As we near Easter, I was struck by a particular passage from the book of Matthew.
Matthew 27:50-52 (NET) - Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up His Spirit. Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split apart. And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised.
There are three events that took place upon the death of Jesus that were spectacular in nature, but one struck me as being the most spectacular of the three.
It wasn’t the opening of the tombs and the raising of the saints, although this was a remarkable event.
It wasn’t the shaking of the earth and the splitting apart of the rocks. Earthquakes in and of themselves can be remarkable but the timing of this particular earthquake is nothing short of amazing.
As remarkable as these two events were, I find the tearing of the temple curtain to be the most remarkable of all.
The curtain was a separator. It is what separated God from the people and the people from God.
God is both perfectly Holy and perfectly righteous.
People are neither.
There was no way that a fallen human being could be in the direct presence of God,
The existence of the curtain precedes the temple as it was part of the tabernacle design which God commanded Moses to follow.
Exodus 26:33 (NET) - You are to hang this curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the testimony in there behind the curtain. The curtain will make a division for you between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
Only the high priest was allowed to go behind the curtain centuries after the purpose of the curtain was defined by God.
Hebrews 9:7 (NET) - But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, and not without the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
Luke 1:8-10 (NET) - Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense. Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.
It is clear that the temple curtain played a significant role. Its purpose was not merely decorative but served to keep separate a Holy God from a fallen people.
Please notice that the passage of scripture I opened with contains the words "Just then".
The very moment Jesus died... He died for us.
At that very moment the curtain, which separated us from God, was torn in two from top to bottom.
It was a barrier no more.
Mankind was no longer separated from God because of the price Jesus paid on the cross.
God’s gracious and merciful gift of salvation was made possible not because of anything we had done.
It was made possible through Jesus.
Why not express your gratitude to them both right now.
After all... there is absolutely nothing standing in your way.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, May 13, 2011.
