But someone was killed…and the person that was supposedly the Savior and Healer…
What is “good” about this?
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” – Matthew 27:50-51
First, Jesus “yielded up His spirit” meaning He was willing and sacrificed himself. Second the veil being torn meant the separation of God and mankind was broken and ANYONE could have community with the LORD
What is so important about the veil? What is the veil? Why was it there and then torn?
The Character of God and what separated us:
“No one is holy like the LORD” – 1 Samuel 2:2
“’The LORD, the LORD God, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty” – Exodus 34:6-7
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23
The Lord is holy, meaning set apart, free from defilement of crimes, idolatry and other unclean and profane things, pure. This causes a problem when we sin and therefor are not holy. He is also just and kind; meaning He does forgive but also there are consequences for those who are guilty. If we are not holy (have sinned) we can’t save ourselves.
“But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” -Hebrews 9:7
“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever” -Hebrews 6:19-20
There was a whole preparation for the high priest for them to be clean to enter the holy place and would go in representing the community, this needed to happen every year. Jesus was holy and without sin and when he sacrificed himself on the cross, His blood was sufficient so the veil was no longer needed!
“Because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” – Isaiah 53:12b
Intercession: the action of intervening on behalf of another
Jesus is our hope for life, His sacrifice has given us the opportunity to freely come to the Lord and have life.
Good Friday is hard, a man without sin suffered, taking on the sins of us all, and was killed.
He was the only one who could save us and His suffering and sacrifice was the greatest gift of all.
So thankful for “Good Friday” and what Christ has done for us all. Thank you for taking the time to remind us. He knew the outcome, and how glorious the victory is, but to take on the weight of the world – and the sins – we can’t even comprehend. He is Risen!