Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Passage: Matthew 27:45-66
Focus: “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Matthew 27:42.
I can just imagine the conversation between members of the work crew who were assigned to remove the big curtain from the temple that was torn from top to bottom. “Hey, Zach, what do you make of this?” “Man, I don’t know! But the whole thing gives me the creeps.” “Yah—me too. I figure it would take two D-8 Caterpillars pulling in opposite directions to break it apart like this.” “Awesome! Someone…or something…had a whole lot of power here, that’s for sure.”
The whole idea of the torn curtain blesses my soul. It’s just one of the accompanying supernatural phenomena to confirm that something very big was in the making. No human strength could break that curtain. And no human power could break the barrier of separation between a Holy God and a sinful man. Wow! Pause and ponder. The Old Testament administration was by means of sacrifices and priests, but here is the dramatic proclamation of the New. It’s like God is saying, “The door is now open—come on in.”
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:13-14).
“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” (Heb. 4:16).
My hunch is that if it were not for the torn curtain that really freaked out the Jewish leaders, they wouldn’t have been so nervous and worried about guarding and sealing and securing the tomb so as to make sure this dead Jesus stayed dead. What a feeble attempt that was! How could the Author of Life remain confined to a tomb?! Absurdity of absurdities! There is lots of meaning here. Don’t let it escape you.