When Jesus had cried out . . . 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.

— Matthew 27:50-51

At the moment Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn open “from top to bottom.” The temple represented God’s presence among his people. The innermost section was called the Most Holy Place, and God’s presence was focused especially in that room. A thick curtain separated it from the rest of the temple, and only one person, the high priest, could go into that room once a year, on the Day of Atonement, after going through an elaborate cleansing ceremony (Leviticus 16).

In a sense, that curtain was a lasting reminder of the barrier God had used to keep Adam and Eve from the garden when they had fallen into sin. It wasn’t that God didn’t want people in his presence. The problem was that because of sin, no person could survive in God’s presence. God’s holiness and purity cannot mix with human sinfulness.

But Jesus’ death for our sake changed all that. Hebrews 10:19 puts it this way: “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. . . .” Jesus took away our sin by his death, opening the way for us to approach God again and enjoy life in him.

The way is open. Have you entered?

Thank you, Jesus, for laying down your life to open the way for me to enjoy fellowship with God and abundant life with you now and forever! Amen.