Transformed – teen devotion – March 28, 2021
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
Matthew 27:51
Torn
Torn is not a word we often associate with anything good.
Things that are torn, like paper or clothes, usually get thrown in the trash.
A torn ACL can end a season for a basketball player.
A torn relationship causes hurt feelings, awkwardness, and embarrassment.
A torn relationship, unfortunately, is exactly what we have with God because of our sins. Our sin alienates us from God and makes us his enemies.
Throughout the Old Testament, this torn relationship was pictured quite vividly by the curtain that separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place in the temple. The Most Holy Place was where God dwelled. Because of sin, no one was ever allowed to enter there, apart from one person, the high priest. And he entered only once a year in order to make atonement for the sins of God’s people.
But all of that changed when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus willingly but undeservedly allowed himself to be punished on the cross for our sins, and his relationship with his Father was torn for our sake.
At the moment of Jesus’ death, the curtain of the temple was torn in two. The symbol of the torn relationship between God and people was removed. Because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, God’s relationship with all people was restored forever.
Because of Jesus you now have full access to God. You can go to him with anything. He is always near you. Your relationship with him is no longer torn, but eternally secure.
And now, with Jesus’ love and forgiveness, you also have the power and the tools to restore torn relationships with others!
Prayer: Lamb of God, thank you for restoring the torn relationship between us and your Father through the shedding of your holy and precious blood. May your redemptive love work in and through us bless the relationships in our lives. Amen.
