You are invited by Jesus’ sacrifice to do what was forbidden to all but a privileged few in the first century: walk through the torn curtain and into the Holy of Holies. This re-creation of a place that was off-limits to anyone other than the high priest is designed to give you the same physical access that Jesus’ death made spiritually possible.

The veil of the temple, located in the center of the Old Testament temple of worship, kept God separated from most worshipers. As Jesus breathed his last, God literally ripped apart the veil that signified His separation from the rest of the world. It was torn apart from top to bottom, not by any human hands but by divine action. Because no one was allowed into that sacred place at that time, every temple authority would know this wasn’t done by a human. Some of them must have been terrified. Perhaps some of them believed that very moment.

The tearing of the veil signifies that through the death of Jesus, God’s presence is no longer mysterious, far off, or available to only the most exalted of religious leaders. God welcomes all who will enter through the sacrifice of His Son.

As you walk through the curtain, celebrate your access to God, won for you through the obedience, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We who were alienated from God, even under His wrath, have been brought near, cleansed, forgiven, and granted complete and full access into God’s favor and presence.