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37 Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and He took His last breath.
38 At that moment, the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
The Voice
I love this image... the notes from The Voice explains it this way:
The tearing of the temple veil is a picture of what Jesus’ death has accomplished. The temple sanctuary is divided into two sections: the holy place and the most holy place. The most holy place is a chamber so sanctified that only the high priest can enter—and then only once a year. There God’s presence is manifest on earth.
A long curtain divides the two areas, and at the moment of Jesus’ death it is torn in two. The veil that serves as a means to protect everyone but the high priest from the power of God’s presence is no longer needed because Jesus, on account of His sacrificial death, gives everyone access to God. Only God Himself can rip the curtain in two “from top to bottom,” opening the way for people to come into His presence.
I like The Voice explanation, too.
ReplyDeleteAt a very young age, I remember being frightened by the people's response to release Barabbas, the murderer instead of Jesus. I didn't understand it. Mob mentality is so irrational. And, yet, we see it all around us and we almost ignore it because it is so common today.
Mark 15
ReplyDelete2 Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Yes, I am,” Jesus answered him.
39 When the officer who stood facing Jesus saw how he gave up his spirit, he said, “Certainly, this man was the Son of God!”
Luke 3
21 But before John’s imprisonment, when he was still preaching and ritually cleansing through baptism the people in the Jordan River, Jesus also came to him to be baptized. As Jesus prayed, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit came upon Him in a physical manifestation that resembled a dove. A voice echoed out from heaven.
Voice from Heaven: You are My Son, the Son I love, and in You I take great pleasure.