Access to God - Good Friday and Beyond

Matthew 27:51

"And Behold, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom."

I always loved this verse, its meaning and significance. It's a short verse and most people glance over it, in reading of the death of Jesus. It was for the dedicated Jews to the Temple, and for us all.

     In this symbolic  event, secondary to the death of Christ, the Old Covenant - the requirement of offerings and sacrifices for sin and a mediated access to God -  Christ's sacrifice was shown all-sufficient, all-covering, and complete. Access to God was freely given to all, because of Christ's death. And it was immediate. It occurred the hour of Christ's death on the cross, amidst darkness, storm, and earthquakes.

The torn curtain of the Temple was torn in two pieces, fully, from top to bottom.

     Because of its height and possible thickness; no human being could have accomplished such a feat. It is said that Herod’s Temple was built to the dimensions of Solomon’s Temple (http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14304-temple-of-herod).  If that is true, then the following are the dimensions of the Temple that Herod built.

1 Kings 6:19-20 says, “And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.” The word “oracle” is defined as “the innermost part of the sanctuary” (Strong’s Concordance, H-1687). That is referring to the Holy of Holies. A cubit is 18 inches or a foot and a half. So the Holy of Holies was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. This means that the veil was 30 feet long in height.

It was made of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn with finely twisted linen. Cherubim was worked into it by the weavers. It was hung with gold hooks on four gold overlaid posts, and standing on four silver bases. And within the curtain, the Ark of Testimony, the Ark of the Covenant was placed. It separated God from the people. And only the priests may enter. At that height, on the day of Christ death, at the hour, God tore the curtain in two. By earthquake or supernaturally, the Old Covenant boundary was finished.

     Only the supernatural power of God could have ripped this curtain, supernaturally, in such a way and completely at the moment of Christ's death. Some argue it was an accident or the priests did it. But why would the ones protecting the Temple and wanting the Old Covenant to remain, want to remove such a holy and respected item? They would not dare enter that sacred place and why would they touch the very place they feared? And how could they have ripped a thirty foot curtain, from the top to the bottom, without discovery of their doing? It would be more easily to tear it from the bottom hem to the top. But most likely, they would not have been able to have torn it fully through. I've tried to rip a hanging curtain before, and from the bottom it was difficult to tear the very last part at the top, without help.

 And if it was an accident, how would a falling curtain of such height and measure, completely tear in two? Maybe a little bit, maybe half - but completely? 

     It is important enough that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record it as an historical occurrence, in such an important place to the Jewish people at the time. And all record that it was completely torn in two. (Matt. 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45)

     At the time of Jesus' death the world itself reacted in darkness, in storm, in earthquakes. It was a cosmological occurrence. Creation itself was shaken, because of the death of an innocent Savior. Some say the Father got mad and shook the world. I believe it was more than that. Jesus died that even creation was to be redeemed, and it reacted to His death. The apostle Paul writes later in his letters that "all creation groans" awaiting the fulfillment of restoration, freedom from death and decay, and full reconciliation to God. (Romans 8:18-22). Remember, the ground itself was cursed in Genesis, because sin had entered the world. It was to cause toil, produce thorns and thistles, and cause man to work for food. And in death, man and woman would return to the earth. (Gen. 3:17-19)

     Therefore, Earth itself could not hold back its response to Christ's sacrifice! Jesus' said if the people did not cry out, then the rocks would! And earth, sky, and seas shook at His death! The Temple, a place of worship, ritual sacrifices, of the holy presence of YHWH was shaken to its foundations. And not only the temple and its rituals, but also the product of those rituals was overcome. Sacrifice, death, and blood were overcome by One. Death itself responded to Christ's death. In verses 52 and 53 of the same chapter in Matthew-"tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people whom had died were raised to life!" Death- a part of consequence of sin upon all creation, responded to His death. And at the cross, a new covenant was established. (Hebrews 8:6-13)

     When Jesus died, the sacrifices and the requirement of the sacrifices at the Temple were ended. This torn curtain was a clear sign that Christ, in Himself and His full atonement and payment for all sin, had marked a time and place in human history that “It is finished!” The old covenant was ended. It's promises of redemption and forgiveness and righteousness through ritual sacrifice was put away. It was declared obsolete and a superior, new covenant established in Christ. (Hebrews 9:15). His followers and those seeking God, could now go to Him.

     The curtain that once hid the Holy of Holies, the seat upon the Ark of Covenant to Almighty God Himself, was torn away by Christ’s work alone. Access to God the Father was made clear. That curtain separated the people from access and seeing the holiness and power of the presence of God. To see God, to look upon Him with the presence of sin, meant death. To touch the holy items of the Ark and the Temple without proper preparations, cleansing, and blood - meant death. (Books of the Law: Leviticus/Deuteronomy) The priest himself would enter this place only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. The priest would enter into God's presence to offer sacrifices and ask for the forgiveness of all the people of God for sins committed in ignorance. He was chosen by God to represent them to the Holy One, YHWH. (Hebrews 9:1-7) And being human, He could be found at fault.

     He wore bells on the hem of his priestly robe, to allow the people to know he was still alive, while in the Holy of Holies. If he was found unclean, sinful, not prepared by blood for entrance - he dropped dead in the presence of the Holy God. And his servants would drag his body from that place, by a rope tied to his ankle! "Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die." (Exodus 28:35)

Praise God, we have One who was perfect, without sin, whom acted as our High Priest, and entered into the Holy of Holies for us, by His own blood - to offer Himself as a sacrifice! He was found pure, without sin, in the sight of God. And He fulfilled all sacrifices past and future, and declared us righteous and holy by His same blood. And now we, having this blood washing,  now have a clear and uninterrupted view and access of God, in Christ, and the once hidden things of God and His will, are revealed in Christ. We can enter the presence of God and have no fear. Boldly we can approach the throne, knowing Christ and His grace! (Hebrews 9:11-14).

     Access to God, is no longer required by blood sacrifice, but by heart sacrifice. It is offered freely by grace and a privilege of everyone to take part of; by believing in Christ, His death for all sin and everyone who would believe upon that death, and belief in His resurrection. We see now, as looking in a darkened mirror, the things to come. But we shall soon see so clearly, because of what God has done for us. He made away, by removing the curtain, the requirement of separation and death, because of sin.

     Today, on Good Friday, I remember that Jesus died for me and you. Today, I remember that it is not what He has made me sacrifice to have a relationship with Him. It isn’t about what any of us sacrifice for Jesus, what we have or will give up to show or prove our love for Him, for that is a root of pride. It IS all about what He has already done completely and freely, and having given me an entrance through the torn curtain, into the Holy of Holies. I know the will of my Father and the work of Christ that has been done and is being done in me. I did not have to crawl to the throne of grace, I did not have to pay my way in, and I did not have to fight my way through. He opened the curtain so completely, so destructively, so passionately; that I simply have to believe and walk in to His presence.

     The way cannot and WILL NOT be closed for any. For what good is a torn curtain, but to be taken down and thrown away – or perhaps made into a robe for a King? And for what good are your and my sacrifices now, but to free us to enter into holiness, a sacrifice of praise – and help us boldly enter into a new reality of life here and eternally? We have access to the living, holy God because of what Jesus has accomplished. And we are to share it, to declare it, to shout it out for all others!

     Church, have you lead others through the torn curtain? Have you taken it down, or replaced it with a new one? And where, Bride of Christ and servants of the Holy One, have you made that torn curtain your gown? Where have you placed that torn rag of sacrifices and requirements upon your own heart or upon the doorways of your temples? Do you try to earn grace or demand more than what Christ has already done? Do you hold up the torn curtain as a sign of freedom and grace, or do you require more sacrifices of yourself or others, because Christ was not enough? My grace is sufficient for you. My holiness and power is made known in your weaknesses. If you are silent about my Death and Resurrection, wrapped in a torn curtain, then at my Return all creation will announce the Lord's entrance. And no curtain shall contain my glory!

Hebrews 9:24-28:

"For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own [sacrifices]. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now He has appeared once and for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face the judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."