The Divide Bridged

By Danny Saavedra

“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 earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”—Matthew 27:50–53 (NIV)

Have you ever watched a movie or TV show with a massive chasm or divide that must be crossed? In those moments, our heroes have two choices: try to find a way around or somehow jump the chasm. I think of Captain America: The First Avenger where Cap jumped a huge distance as the HYDRA facility was burning down. In contrast, I also think of the invisible bridge in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

So, what does this have to do with our passage today? Well, I’ll get to that in a minute, but first I want to say there’s nothing insignificant about the cross or the events surrounding it. It’s quite the opposite! Every detail that ripples outward from the crucifixion of Jesus has spiritual importance. For instance, immediately after Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. What’s the significance here?

Historians tell us this veil was about 40 feet high and was as thick as a man’s hand! It served as a barrier that sectioned off the Holy of Holies, the most sacred space within the temple representing God’s presence. It was a continual reminder that God’s holiness was incompatible with man’s sinfulness—and only the High Priest was allowed to pass beyond the veil once a year to offer sacrifice for the people’s sins. Quite simply, access to God was denied because of sin.

Sin was the endless chasm that could not be jumped or bridged. We may try to jump the chasm and earn our way to God through our own power, goodness, or deeds, but unlike Captain America, we can't make that jump and instead, we’ll be burned up in the flames of our fallenness. The 40 feet of curtain was a clear representation of this. There was no way we could come into God’s presence or gain access to Him in our sinful state. We needed blood to be poured out by a mediator.

But here’s the thing . . . Hebrews 10:1–4 (NIV, emphasis added) says, “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? The worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, [because] it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

You see, both the mediator and the sacrifice were insufficient. The blood was not enough and the mediator, a sinner himself, was not enough. But Jesus was enough in both ways! He was the “one mediator between God and mankind” (1 Timothy 2:5 NIV) and “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29 NIV). And so, through the death of Jesus that divide was bridged! Like Indiana Jones, the bridge was there for us to cross, for direct access to God's presence and His throne room.

God’s demand for justice against sin was satisfied through the Son’s perfect sacrifice. The divine demand of wrath was satisfied and the way into God’s presence was now open to all who would accept this in faith. Notice how this barrier between man and God was torn “from top to bottom,” indicating God Himself initiated this newfound freedom!

Pause: What significance do you see in the events surrounding the cross here?

Practice: Spend time reflecting on the proper response to the cross’ significance and how it must impact your life and your view of the world.

Pray: Lord, give me the eyes to see all You have done for me at the cross. May I absorb all there is for me there. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.