Scripture tells us that when Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the Temple was torn in two from the bottom.This means that the barrier between God and humanity granting direct access to God’s presence for all people without needing human priests. The fact that it was torn from the bottom indicates it as a divine act, signifying the completion of Jesus’s sacrifice.
The thick curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was removed. It signifies that Jesus’s death was the final, perfect sacrifice, abolishing the need for animal sacrifices.
It also marks a transition from the Old Testament laws and rituals to an era of direct relationship with God, accessible to everyone rather than just the high priest.
This is mentioned in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke to show the immense theological impact of the crucifixion.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:13-14, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and had broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility.”
Paul tells us that Jesus’s death tore down the walls of hostility. While we were, by nature, objects of wrath, Jesus’s sacrifice tore down the Holy Veil so we can approach the throne of grace. He removed the dividing walk between Him and us, making us a kingdom of priests.
Regardless of where we are from, what we look like, or how many resources we have, we can be reconciled to God. But this isn’t the only wall that wall broken -all the walls of the Temple were broken. Paul’s point is this: if, through Jesus and believing Gentiles (us) have no grounds to keep their own dividing walls of hostility between them.
We as individuals have a lot of differences, pursuits, likes, and dislikes. We come from various backgrounds and diverse cultures, but there is one commonality between us, the things that brings us together, is our love for Jesus. And it’s when we come back to that truth of who Jesus is in His Word that we are truly unified.
When different perspectives might challenge us, it is the one perspective that Jesus is Lord, that God’s Word is true, living, and active, that brings us back to our common perspective. It is in that commonality that we can truly make a difference for Jesus in this world.
From Pity to Praise 