This is an excerpt from my book “40 Moments From Christ’s Final Days.” Click here to get it from Amazon using my affiliate link.
Find this moment in: Mt 27:51, Mk 15:38, Lk 23:45
The world saw several incredible moments during the death of Christ. None of them were accidental or random, but were statements from the Heavenly Father about what the Son was doing. One of these moments leaves us with confidence and hope about the promise and privilege of our salvation.
And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51a)
The temple had an area that only priests could enter, called the “Holy Place.” Past this area was a windowless, lightless area called the “Holy of Holies” where God manifested His presence on the earth. Leviticus 16:1-34 tells us that much about the Holy of Holies.
A tall, thick curtain separated these two areas that only the high priest could pass on the Day of Atonement when making sacrifices for the sins of himself and Israel. Because it was where God revealed His holy presence, anyone else entering this area would die. There was an intentional separation between the holy God and the sinfulness of His people. And although the high priest would sacrifice an animal every year, no one else could enter God’s presence because, as Hebrews 10:4 reminds us, the blood of bulls and goats could never fully take away sins and make them holy enough to approach God.
Ripping a big curtain seems minor compared to earthquakes and sudden darkness. However, the significance of this is monumental. Through His death, Jesus Christ did something that no one in Israel could have imagined.
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)
Finding the massive curtain ripped from top to bottom made it clear that God Himself tore it, removing the barrier between Him and His people. Jesus became our new, perfect High Priest who purifies us in a way the human high priest never could. No longer must God be intimately approached by a single person once a year. Instead, those who trust Jesus to forgive their sins can approach God’s holiness without fear of being killed for their wickedness.
Stop and think: Hebrews 4:16 says, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” How does understanding the barrier that once existed between God and His people help us desire to approach Him confidently?
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