From noon until 3pm, as Jesus hung
on the cross, the earth was dark “for the sun stopped shining”.  Then He breathed His last.  At that
moment, something big happened – the earth shook, rocks split and the
curtain in the Temple was torn.  Why this
curtain detail?  Certainly houses
collapsed and people were hurt.  Who cares
if a curtain ripped from top to bottom or from bottom to top?

 

First, some background
information.  This curtain hung in the desert
tabernacle from the time of Moses and then in the Jerusalem Temple between the
Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.  Only
priests could enter the Holy Place and The Most Holy Place was believed to be
where God resided, seated on the Ark of the Covenant which held the stone
tablets containing the Law of Moses.  One
priest, once a year, after carefully prescribed cleansing and sacred preparation,
entered the Most Holy Place to stand in the presence of God.  If the priest hadn’t offered the appropriate
sacrifices and properly cleansed himself of all sin, he would die.  God is too holy to be in the presence of sin.  I’ve read that the curtain was 60 feet high,
30 feet wide and 4 inches thick.  That’s
almost as wide and tall as my house! (and
as thick as a man’s fist) At the moment Jesus died, this wall-of-a-curtain tore into two pieces from top to bottom.  That’s peculiar.

 

Symbolism and Scripture tell us that
when Jesus died, He ripped down the curtain. 
His blood did the final and perfect cleansing, enabling each one of us
to stand before God.  No more intermediary
priest.  No more bloody sacrifices.  It is finished. 

 

Let’s not leave this as mere
information and symbolism.  This is real. 
Jesus willingly, loving laid down His life so that we may have unlimited
and direct access to God.  On this Good
Friday, let this good news penetrate your heart and change your life.  Christ paid a dear price for your
salvation.  God’s grace is free, but not
cheap.