By: Pastor Holly Landers – Children’s Pastor at Abundant Life Church in Grand Island, NE.
“The veil was torn.”
These four words are repeated in poems, lyrics and are frequently mentioned at Easter and have always been such powerful words to me. I’ve felt the weight and importance of them… or so I thought.
Before Jesus became our mediator, giving us access to God; before we were given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, God gave His people a temple as a place to worship. In the center of His temple was a place called the “Holy of Holies”; this was a sacred place where God’s presence was housed, protected and kept at a distance from His people. Because of sin, a barrier was placed between intimate fellowship and intimate communion with God.
The High Priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year, on the day of atonement, and only after rigorous cleansing rituals. Others in the temple would tie a rope around the priest’s ankle because if the presence of God was too strong and he died, they would be able to pull him out. The average person had no direct contact with God, all prayers, sacrifices and offerings were made through the priest on their behalf.
There were several veils within the temple separating and dividing the spaces, especially surrounding the Holy of Holies. The veil’s purpose was to keep in the presence of God. The veils were made with the finest materials by the finest workers, there was ample time and ample money spent in building the temple and everything within it. God had given specific instructions and every detail mattered, including the colors of the threads used (but that’s an entirely different devotional!)
The veil was an actual physical separation between people and God. The people were permitted to come to a relative place of nearness, where they could worship in the Holy Place, but no one was allowed to go beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies. Access to the presence of God was denied to almost everyone.
BUT… in the moment of Jesus’ death, with His final breath, everything changed. The Jerusalem temple immediately lost its place as the heart of worship. In that holy moment the entire purpose of the temple changed. Where there had once been a separation now stood only an open door! Once the veil was removed all believers had fresh, unparalleled access to God through Jesus. He Himself became the new temple, with no curtain barring us from intimacy with Him.
Take a moment to form a picture in your mind: the veil was huge; the height of a six-story building and half as wide, elaborately and thickly woven. This was not something easy to cut, let alone tear. For the curtain to be split in half was remarkable enough.
Matthew specifies this tearing happening from top to bottom, from God down to us, from Heaven to earth! And “the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom”. (Mt 27:51) This was proof the split could only have been done by God! He shook the world and in the process tore the curtain guarding His presence.
Through His life, Jesus showed us what it means to have an intimate relationship with the Father. Through His death He gave us an opportunity to have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the power of His blood and sacrifice.
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places, by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, (that is through His flesh)–and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…”
Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV
Before Jesus’ death you couldn’t just go waltzing into God’s presence, but through the blood of Jesus the curtain between God and humanity has been removed. Access has been granted!
How do you approach the Father? Do you still stand behind the veil (your sin) allowing it to separate you from His presence? Do you come near enough to worship Him, but hide your face? Are you weighed down by shame? Are you bold?
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace…”
Hebrews 4:16
The veil is torn. The separation is no more. We now can freely and boldly enter into His presence where we find life, purpose and love.
