When God Tore a Curtain | Mark 15 | Gary Hamrick

[Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] for today we're here in mark chapter 15. mark chapter 15. i'm going to read verses 33 to verse 39 mark 15 33 this is speaking about when jesus was hanging on the cross when he was being crucified and it says now when the sixth hour had come there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour and at the ninth hour jesus cried out with a loud voice saying aloy eloy lama which is translated my god my god why have you forsaken me some of those who stood by when they heard that said look he is calling elijah then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine put it on a reed and offered it to him to drink saying let him alone let us see if elijah will come to take him down and jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last and then notice this verse 38 then the veil of the temple or the curtain of the temple was torn into from top to bottom so when the centurion who stood opposite him saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last he said truly this man was the son of god i want to emphasize again with you verse 38 then the veil or the curtain of the temple was torn into from top to bottom we're going to talk about the significance of that today but let's first have a word of prayer father thank you that you have given us your word we thank you that you have not only instructed us but you have inspired us through your word to remind us that there is a future home and a future hope in jesus and we think of pat today we think about how she knows this better than any of us right now and we pray that we would look forward to our eternal reward and that you will use this time in your word to strengthen our hearts we're grateful we're thankful for your love and your grace in jesus name and everybody said amen from 1961 until 1989 there was a wall in berlin germany that divided east germany from west germany and it came to physically symbolize even something more than just the wall there in berlin it came to actually physically symbolize the quote the iron curtain that separated western europe from the eastern bloc nations and um and that iron curtain was in place during the time of what we refer to historically as the cold war the cold war was when there was tension between the united states and the soviet union and then in 1989 there were a series of small revolutions people who realized that the iron curtain and the wall of berlin symbolized a restriction on liberties and so revolution started primarily in poland and then in hungary in 1989 but those revolutions were actually precipitated by an event in 1987 a couple years earlier when then president ronald reagan made a speech in west berlin in front of the wall in 1987 during which he made that famous statement well mr gorbachev tear down this wall all right you remember that if you're old enough boy you you got bill clinton and ronald reagan in one week just remember that well he was he was giving a challenge to the soviet leader at the time uh to end his totalitarian control in the region and three years after reagan gave that speech the wall in fact was demolished it did come down someone who was in germany at the time actually was a part of chipping down that wall and gave me a piece of it brought it back to me in 1990 when they demolished that wall that separated east berlin from west berlin and when that wall came down there was a new sense of freedom especially for people who lived on the eastern side of that wall now long before the berlin wall there was a wall that separated man from god it wasn't made of concrete or barbed wire it was a woven curtain a fabric wall that stood that was hung in the temple of jerusalem and unlike unlike the berlin wall which was a wall of hostility this wall this curtain that hung in the temple of the lord was a wall of holiness because it separated a holy god from unholy humanity and no one was ever permitted to cross that wall to go behind that curtain except the high priest and then only once a year on the day of atonement or in hebrews called yom kippur when he would go behind the curtain to make sacrifice to sprinkle the blood uh on on on the mercy seat for the atonement of himself and for the nation of israel and and so there was that dividing wall but on the day that jesus was crucified that wall that curtain came down coinciding with the exact moment of the crucifixion of christ which is what we just read in our opening verses here coinciding with the exact moment that jesus died on the cross the bible says that the curtain which hung in the temple to separate god from man was suddenly torn from top to bottom and when that happened it signified a new freedom for mankind now this is an often overlooked part of the story surrounding the crucifixion of jesus because this event gets one verse i mean matthew gives it one verse two but what we just read here at verse 38 then the veil or the curtain of the temple was torn into from top to bottom and it's easy to kind of overlook that one sentence that one verse almost like it's a minor detail because it only appears in that one place here in the gospel of mark you know and people can begin to think oh yeah yeah okay i remember something around the crucifixion to jesus uh you know in addition to how he was you know hung on a cross and nailed there and and he was whipped and and flogged and all of this and then he rose again oh that's right there was a curtain that that was torn in the temple but don't overlook it because even though it only gets one verse it has great significance for us today it's one of the most liberating verses in all of the bible so let me first give a little background on the curtain itself what it means and then we're going to talk about i'm going to give you three points as to the significance behind why god tore that curtain first thing i want to show you is basically a model of the temple in jerusalem that once stood there now this is a this is actually a small model the picture of a small model that is in jerusalem to give us an understanding of what it once looked like uh it is it was destroyed in 70 a.d and it's never been rebuilt uh the reason it was never rebuilt is because uh since the romans destroyed it in 70 a.d the jewish people never had control of the temple mount area in order to rebuild it now even though in 1967 during the 67 war the israelis recaptured the entirety of the city of jerusalem in an effort to try to bring peace at the end of the 67 uh war then minister of defense morsha dayan negotiated with the muslims that they could maintain administrative rights of the temple mount area there in jerusalem it was a it was a decision that later would be regrettable by the israelis but one that they live with even today and thus the israelis cannot build a temple of the temple mount because the muslims have administrative control of it even to this day even though the israelis control the city itself of jerusalem so it's never been rebuilt but when it was there during jesus day this is what it would have looked like these are this is the courtyard area around it and let me give you a cross-section view of it so we can go inside the temple this is an artist's rendering of course and when you look at the inside of the temple there were two chambers the first chamber that the priests would come to was a chamber in hebrew called hakadesh hakadesh means the holy place it was a holy place they entered that immediate chamber it was a sanctuary that was holy it was called the holy place but then there was a second chamber further into the temple and that was called the kadesh hakodashim which translates the most holy place or some bible translation say the holy of holies and it was there that god's presence dwelt what separated the most holy place from the holy place was this curtain that we're talking about today these two chambers were separated by this curtain or this veil now according to the jewish talmud which is the written commentary and the mishna which is the oral commentary jewish tradition says that this curtain was 60 feet in length from top to bottom 60 feet that it was 30 feet across and that it was woven with such thick material that the thickness of it was the breadth of a man's hand which is roughly 9 to 10 inches from the tip of a man's thumb to the tip of his pinky roughly nine to ten inches that's how thick this curtain was and jewish tradition says it took 300 priests to hang it and to manipulate it that's how heavy it was okay the bible actually tells us in addition in describing this curtain that it was woven a fine linen of blue purple and scarlet red and that it was adorned with images of cherubim which were angels that were woven right into the fabric of this curtain and again this curtain separated common man from a holy god and it was only lifted once a year so that the high priest could go behind it on the day of yom kippur this is what the bible says in hebrews 9 verses 6 and 7. it says now when these things had been thus prepared the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle performing the services well the first part is the holy place but into the second part the most holy place the high priest went alone once a year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the people's sins when the high priest would go behind the curtain once a year on yom kippur he would first go with the blood of a bull that had been sacrificed and he would sprinkle the ark of the covenant to make atonement first for his own sins now the ark of the covenant was a wooden box made of acacia wood that was overlaid with gold it was about three feet by three feet by four feet and it had a lid of gold pure gold called the mercy seat it had two angels carved out of gold also that were on top of this lid this mercy seat and the bible says that god would dwell between the cherubim so god's glory his manifest presence would come there within this most holy place this chamber the holy of holies and it was there that this high priest would go once a year first with the blood of a bull for his own sins to make atonement he would sprinkle the ark of the covenant this sacred vessel that was there on the interior of this chamber then he would go in with the blood of a goat to make atonement for the sins of all the people of israel it was the national day of atonement and he would sprinkle again the mercy seat the ark the lid of the arc of the covenant and in this way he would make atonement for himself and for the people and tradition says that the high priest would fasten bells to the hem of his garment so that he could be heard moving around by the other priests of the other side of the curtain and they would also tie around his ankle a rope so that when he went on the other side of the curtain should he die and they didn't hear the sound of the bells anymore or god killed him they'd be able to drag his body out by pulling the rope all of this paints a picture of reverence for the holiness of god that god is holy that he was separated from mankind that man by virtue of the high priest could only go into his presence once a year to make atonement for the sins of himself and the sins of the people that all of this paints this picture of reverence for the holiness of god that god was generally inaccessible unapproachable except once a year by this high priest on the day of yom kippur yes of course prophets priests people could pray to god they could seek god they could even hear from god but they could not approach god god was a distant god he was not accessible you could only approach god through a priest and through the sacrifice of animals but all that changed the day that jesus died here's an interior view of the temple with the curtain there in the distance behind the curtain is the most holy place the holy of holies and the bible says that on the day that jesus died we read it there in verse 38 that the curtain tore from the top to the bottom now that's an important detail it did not tear from the bottom to the top it tore from the top to the bottom why does that matter because if it tore from the bottom to the top that would be an indication that man did it that the priest somehow got together and decided we're going to rip this curtain even even though it would have been impossible it's 10 inches thick okay woven but let's just say that if they could if it tore from the bottom to the top that would be an indication that man did it people on the ground level pulling and ripping it until it ripped towards the top the fact that the bible says there in verse 38 it ripped from the top down as an important detail because it indicates to us man did not tear this curtain god did god tore this curtain from the top to the bottom because he was indicating something and what he was indicating to us was that simultaneous with the death of jesus god was saying to us now i want you all to have access to me through the sacrifice of my son jesus the god who was once distant the god who was once unapproachable the god who was once inaccessible is now approachable accessible and near this is what god was communicating to us through this torn curtain and it was a statement of freedom freedom we were free to come into his presence boldly we are free to access him directly we are free to have our sins forgiven completely and there are three reasons i want to share with you why the tearing of the temple curtain is so significant for us today so for those of you taking notes three reasons why god tore a curtain number one it abolished the intercessory role of the priesthood it abolished the intercessory role of the priesthood please understand for centuries this curtain stood separating a holy god from common man it was a barrier that separated god from man for centuries it stood there in the temple and before that in the tabernacle and god was making a clear statement you don't approach me you don't come near to me i'm only going to let one person do it once a year and he better not come in without blood that was the whole statement of why this curtain was in place it was a barrier between god and man no one could freely approach god except through the priest and when god tore the curtain he was saying to us in effect using the words of texans you all come now all right that's what god was saying when he tore this curtain he was saying y'all come now you're here it's wide open now for you listen to me on this no longer does a man have to go through another human being to get to god that ought to make every cradle catholic in the house shout for joy amen amen now some of you cradle catholics are like i'm not sure if i can celebrate because i'm feeling a little guilty today i'm not even here i'm here at this church this guy doesn't wear a black robe and a collar and i'm not going to mass you know and so you're feeling guilty you don't even know if you have the freedom to clap yes you do you have the freedom to clap because this is good news for you you don't have to go through another human being to get to god and by the way it shouldn't only make the cradle catholics happy it makes pastors like me happy because i don't want to hear your sin business i don't want you to tell me your sin stuff i got my own i don't want to hear yours too years ago we were at the old building and i had a dear lady come to me never met her before obviously it was her first time i stepped off the pulp it was after wednesday night service she came up to me she says father i have some sins to confess i said first of all i'm the brother okay sister don't call me father and second of all good news you don't have to tell me a stinking thing because i don't want to know what you've done you get to tell it all to jesus praise god and that's that was liberating to her that was liberating to her as it should be listen you don't have to confess your sins to me you don't have to confess your sins to anyone except in the sense of james 5 16. now james 5 16 tells us confess your sins one to another okay and the reason he says that is for the purpose of prayer and accountability to be vulnerable and honest that we can pray for each other regarding our temptations and sins not for the purpose of absolving someone from their sins there is not another human being who is able to absolve you of your sins that is something only god can do the bible says in first timothy 2 5 for there is one god and one mediator between god and men the man christ jesus the god man that god is the only one who stands jesus is the only one who stands between god and mankind he is our intercessor he is our mediator he is our advocate not another human being not another human being and i'll say it this directly it is an insult to god and it is an injustice to scripture to say that even though god tore the curtain to give open access to him through christ that we can't really come directly to him that we still have to go through a priest or another person to get there a resounding no we don't my friends jesus said in john 14 6 i am the way i am the truth i am the life no man gets to the father but by me that's what jesus said the bible says that he is the priest who brings us to god hebrews 7 24-25 it says because jesus lives forever he has a permanent priesthood therefore he is able to save completely those who come to god through him because he always lives to intercede for us so you see we go to god through jesus we don't go to god through another human being when that curtain was torn one of the things god was saying was no more need for the priesthood to intercede between man and god before this event the priests would represent god to man and represent man to god now in a sense we have a spiritual priesthood the bible talks about how we've been made a kingdom and priest to serve our god because only in that sense are we still to represent god well to people that's called evangelism and we are to represent people to god in the sense that we pray for people we intercede for people but we have no role in absolving one another from sin the priesthood in terms of the absolution of sin has been abolished by what christ did on the cross he is our high priest he is our intercessor he is our mediator he is our advocate does everybody get that that's an important thing that happened when that curtain was torn and we need to understand this because god is now approachable directly through his son jesus number two it eliminated the animal sacrificial system you see before jesus died on the cross god made gracious provision for the temporary atonement of sin for people who had sinned against god i mean how were people forgiven before jesus died on the cross this is the old testament sacrificial system in the old testament god made gracious provision in this way and i'm summarizing basically the old testament on this topic that god said this if you bring an innocent animal i will accept it in exchange for your not so innocent sinful life that if you offer an innocent lamb or goat and you bring it to the temple and slaughtered it a life for a life the blood of that innocent animal i will accept as temporary atonement for your sins but you must do this year after year until such time that christ died on the cross so when christ died on a cross that then eliminated the animal sacrificial system because jesus came as the lamb of god who died for the sins of the world his sacrifice once for all people for all time until that happened the animal sacrificial system was in place and it was god's gracious provision to atone for people's sins so this is how it worked if you were a male in that day age 21 or older you were responsible for bringing an animal either a lamb or a goat to sacrifice for your sins and or for the sins of your family members and so the head of a home or an individual male would bring a lamb or a goat bring it to the priest at the temple the worshiper would then lay his weight on the head of the animal it was symbolic of transferring the one's sins onto this innocent animal you would then personally slit the throat of the lamb the priest would be involved in this he would be holding a basin to capture some of the blood of this lamb as it bled from its slit neck then the priest would take the blood sprinkle it on the altar as an atonement for your sins that's how it would work every single year you had to do that so the fact that the curtain was torn in two is all symbolic of okay you can approach god freely now through his son jesus jesus became the perfect sacrifice his shed blood on the cross eliminates the animal sacrificial system this also is good news for us because no longer do you have to drag lamb chops to church can you imagine that can you imagine if you had to just be bringing a lamb every time he came to church and i'd be up here with a basin and you'd be slitting its neck and there'd be like this you know next buck i mean the lamb is happy about this too except that now you know instead of it being a sacrificial lamb it gets put on a spit and made into shawarma delicious but anyway i digress the sacrificial system is gone now because jesus paid the price on the cross he is the lamb of god that takes away the sins of the world hebrews 10 verses 4 and 5 it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins therefore christ came into the world one savior one sacrifice at one time for all people for all generations the sacrificial system has been eliminated first john 2 verses 1 and 2 says and if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous and he himself is the propitiation meaning the atoning sacrifice for our sins listen to the rest of the verse and not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world because god's sacrifice through his son jesus was for all who believe and receive for anyone who believes and receives first peter 3 18 says for christ died for sins once for all the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to god so that we might might have access to god directly which brings me to the third and the final point when god tore a curtain it opened the way for all to come to god hebrews 10 19 to 22 says it this way therefore brothers since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of jesus he's talking in the terms of the temple how do you have access to the presence of god well we have confidence to enter his presence how by the blood of jesus this is hebrews 10 verse 20 by a new and living way open for us through the curtain that is his body notice that the writer of hebrews is using this terminology to connect the curtain in the temple with the body of jesus saying in effect when that curtain was torn in two it it it coincided with when jesus was sacrificed when he was crucified when he was broken if you will because god was communicating that through the sacrifice of his son the curtain has been torn in two because we now have open access to god the rest of the verse says and since we have a great priest that's jesus over the house of god let us draw near to god with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith let us draw near to god you have to understand before this curtain was torn people never thought about drawing near to god he was a distant god he was he was unapproachable he was inaccessible but now god is knowable personable approachable and accessible and no other world religion invites you to come to god like christianity does through faith in jesus christ not another single world religion jesus said i am the gate or the door whoever enters through me shalt be saved john 10 verse 9. he said in john and rev sorry in revelation 3 20 behold i stand at the door and knock whoever hears my voice and opens the door i will come in and i will dine with him and he with me those are words of fellowship those are words of relationship and that's exactly what god wants with us he wants relationship with us he wants fellowship with us islam doesn't offer you that hinduism doesn't offer you that buddhism doesn't offer you that judaism doesn't even offer you that it is only in christ it is in christ christianity that's what christianity means being in christ is what offers us that kind of fellowship and relationship with the father when god tore that curtain he made himself accessible to us through his son jesus christ so that one day when you die you can stand in his presence welcomed and forgiven that's what pat is experiencing today welcomed and forgiven and this is why hebrews 4 16 says let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need amen would you buy your heads with me amen you can praise him amen bow your heads with me some of you don't know a personal relationship with jesus some of you perhaps thought that he was not that accessible or approachable some of you believed you had to go through another human being to get to him i want you to understand that you can have a personal relationship with the creator of the universe through faith in jesus christ who died on a cross for you god has opened the curtain wide for you to have relationship with him he is knowable he is personable he loves you all he wants is for you to step through that curtain and come into his presence if you don't know him in a personal way i want to offer you an opportunity to pray and invite him into your life to know him the way that he longs to be known to love him the way that he already loves you to have relationship with him and it begins with a prayer begins with surrendering your life to jesus and so i'm going to lead in a prayer and if if you want to join me you can just whisper this prayer after me you can pray it right where you're seated online our audience watching you can pray watching and you can just make it your own personal profession of faith today to step behind that curtain that's been opened wide to you and to have relationship with your heavenly father so pray this prayer with me if you if you want to know him in a personal way just say lord jesus i thank you that you died on that cross for me and i pray right now that you would forgive me of my sins cleanse my heart i want a relationship with you i want to know you in a personal way so i surrender to you today i enter into your presence through faith in jesus thank you for loving me thank you for dying for me i surrender my life to you by faith in jesus in whose name i pray amen now let me tell you before you leave here today and those of you watching online if you prayed that prayer with me you receive christ as your savior there's going to be a pastor down front here who will give you a bible we don't want anything from you there's no strings attached just a way of remembering today's decision and if you prayed that prayer watching online we already got a lot of emails and texts into the church from the previous services you can text in to the number that's on your screen 703-844-9969 we'll send you a bible if you give us your address if you prayed that prayer with us also god bless you all go on the grace of the lord amen and amen have a good day [Applause] you

Channel: Cornerstone Chapel - Leesburg, VA

Views: 157,355

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Id: tB1hq22Z8e0

Length: 33min 46sec (2026 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 21 2021