The Curtain

When you think of Easter, you probably don’t think about a curtain. But as we’ll see, a curtain plays an important part in this true story. Let’s take a look at what the Bible says… 

For those of you who may not be familiar with the Old Testament, let’s take a couple of minutes for some background.

In the Book of Exodus, we learn that the Israelites had become slaves in Egypt and the Pharaoh refused to release them. Over and over again, God sent Moses to him to say, “Let my people go!” But he refused. So God sent 10 plagues to punish him for his refusal. Pharaoh finally agreed to let them go – sort of. He changed his mind and sent his army to go after them and force them to come back. But God loved the Israelites and miraculously parted the Red Sea so the entire nation could walk across it on dry ground. When the Israelites were safe on the other side, the Egyptian army was still following them in hot pursuit, so God let the water back down again and they all drowned. God was creating a separation for the world to see between a people who would worship Him – the one true God – and those who worshipped false gods and idols.

Next, before the Israelites would enter the promised land God would give them, He gave Ten Commandments to Moses on stone tablets, written with His own hand. He made a covenant promise that if they followed Him, He would bless them forever. He did this to teach them the boundaries between right and wrong because He is holy and people are sinful (the word sin means “to miss the mark”). It began with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they gave in to the temptation of the serpent, who was actually Satan, and ate the fruit of the one tree God told them not to eat from. It was then sin entered the world and the entire human race. 

So what does this have to do with Easter and a curtain? Everything! Back to the story…

This wide separation between God and man could not be crossed – without a bridge. In the days of the Old Testament, the bridge to God was by following the Commandments and the Law he gave them – but no one could follow them to the letter because of sin. The way God made sure the Israelites knew how serious this was, sadly required the shed blood of innocent sacrificed animals to atone for their sins. This is called the Old Covenant which actually pointed to the New Covenant and Jesus, God’s only Son, who was the ultimate sacrificial lamb.

Now that we know the background, let’s see where the curtain fits into the story…

In the days of the Old Covenant, only the appointed priests were able to serve the Lord in the Temple and offer sacrifices for the people. God’s glory and presence were actually in the Temple in an inner room called the Holy of Holies that contained the Ark of the Covenant. This was the most sacred and holy place of all and no one could enter it and live. That is, except one day of the year on the Day of Atonement. Only the High Priest could enter after an extensive purification process, then sprinkle the blood of sacrifices on and around the Ark to make atonement, then the altar, and the court. It was the most important day of the year for repentance and forgiveness. The Temple and the people were cleansed from their sins and prepared for a new year in their relationship with God.

Between the Holy of Holies where God’s presence dwelled and the rest of the Temple, there was a curtain. It represented the separation between God and humanity, caused by sin. It was about 60 feet tall and from four to 12 inches thick. 

When Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified and died on the cross, here’s what the Bible says happened in Matthew 27:50-51 (NIV) (Also Mark 15:38 and Luke 23:45):

“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 tearing of the curtain at the time of His death signified the removal of the barrier between God and humanity and the opening of a new path to God through Jesus. It symbolized the end of the Old Covenant of animal sacrifice and the beginning of the New Covenant established by the sacrifice of Jesus. His blood became the atonement for the sins of humanity and now provides the only bridge between God and people.

The tearing of the curtain also signifies that Jews, Gentiles, and ALL people now have access to God’s presence through faith in Jesus. Instead of the High Priest being the only one to have access to God’s presence once a year, the Bible says Jesus is now our High Priest. Because He rose from the dead on Easter and is alive today, we can now directly approach God through faith in Him. Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV) says:

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Have you prayed and asked Jesus to forgive your sins? Do you believe He died and rose again? John 3:16 says:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

That’s why He came. It’s because He loves you. The curtain was opened – for you! 

Right now is the perfect time to say a prayer and ask Jesus to come into your heart – then follow Him from now on.

RESET HIGHER: Did you notice that the verse says the curtain was torn in two “from top to bottom”? It was torn from above. God Himself opened the way for you and I to know Him – now let’s open our hearts to Him, read the Holy Bible, and keep learning.