Matthew 27:51-53
What it is described in the Gospel we heard this morning was not a small thing. As you remember the curtain of the temple was there to divide the Most Holy Place from the holy place. It was there to separate all sinful men from the presence of God. Only the high priest once a year was allowed to enter behind it, once a year on Yom Kippur.
The curtain prevented people from drawing near, but the tearing of the curtain signified that Christ by His death and through His blood had permanently opened a way to God. For those who are covered by Jesus’ redeeming blood there is now no barrier to God’s presence. Christ’s death gives believers direct access to God. We can come to Him in full assurance of faith whenever we want.
The tearing of the curtain goes also according to the message Jesus preached, he came to look for sinner, for those who were kept away from God’s presence, now they can come, there is no barrier.
The writer of Hebrews tells us: “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.” Heb 10:19-22 (NIV),
According to what the writer of Hebrews says, now we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place anytime we want without the mediation of a priest because we have a great priest over the house of God. We can now say that God has an opened door policy. I said before that the tearing of the curtain was not a small thing. This event was putting the belief system upside down: for centuries Jerusalem was the place of sacrifices, for centuries the High Priest came to intercede for God’s people and now with Jesus’ death all this was not need anymore.
Since the temple was a place for sacrifices, when Jesus the Perfect Lamb of God died, the temple lost its meaning, the sacrifices of bulls or lambs were needed no more for Jesus poured out His own precious blood once for all. And since the sacrifices were need no more, God’s presence was not needed either. Before his death, Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple, which happened in 70 AD.
According to Hebrews we can understand that the curtain was torn for us to enter the Most Holy place. However, let us go back to the Gospel of Matthew and let us see what happened when the curtain was torn, “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection andwent into the holy city and appeared to many people.” All that can only happen with God’s power and with his presence. We can say, without any doubt that God, the One who dwelled in the Most Holy place in the temple walked out of the temple and was showing his presence on the streets of Jerusalem.
Therefore, we can say that more for us to get in into the Most Holy place, the curtain was torn from top to bottom for God to come out… and that it was he did. What Matthew describes happening in the city of Jerusalem prove it. Now, the question is, where did he go? Where is now his new dwelling place? Did he go back to heaven? The apostle Paul clarified that for us in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” Do you see it? God came out of the temple to dwell in you and me, we are the new dwelling place of God.
Again, what happened in the temple when Jesus died was not a small thing, that event that put upside down the system of belief is now a challenge for us. You see, if God dwells in us, then we are God’s walking temples, wherever we go, he goes and whatever he wants to do, he will do it through us. Can you imagine? The power that shook the earth, the power that split rocks and broke tombs. The power of whom healed lepers, made blinds see, paralytics walk, that power is dwelling in us. God is active in us.
Every Sunday when we finish our worship service it should be like if the curtain is torn once again and God goes out ready and willing to do his work through us, his new dwelling place. You see, when God was dwelling in the temple people came to him, now that he dwells in us, in us, he goes to the people the same way he did with Jesus. Remember, people came to the temple to offer sacrifices so they can be forgiven. Jesus forgave people away from the temple.
Since we are God’s temple let us remember a couple things, 1, at the beginning of his ministry Jesus said, The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released, and prisoners will be freed. The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. Luke 4:18-19. Luke was quoting Isaiah 61. God wants to continue comforting and healing, releasing captives and freeing prisoners and the way he will do it is through us, his temple. Jesus came to reach those rejected by society. God wants to continue doing it, he will do it through us. Allow the Holy Spirit to move in you and through you.
2nd thing to remember, 1 Corinthians 3:17 says, “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” Because we are the temple of the Spirit, we have to take care of our bodies. We have to rest, when we are tired, we have to feed our body the best we can, we have to go to the doctor when we feel sick. By doing that we are showing God that we love to have him in us; that we love he is part of our lives.
And 3rd , we have to respect and take care of others because they are also the temple of God. Remember when Jesus was asked which one was the most important commandment, He said ‘Love God and you neighbor as yourself.” If I mistreat others, I mistreat the temple of God, if I ignore others, I ignore the temple of God. Therefore, allow God to work through you, he will do things that you do not even imagine. Ephesians 3:20 says, “20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.
Paul saw what he is saying in Ephesians 3:20, Paul witnessed everything we read in the book of Acts. However, we most be willing to let God work in us and through us. Are you willing?