Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
10/21/2020
Randall Caselman
Torn Curtain Blessings
"It was at the sixth hour that darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
At the ninth hour Jesus cried in a loud voice, 'Eloi,Eloi, lama sabachthani?'–
Which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'...
At that moment, the Curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
When the Centurion, who stood in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died,
he said; ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!'"
Interesting that when Jesus died, God voiced His feelings by tearing the Temple Curtain from top to bottom. Josephus and First Century Rabbinic Literature tell us this curtain hung in front of the Most Holy Place in the Temple. Herod had increased its size to something like 82 feet high and 24 feet wide, measuring a handbreadth in thickness. Think of it five or six inches thick! No human hands could tear this, and if it had been possible, the tear would have started on the floor not eighty-two feet in the air.
Also interesting that the Hebrews' Writer picked up this incident telling us that Jesus entered the Most Holy Place, not a man-made curtain, but heaven to "once for all" put away sin by His own sacrifice. (Hebrews 9.24) It was God who ripped open the curtain; letting us know that His presence was no longer for the High Priest only, but to all men who would come to Him through Jesus and His sacrifice...
Now we can be forgiven. "There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death" Romans 8.1-2.
Now we can be reconciled to God. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1.7).
Now we are all priests. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess... Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4.14-16).
Praise God that this curtain was God torn! Amen?
—Randall CASELMAN
