Good Friday
Friday, April 02, 2010
My all time favorite Bible story, hands down!
While the Israelites were wondering around in the wilderness, after their miraculous escape from Pharaoh with the parting of the Red Sea, God gave Moses instructions on how to build a temporary, moveable place of worship. The people used this tent of meeting or tabernacle as a place to offer sacrifices. This tabernacle was divided into sections with a heavy, ornate curtain separating a small section called the Holy of Holies. God dwelt within this holy place and only the High Priest was allowed access once a year into this section of the tabernacle. It is said that they tied a rope around the Priest in case he died inside. Someone could then pull him out, as absolutely no one else could enter no matter the circumstances.
1400 years later when King Herod built a temple, a permanent place of worship patterned off the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies was off limits to all but the High Priest. Again a curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple.
At the exact moment of Christ's death on the cross, the curtain in the Temple "unexplainably" rips from top to bottom, allowing passage into this Holy place ... a beautiful and staggering picture of our direct access to God thru the death of Jesus.
Matthew 27: 50-51 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
Hebrews 10:19-22 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
How cool is that?
Caroline
While the Israelites were wondering around in the wilderness, after their miraculous escape from Pharaoh with the parting of the Red Sea, God gave Moses instructions on how to build a temporary, moveable place of worship. The people used this tent of meeting or tabernacle as a place to offer sacrifices. This tabernacle was divided into sections with a heavy, ornate curtain separating a small section called the Holy of Holies. God dwelt within this holy place and only the High Priest was allowed access once a year into this section of the tabernacle. It is said that they tied a rope around the Priest in case he died inside. Someone could then pull him out, as absolutely no one else could enter no matter the circumstances.
1400 years later when King Herod built a temple, a permanent place of worship patterned off the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies was off limits to all but the High Priest. Again a curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple.
At the exact moment of Christ's death on the cross, the curtain in the Temple "unexplainably" rips from top to bottom, allowing passage into this Holy place ... a beautiful and staggering picture of our direct access to God thru the death of Jesus.
Matthew 27: 50-51 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
Hebrews 10:19-22 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
How cool is that?
Caroline
