Lent Devotion – From the Cross to the Grave – Week 2

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
Matthew 27:51a

Perfectly Open

You could literally set your clock by them. No matter what else was going on in the temple, no matter the chaos of the courtyard or the bleating of the animals or the calls of the money changers, the daily sacrifices continued. Morning and evening, 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., day after day, year after year—the rhythm of these sacrifices remained unchanged.

Each time, the priest on duty offered a year-old lamb without defect for the sins of the people. Each time, blood was sprinkled on the altar of the Holy Place. And each time, the curtain hanging over the entrance to the Most Holy Place loomed large as a reminder that even the blood of unblemished beasts could not fully bridge the separation between sinful humans and a holy God.

Each time, that is, until the afternoon of Good Friday. Imagine the priest entering the Holy Place as he had many times before—and then seeing the temple curtain torn in two from top to bottom by an unknown force. This curtain, thick as a man’s hand, now gaped wide and exposed the interior of the Most Holy Place. Although the priest surely dared not enter the Most Holy Place, the room stood open. The barrier had been removed.

History doesn’t tell us what happened to the temple curtain after the events of Matthew 27. One tradition states that the priests tried to repair it but could not close the rip. Regardless of the specific details, the curtain must have borne its Good Friday scars until the destruction of the temple in AD 70. The morning and evening sacrifices continued, but the scenery surrounding these sacrifices had been indelibly changed—a change that the priests likely couldn’t help but notice each time they offered sacrifices on behalf of the people.

How ironic! Imperfect priests continued to offer imperfect daily sacrifices while standing mere feet away from this reminder of the completed work of our perfect High Priest. The writer to the Hebrews sums up this contrast beautifully: “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:11-12).

We no longer rely on the shedding of lambs’ blood for the forgiveness of sins. Nor do we need an earthly priest to approach God on our behalf. Jesus took on the role of both lamb and priest when he sacrificed himself for the sins of the world. Through his perfect sacrifice, the barrier between sinful humans and a holy God has been removed. The door to heaven stands open.

Morning and evening sacrifices don’t govern our lives like they did in ancient Israel. But 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. were also the designated times for public prayer, and we, too, are called to pray. By faith and through prayer, the throne of God is ours to approach—a throne where we see our perfect High Priest seated at God’s right hand. What joy we find in daily living out this privilege of approaching God in prayer!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for offering yourself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. During this Lenten season, impress on our hearts and minds the price you paid in offering this sacrifice. When we are tempted to rely on our accomplishments, remind us that your sacrifice is all we need—and move us to share the good news of that perfect sacrifice with others. Amen.

Written by Kristi Meyer