The Curtain was Torn!

Matt 27:51

⁵¹At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.

 Mark 15:37-38

³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. ³⁸The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

 Luke 23:44-46

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

 

Jesus died, and some curtain was torn?  So what?  Must mean something, right?  It’s clearly stated in 3 of the 4 gospels…. So you say, Jeff, what about the earthquake and the sun stopping shining, rocks splitting and all that other good stuff?  Besides Jesus dying, I say the curtain being torn in two is the most important event in these scriptures.  I’ll explain.

 

We’ll have to jump into my time machine first, and head back in time to the Old Testament.  :) Ready?  Let’s do it!

 

Exodus 26:30-33

³⁰ “Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain.
³¹ “Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman. ³² Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. ³³ Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

 

If you read all of Exodus 26, you learn a lot about curtains, but the one in question is in these verses.  If you didn’t know it, the Israelites had some pretty specific instructions on how to build a temple.  God knows his math and all that kind of stuff.  He knows what’s pretty and sure had faith in His creation (us) to make everything just right.  Moses made that first temple and every temple after that followed the same rules as I understand it.

 

The curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was a warning.  No sin could go into the presence of the ark of the Testimony, which was placed in the Most Holy Place.  Back then, you brought your confessions to a priest, the priest would then present the requests to God through sacrifices.  Sacrifices were made because blood had to be spilled for the atonement (forgiving of sins).  Blood had to be spilled, period.  That’s the way God wanted it (I won’t argue).  That’s what the temple was used for in a nutshell.  There are many more details and info in Exodus and Leviticus if you are interested.

So, here we are with Moses, access to God is through the priests.  We have a few rules (the LAW) that need to be followed, OK, so it’s like a million rules (see Exod, Lev & Deut).  We sin, or the priests sin, and they have to spill some blood to be forgiven.  I just know lots of animals were sacrificed if they sin as much as I do.  So, just to keep us on track, the curtain is in place to separate God from His people.  God cannot stand sin, and the way he had it set up then was based on all the sacrificing and rules.  You lived by the Law, which was essentially impossible.  Don’t believe me?  Read Deuteronomy…

 

OK, time to come back to the time of Jesus’ death.  That beautiful curtain was torn in two.  I know you are smart and are getting the idea…. With the curtain torn, the barrier between God and YOU is gone, right?  Hence the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.  Jesus was sacrificed for all our sins, past, present and future.  Blood was spilled.  No more sacrificing of animals is needed, no more only going to a priest.  We have direct access to God now through prayer and the Holy Spirit, or simply FAITH. 

 

Our price to pay?  Accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts.  Tough decision, eh?  ACCESS by FAITH, not the LAW like in the Old Testament.  No one could follow the LAW perfectly.  God knew this, so He sent Jesus to pay the price.  If we repent and truly believe in Christ, we are forgiven.  Are we going to be perfect?  No way!  The bible says in Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God“.

 

Here are some great verses that sum up all that has happened here. 

 

Galatians 3:10-13a

¹⁰All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” ¹¹Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” ¹²The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” ¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law…(Emphasis added)

 

Romans 5:1-2

¹Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  (Emphasis added)

 

I for one am very happy Christ died for ALL our sins.  Accept this free gift from God; it’s better than any Christmas gift from a relative. 

 

I believe I could have written a few more pages on this subject, so I hope I added enough to make it understandable.  Reread that Romans verse above a few times.  It’s all about faith, and the fact that Jesus delivered us from the Old Testament Law.

 

Remember:

 

Romans 10:9-10

⁹That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

 

God Bless!