Christ suffered this death for you and for me.
In Old Testament times, the High Priest would pass through the heavy curtain into the Holy of Holies—once a year—to make sacrifices for their own sin and the sins of the people. When Jesus was crucified—at the very moment of His death, the curtain of the temple ripped in two from top to bottom, forever opening the way for us to enter into the Holy of Holies. Jesus is our Great High Priest, but he does not need to enter behind the veil each year to make sacrifices for us. “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:12
Don’t pass over the tearing of the curtain in the temple as just a coincidence, or something that just happened; it could only have happened by the power of God, for the curtain weighed about four ton, and needed 300 men to hold it up.
The disciples and the women, who ministered to Jesus in His three years of work, were devastated. The One they loved, the One they put their hope was in was dead. He had been taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. It was finished.
Jesus, had uttered those words Himself, “It is finished.” But His words didn’t have the same meaning as the disciples’ thoughts of “it is finished...it’s all over.”
This weekend is about winning; this weekend is about victory. It is about peace in the midst of chaos, joy in the midst of pain, it is about the defeat of Satan and our freedom guaranteed.
Today is Friday, but Sunday is coming.
Let the celebrations begin!
