"And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." – Mark 15:37-38
Many people have often wondered if God really loves them. "Why, God?" ask those who go through various kinds of suffering.
Sadly, many fail to realise that God loves them so much that He gave His one and only begotten Son for their sakes.
While that short passage above taken from Mark 15 speaks about the power of Christ's atonement, it also shows the longing and the love of God for all men.
It speaks of Christ's sacrifice as the only way for men to come into the holy presence of God and be made holy. It speaks about the atonement of Christ – how He fully satisfied the wrath of God for our sins, purchasing our freedom from darkness, healing our spiritual blindness, and liberating us from our slavery to sin.
It also speaks about how much God had longed for the time that He would be able to welcome His prodigal children, how much He desired to commune with His beloved creation, contrary to what sin's condemnation says.
It also speaks about a loving God who was relentless in His pursuit of us, even giving up what He loved the most so that He could gain those who were sinful, dirty and shameful: us.
The Gates Have Been Opened
The temple veil that was torn during that time wasn't a thin sheet of cloth that was as fragile as an eggshell. No, it was a thick curtain that separated the holiest of holies, the only place where God's presence dwelt in with man.
His presence inside was so holy that no man could ever enter in, save for a high priest who needed to ensure that he was clean and worthy to stand before God to bring in what the law requires to cover our sins: blood.
Yet with the death of Christ, our Great High Priest, the perfect sacrifice was offered inside that holy place. Unlike the blood of animals that was only able to cover sins, Christ's blood was able to totally cleanse us of our sins, and enough to allow God to tear down the curtain, as if blowing the horns and shouting, "The Gates Are Now Open!"
Friends, God tore the veil for us to be able to come to Him with confidence. The veil was torn for Him to be revealed. The veil was torn so that all men from every tribe and tongue could get to know the loving God and Father that we have as Christians. The veil was torn so that any man can enter in repentance and find Him while He is yet to be found.
God tore that veil because He loves us and wants to be with us. Will we consecrate ourselves, let go of our sins, and humbly come to Him in response to His open invitation?
