Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 270

September 25;      Luke 23:45;       67/260(III);      ‘Top to Bottom’

Luke 23:45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.

When Jesus was crucified, there was darkness over all of the earth from noon until 3:00 pm.  The veil of the temple was torn in two.  This is incredibly significant.  The veil was a four inch thick curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple.  The High Priest was allowed in the Holy of Holies once a year, on the Day of Atonement.  He had to go into the Holy of Holies with a blood sacrifice.  If anyone went into the Holy of Holies on any other day, they were struck dead.  Matthew 27:51 gives us a little more detail concerning the tearing of the veil.  The verse teaches that when the veil was torn, the earth quaked and the rocks were split.  Here is the exciting part of the verse.  The veil was torn from the top to the bottom.  That means that God the Father tore the veil and not man.  Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf opened the way for us into the presence of God.  This put an end to the Old Testament Temple and the Old Testament sacrificial system.  Because of sin, we had no way into the presence of God.  On the cross, the Lord Jesus took our sins and was punished in our place.  When we believe this gospel truth, our sins are forgiven, forgotten and cleansed.  We now has access to God the Father because of the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Eternal life, our blessings the Word teaches about and fellowship with the Father through our Lord Jesus were all accomplished at the cross.  We are loved and welcomed into the very presence of God because of Jesus’ willing sacrifice on our behalf.