Since today is Good Friday, I thought it might be interesting to observe this sacred day by focusing on the supernatural events that happened not only on, but around the cross. Try to imagine yourself standing near the cross. You are exhausted, physically and emotionally, having followed Jesus from his arrest, trial, and ultimately to Golgotha, the place of skulls. You watched as the Roman coroner signed his death certificate, even before the first nail was driven.
It was agony to watch him suffer. “At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Matthew 27:45-46. “Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened.” Matt. 27:50-51. If social media had been around then, it would have been flooded with pictures, descriptions and selfies at the scene.
The Bible supplies us with all the information we need, but I want to concentrate on the torn curtain. This was no ordinary curtain, it was about 60 feet in height, 30 feet in width and four inches thick. It was said that a team of 4 horses couldn’t drag it, but the power of God tore it in half, from the top down! But, size aside, the curtain served a purpose, it separated the Holy Place in the tabernacle, from the Holiest of Holies. It was behind this veil that the High Priest would venture in, once a year, to make sacrifice as an atonement for the sins of the people. He wore a rope around his waist, in case, for some reason God didn’t accept the offering, his dead body could be pulled out. Even if it was acceptable, the sin debt started racking up all over again, and had to be offered repeatedly.
The torn curtain was God’s declaration that the new covenant, written in his son’s blood was now in effect, replacing the old. Those who believed in the saving power of the cross, could now enter into that Most Holy of Holy places, the throne room of God. “For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.” Hebrews 9:24-26.
Are you as awed by this as I am? It’s so humbling to know that nothing I could ever do, including works, church-going, adherence to church doctrines etc. can add one iota to his perfect, atoning sacrifice. It is finished, the curtain is torn, and God invites us in. “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28. He is no longer on the cross, He's alive, and today He is offering you this precious, grace-filled invitation to walk through the torn curtain with Him
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