At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split Matthew 27:51 (NIV)
Many times, we take for granted that we can talk to God anytime we want. He is always there waiting to hear from us and wants to talk to us in return. God created us for relationship with Him. When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, there was separation from God. There were very specific instructions for entering into the presence of God by the priests in the Old Testament temple (Leviticus 16). They were even told not to enter God’s presence anytime they wanted to with a penalty for intruding of death (Leviticus 16:1-2). We were not allowed past the curtain – only the high priest was allowed in on our behalf.
When Jesus died on the cross, he ripped the curtain. God removed anything that would keep us from having a relationship with Him. No longer did we need someone to go to God on our behalf. He made a way that we could just enter His presence when we wanted to. We no longer needed to spend time making sure everything was perfect, we could now go to Him just as we are. We are now redeemed through the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7). We can now boldly enter into God’s presence through the ripped curtain (Hebrews 10:19-22).
Prayer:
God, thank you for ripping the curtain. Thank you for allowing me to freely enter into your presence. Help me to not take for granted the privilege of spending time with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.