Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47: Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48: And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49: The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50: Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51: And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52: And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53: And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Introduction

This is the time of the year when we remember the passion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And it is only proper and beneficial to constantly revisit what took place on the darkest day of human history where our Lord was crucified on the cross. When our Lord died on the cross, amazing miracles took place. To name a few: the veil was rent, the earth shook, the rocks split, the tombs broke open, and after Christ’s resurrection many of God’s people were raised to life, came out of the grave, and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Today, I invite you to consider with me one of these miracles, namely, the tearing of the temple veil. In the Biblical accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we read that the temple veil was torn from top to bottom. This may seem to be insignificant event and often-overlooked miracle, but it is one of the most powerful images in the entire Bible. What was the temple veil? What was its purpose? What is the significance of the temple veil being torn in two when our Lord Jesus Christ died? Today, I want us to consider the tearing of the temple veil, in three headings, the Meaning of the Veil, the Miracle of the Rent Veil, and the Message of the Rent Veil.

I – The Meaning (Significance) of the Veil

To really appreciate the significance and the power of this miracle let’s look at this temple veil before it was torn. What was it? What was it made of? What was its function? To answer these questions, we must know something about the Jewish Temple of Jesus’s day. The most important place in the life of the Jews is the Temple. It was the center of their worship and their national identity as ancient Israel. The Temple was the place in which God chose to reveal Himself and to make His Presence known and manifest.  It was the place where sin could be temporarily atoned for through the sacrifice of animals.  It foreshadowed the coming of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled and abolished the old sacrificial system. The Jewish Temple was divided into three parts, such as the Outer Court, which is open to all; the Holy Place, to which the ministering priests had daily access to burn incense and trim the lamps; and the Most Holy Place, where only the High Priest was permitted to go. The Temple has two main rooms of religious service, such as, The Holy Place and The Most Holy Place also known as the Holy of Holies. In this Jewish temple, the veil or the curtain served as the barrier to the Holy of Holies. It served as a separation, keeping men out of the Holy of Holies which represents the presence of God. So, anyone who entered into the Holy of Holies was entering the very presence of God.

When we think of a veil or curtain, we think of something thin and light. But not the Jewish temple veil. This veil was massive, thick and very heavy. In was so thick and heavy that some say it may have taken three hundred people to put it into its proper place. And it was that thick and heavy veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the Temple. The veil signified that man was separated from God by sin.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

This veil was a reminder to the people that the way into God’s presence is not yet opened to all. Only the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies. Anyone, except the high priest who dared pass through the veil into the Holy of Holies would die. But then even the High Priest was not permitted to enter the Holy of Holies except once a year on the Day of Atonement. If the High Priest dared to pass through that veil unprepared or on any occasion other than the annual Day of Atonement, he would be struck dead. This is why there were bells attached to the high priest’s garment so that those outside might know by the sound of those bells that the high priest was still alive and active while performing his duties in the Most Holy Place. 

This is the clear teaching of the Word of God.

Hebrews 9:6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle [the Holy Place], accomplishing the service of God. 7: But into the second [the Most Holy Place] went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: 8: The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest [the Most Holy Place] of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

So, as long as that thick veil was there in the temple it was a reminder to the people that free and unrestricted access to God was not yet possible. The thick veil was a symbol that the way into God’s presence is not yet opened to all. It served as reminder that our sin separated us from the Holy of Holies, that we were separated from the presence of God. But that has changed as we shall see later in this message. But first let’s consider the Miracle of the Rent Veil. 

II – The Miracle of the Rent Veil

Matthew 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51: And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; In Luke 23:45, we read, “And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.”

As our Lord Jesus died upon the cross, the thick and heavy veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy place was split in the middle into two pieces. The curtain was completely split in half from top to bottom. Who rend the veil? Who tore this thick and heavy curtain that would have taken three hundred priests to put it into place? There are those who believed that it was the earthquake that caused the rending of the veil, but what we read in our text is that the rending of the veil took place first then the earth quaked. It is clear that these two events were independent of each other. 

This is a miracle. This is supernatural. This is not an act of man but an act of God. In 1 King 6:2, we are told that Solomon’s temple was 30 cubits high, which would have been 45 feet tall. And according to the writings of Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, that Herod extended the temple’s height to 40 cubits high, that’s about 60 feet tall. He also records that the veil was four inches thick. 

Now, the Biblical record tells us that the tear was from top to bottom, which gives an indication that this is not an act of man, because the veil was too high for any man to reach and too thick for any man to tear. This rending of the veil was not cause by some earthquake nor by man, this is an act of God. This was not an accident. This was planned by God Himself. Just look at the timing of this miracle. It happened exactly the instant that Jesus Christ died on the cross. Someone also pointed out that Jesus Christ died at three o’clock in the afternoon. This is the exact time of the beginning of the evening sacrifice on this Passover day. This means that the temple at that time, in addition to high priest engage in his duties in the Holy of Holies, was also full of priests busy doing their duties and full of worshippers celebrating the Passover. God intended it to be seen, because He has a message He wanted to convey to the people. This brings us to our third heading.

III – The Message of the Rent Veil

What is the significance of the curtain being torn in two from top to bottom? What exactly is God saying to us through this miracle? What is so significant about this miracle that it had to take place exactly after our Lord gave up the ghost and that it had to happen at the time where countless of worshipers and priests were presently ministering in the temple? The timing is significant because, through this miracle, God intended to speak to the people in a way that no one can miss nor misunderstand. And so, God tears that veil from top to bottom. The veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple is now split into two, exposing the Holy of Holies for everyone to see and enter in. God is saying to mankind that because of the sacrificial death of His Son, the way of access into His presence is now changed forever. God’s presence was now accessible to all. All can look upon Him, all can enter in, no longer needing the rituals of the priests and no longer needing the Old Testament sacrificial system.

The tearing of the veil must have been shocking and tragic to the priests ministering in the temple that day, but to us as believers, it is sure good news, because we know that our Lord Jesus Christ’s death has paid in full for our sins and made us right before God upon believing Him as our Redeemer. The torn veil illustrated that Jesus’ broken body and shed blood opened the way for us to come to God. When Jesus cried out “It is finished!” on the cross, He was clearly proclaiming that God’s redemptive plan was now complete. The sacrificial death of Christ has ended the age of animal offerings. Temple ritual is no longer needed. The death of Jesus makes it obsolete. The ultimate offering had been sacrificed. We can now boldly enter into God’s presence. This what we read in …

Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20: By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21: And having an high priest over the house of God; 22: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23: Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

We can now boldly enter into God’s presence we are told in Hebrews 9:24-26, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

The Holy of Holies is a representation of heaven itself, God’s dwelling place, which we have access now through Christ and His redemptive work on the cross. This is the power of the Cross!

Closing Thoughts

This miracle of tearing the veil from top to bottom may seem insignificant but it is one of the greatest and important miracles recorded in the Scripture. This miracle signifies that access has been granted to sinners like you and me. And if you don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ, God invites you today to consider the One who tore the veil into two. He died the sinner’s death on a cross, so that the veil could be rent from top to bottom and grant access to all who would come and believe. Oh, come to Jesus Christ today. Believe on the Lord Jesus today and be saved.

You may say, there may not be any room left for me?

Luke 14:22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

The cross upon which Jesus died

Is a shelter in which we can hide

And its grace so free is sufficient for me

And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea.

Though millions have found him a friend

And have turned from the sins they have sinned

The Saviour still waits to open the gates

And welcome a sinner before it’s too late.

There’s room at the cross for you

There’s room at the cross for you

Though millions have come, there’s still room for one

Yes there’s room at the cross for you.

Brothers and sisters in Christ as we have looked at the rent veil today, may you and I be reminded of the precious promises and great privileges we have for having come and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, through His death, has forever removed the sins that separated you from God, and now you may approach Him with confidence and boldness.

Hebrews 4:14-16: “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Unlike the Old Testament human High Priest who could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year, you can come and approach the Father any time of the day and any day. Instead of coming to God through a human priest, you can directly and boldly come before God through Jesus Christ to receive mercy and grace. If we know Jesus Christ as our Saviour today, you and I have a reason from the depth of the heart, to burst-forth with praise and thanksgiving for we have been forgiven of sins, reconciled to God, and have direct access with God. Today would be a good day to say, “thank You Lord for what You have done” Today would be a good day to make a commitment that you are not going to waste your life and that you are no longer going to live for self but for Him who died for you and rose again!

AMEN!