Behold, the Curtain was Torn

Preached at River Bend Assisted Living on March 25, 2016

This afternoon, I am going to read from Matthew 27:45-54. Most likely this passage is very familiar to many of you, but the reason I have chosen it is because so many people miss the greatest reality of the sacrifice of Jesus, and it has everything to do with a piece of cloth.

• Matthew 27:45-54 – “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.52The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

I want to focus our attention on verse 51, “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” I want to do two things today. First, I want to explore why the curtain was torn? And second, I want to explore why it is fundamental to where you and I spend eternity, Heaven of Hell.

What is this Curtain?

So what is this curtain? This curtain was perhaps the most famous curtain to have ever existed. It would have been a curtain that Matthew and all of the Jews during his time would have been very familiar with.
For the curtain that Matthew is referring to is the curtain that hung in the Temple. The Temple was a building in the heart of Israel, Jerusalem, and it represented the dwelling place of God, hear on Earth. The Temple was grand central, it was ground zero. Everything oriented around this building because it represented the presence of God.
The Temple was made up of three spaces: the court yards, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. The courtyard was the place that the common man could be in. It was open to the public. The Holy Place was designated for only the Priests. It was a sacred. It acted as a buffer between the people and God. Which leads us to the the third area of the temple, the Most Holy Place. The Most Holy Place contained what is called the Mercy Seat of God. This was the location that was designated for God alone. This was where God said he would meet with the people, above the mercy seat. Separating the Holy Place, which was designated for the Priests, and the Most Holy Place, which was designated for God, was a curtain.

According to Josephus, a Jewish Historian, the curtain was approximately 60 feet tall. Jewish tradition claims that the curtain itself was 4 inches thick. Therefore, this curtain was no shower curtain. It was substantial. It was significant. And its purpose was to create a symbolic separation between God and man.

Only one time a year could a person pass beyond the massive curtain and enter into the Most Holy Place. This occurred on the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement was the pinnacle of the Jewish festivities. For on that one day the High Priest, the top dog of Priests, would cleanse himself and array himself in sacred attire and he would enter into the Most Holy Place and he would offer a sacrifice to God for himself and his house. After this sacrificial cleansing for himself, he would then be able to be a mediator to offer a sacrifice to God on behalf of Israel.

Therefore, no one was allowed beyond the curtain except one man, one time a year. No one else. Why was this?

Sins that Separate

I mentioned earlier that the curtain was a symbol of separation. But what separation did it symbolize? This separation symbolized the separation that exists between God, who is Holy, and man who is sinful.
When we say that God is a Holy God, we mean that God is other, he is not common, he is set apart. 1 John 1:5 tells us that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” He is a God who has no sin. In addition to being perfect, Psalm 5:4 says, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.” Therefore because of humanity's sin, we are separated from God. This is why Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, and this is why God seems so distant in our lives, because he is. Isaiah 59:2 says, “but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.”

The curtain in the Temple symbolizes that separation, not just between Israel and the Most Holy Place, it symbolizes the separation between God and all men. You and I included. We are all sinners, just as I am. The Bible is explicitly clear on this. Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned.” Because of your sins and because of my sins, we have been kept at an arm's distance from our Creator, the Giver of Life.

And this is a problem, for if we do not become reconciled to God before we die, we will be cast into eternal separation, Hell. This is a place that is described by Jesus himself as a place of weeping, the gnashing of teeth, outer darkness and a place of eternal torment. This is the ultimate separation from God. And this is terrible news, but make no mistake that it is true. It is true for all of humanity, you and I included.

The Current was Torn

But all of this changes at Calvary. All of this changes with the death of Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, the earth shook and the rocks split and the tombs were open, but as it effects us, the most important event that displayed the good news of Jesus was the curtain being torn from top to bottom. For as the curtain symbolized a separation, the tearing of that current symbolized a reconciliation.

• Hebrews 9:11-12 - “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come,e then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)12he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. ”

Jesus was not like the High Priests that came before him. He was the Great High Priest to end all High Priests. The blood he brought to God was not the blood of animals. It was the blood of God. And the blood of God, in Christ, is more valuable and more powerful than all the blood this world could ever offer. The blood of Jesus that was poured out on the cross was sufficient to secure an eternal redemption, not a temporary one. This is why Good Friday is so good, because the blood of Jesus ends the separation and reconciles us to God. It removes the weight of Hell that hangs over our head. And how do we know that Christ ended the separation between a Holy God and sinful man? The curtain was torn from top to bottom.

This truth is so important for people to understand. So many people have been told that they must do something to earn God's forgiveness. So many religions live just like they did in the times before Christ. So many people are trying to live their life as if the curtain still exists.

But the Gospel truth is that there is nothing you can add to the sacrifice of Christ to reconcile you to God. Jesus has done it all. Baptism does not add anything, Church attendance does not add anything, communion does not add anything. The curtain has already been torn. Eternal redemption has already been secured.

Full Assurance of Faith

So what is left? If Christ, on the cross, has entered into the presence of God and made a way for us to be reconciled to God, what are we to do?

• Hebrews 10:19-22 “Therefore, brothers,c since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.”

The only thing left for us to do is to believe. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” God offers us his Son and all we have to do is to believe that Jesus paid for all your sins. All you have to do is to trust in the blood to pay for your sins.

If you have spent your life trying to tear down a curtain that has already been torn down, it is time to let go of your sacrifices and to cling to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He has done all the work for you, all you must do to receive the gift of his grace is to believe.

​So this Easter, do not focus on the rituals, but instead let us “ behold, [that] the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” And let us worship Jesus Christ, our great High Priest who has made a way into the presence of God, therefore we have an secured and eternal redemption with our God. Praise be to God!