5 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Leviticus 11-12
Matthew 27:45-66

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Matthew 27:50-51 (CSB): “But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

In the verses I have chosen for today, we read that Jesus didn’t die of exhaustion or a heart attack. Moments before he died, He “cried out again with a loud voice.” So, with all He had gone through, He still had the ability and energy to yell loudly. Then, He actively “gave up his spirit.” He willed to die because His task on the cross had been completed. He had paid the sin debt to a holy God for all who would trust in Him for salvation.

One of the things that happened at that moment is something most Jesus-followers have heard before, but it’s worth highlighting again.

Matthew 27:51 (CSB): “… the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom…”

This tells us that the curtain (or veil) in the Jerusalem Temple was ripped from the top to the bottom when Jesus died. Let’s talk about that for a few moments.

The curtain (or veil) was first mentioned in Scripture in Exodus 26:31-33. It is there that God gave instructions to Moses to build the Tabernacle. But God also revealed in those verses the purpose of that curtain/veil. It was to separate the Holy Place (where the priests worked) and the Most Holy Place (where God dwelt).

Exodus 26:33 (CSB): “Hang the curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the testimony there behind the curtain, so the curtain will make a separation for you between the holy place and the most holy place.”

In Leviticus 16, God told Moses that everyone was forbidden to go past the veil into the Most Holy Place where God resided. If they did, they would die. Only the High Priest, on the Day of Atonement, and only if He was right with God and had blood, was allowed to step behind the curtain.

Leviticus 16:2, 17 (CSB): “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Tell your brother Aaron that he may not come whenever he wants into the holy place behind the curtain in front of the mercy seat on the ark or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat… No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the most holy place until he leaves after he has made atonement for himself, his household, and the whole assembly of Israel.'”

So, what’s the significance of the curtain ripping in the Temple during an earthquake when Jesus died? And why does the Gospel writer see the need to tell us it ripped from the top to the bottom?

It points out that Jesus’ death on the cross satisfied a holy God’s justice and wrath. Because of Jesus, believers can now enter into the very throne room of God with boldness (Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:16; 10:19-22).

Further, we could not gain this access on our own. We could not rip the curtain from earth to Heaven. Instead, it needed to be initiated by God, ripping from Heaven to earth.

Basically, when the Temple veil ripped in two from Heaven to earth, it was God saying: “Because of my Son’s death on your behalf, and because of the grace I have given to you that enables you to trust in Jesus to be saved, you can come boldly into my presence now. My presence in the Most Holy Place used to be so consecrated that no one except the High Priest could come in, and even he must do so in My prescribed way, or someone would die. But because the work of Jesus is applied to your heart, you can come into my presence and enjoy Me to your heart’s content without any fear whatsoever. Jesus has done this for you.”

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you reflect on what Jesus has done to make you right in a holy God’s eyes.
  • Ask God to help you realize that privilege you have to enter His presence because of Jesus.
  • Ask God to help you act on this privilege and spend much time in His presence in prayer.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into the Sanctuary/Temple veil/curtain, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What was the significance of the temple veil being torn in two when Jesus died?”

“What were the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place in the temple / tabernacle?”

Sharing

If this post has been helpful to you or if you think it could help others, please consider tapping one of the social media buttons below to share it on your favorite platform.

____________________

Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)