (Luke 22:42) His love was unmatched. (John 15:13) His gift was reuniting lost children with their Father. In Christ and in Christ alone my hope is found. He alone has saved me from my sin and reconciled me to my God.
As I celebrate this weekend that is central to my faith, in fact it is the reason for my faith; I never want to forget the depth of meaning of Jesus' sacrifice. The abuse He suffered was unfathomable. (John 19) His focus and the Father and submission to His will was unbelievable. (Luke 22:42) His love was unmatched. (John 15:13) His gift was reuniting lost children with their Father. In Christ and in Christ alone my hope is found. He alone has saved me from my sin and reconciled me to my God.
