I consider myself somewhat of a wide reader and have read and re-read my books – as well as those of my friends – over the years. But there is one story that I don’t get tired of hearing and reading. And that’s the story behind why there’s a a long weekend that we’re all currently enjoying.
I must have heard “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” a thousand times since childhood. Must have also watched a dozen of Jesus films throughout the years. And must have listened to hundreds of sermons about Christ dying on the cross for all our sins.
There’s a song that goes, “Your grace still amazes me.” And honest to goodness – I do feel that way. Every time I hear the story of grace: that God became man, died in possibly the most humiliating death, bore the sins of the undeserving, paid our debts, and rose again after three days, it still fills my heart with gratitude.
And you know what’s my favorite part? It isn’t actually a big part of story – in fact, in most accounts, it only took one sentence: At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
You might be thinking, so what? A curtain, the temple veil is torn – and so what? This story shows how absolutely thorough God is. Every single detail means something. Nothing is random. Like the fact that the time Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice for sin, died was around the time of sacrifice in the temple. I mean, that just wows me.
The temple veil is not just an ordinary veil. It was made of woven fabric of seventy-two twisted plaits of twenty-four threads each and it measured sixty feet long and thirty feet wide. The veil served as the separator between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. The Most Holy Place was the inner room in the temple where the high priest would enter once a year to offer sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of the people. This was where the high priest comes to be God’s presence.
So the torn veil was not just some random event to add drama to the already heart-wrenching image of the Savior, beaten and bruised, hanging on the cross. Everything God had commanded in the Old Testament served as a prototype. The sacrifices were glimpses of the true Sacrifice. The priests as precedents of the true and highest of High Priests.
But what strikes me when the image of the veil being torn from top to bottom is that finally – everything that comes between mankind and God has been torn apart. Because of Jesus, those who believe in Him can now approach God in confidence. That just blows my mind!The privilege of being able to come to God, talk with Him, and enjoy His presence – how awesome is that?
So for me, it’s not just the long weekend that I enjoy – it’s having another opportunity to be reminded of God’s amazing grace, and his love demonstrated in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
You tore the veil. You made a way. It is done.
May you all have a meaningful Holy Week.
