Matthew 27: 51
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
So a temple curtain got ripped…what’s the big deal? There are actually several “big deals” contained in this one line of Scripture and they have deep meaning for the believer and unbeliever alike.
Bible scholars agree that this was the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the most sacred Holy of Holies or Most Holy Place, and it was no ordinary curtain. Most likely it was 5”-6” thick and intricately detailed, not to mention quite large both in width and in height. No man could tear it in two, let alone from the top to the bottom. God did it Himself and made quite a statement in doing so.
For centuries only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the people of Israel. That separation ended the day God tore the curtain in two. No longer did a man or a woman need an intermediary to grant them access to forgiveness. No longer was the blood of animals needed as a sacrifice. The old system was gone and a new day had dawned…the day of forgiveness through God’s Son who granted access to any who would call on His name in confession, repentance and faith. He was the perfect lamb…the perfect sacrifice…and in that moment the work was indeed finished.
The tearing of the curtain is a watershed moment in human history. The gulf between Creator and creation had finally and beautifully been bridged, and that bridge remains open to all who would cross it in faith. Nothing is holding any of us back. Not our sin…not our past…not our broken relationships…not our years of rejecting God’s love…not our questions…not even our skepticism.
The curtain was torn and the bridge is open. Have you crossed it, yet?
