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Astonishing things happened when Jesus was crucified. There were three hours of darkness over the land, the earth shook and rocks split apart. And - recorded in Mark's Gospel chapter 15 verses 37 and 38 - "With a loud cry Jesus died. The curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom". What a sight! This was the curtain (or VEIL as it was also called) which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the Jewish temple, where God's immediate presence was felt to be. The high priest entered through the curtain once a year on the Day of Atonement, carrying the fresh blood of animals sacrificed for the forgiveness of sins of the people. (Chapter 16 of the Old Testament book of Leviticus describes this in detail). It was strictly NO ACCESS to anyone else, or at any other time.
The meaning of that first Good Friday was that Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, died so that every believer, then and now and in the future, would be forgiven of their sins and enjoy fellowship with God Himself. Christians can call Him "Father" when they pray, just as Jesus did. The shedding of Jesus' blood from all His wounds made animal sacrifices unnecessary. True salvation was only foreshadowed by the old rituals. We can enter the "Most Holy Place", as it were, with direct access to God. Not only that, but God has come to us also. His Holy Spirit is amongst us in our world. All we have to do is WELCOME it, and believe in the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus, who is alive in heaven with God the Father forever, as we too can be.
I can imagine the torn curtain. It was 18 metres high and made of thick material. It was ripped "from top to bottom". Surely human hands would have torn it (or tried to tear it) from the bottom upwards! So anyone who trusts in Jesus can approach the divine presence with confidence. St.Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 19) "Our message is that God was making the whole human race His friends through Christ". Hebrews chapter 10 verses 19 and 20 say "We have then, my brothers and sisters, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain - that is, through His own body".
So this is the Good News. Believe! Jesus, our eternal Saviour, High Priest and Brother, has made it possible to enjoy God to the full at any time, not just here but for eternity. Thank you, Jesus!
