Miracles of Calvary: #2 Temple Curtain Torn
Matthew 27:50-51 – Victory Fellowship
March 13, 2022 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
I. INTRODUCTION
a. When considering the accounts of all the Gospels, Jesus’ death on the cross was accompanied by six miraculous events that lead to the concluding evidence of His Resurrection:
i. The Miraculous Darkness
ii. The Tearing of the Temple Curtain
iii. The Miraculous Earthquake
iv. The Miracle of Opened Graves
v. Jesus’ Undisturbed Grave Clothes
vi. Revivals to Life in the Calvary Graveyard
vii. Resurrection Sunday: Evidence of the Resurrection
II. TEARING OF THE TEMPLE CURTIAN
a. The Cause and Effect
i. Independent of the Earthquake (vs 51)
ii. Resulted from Jesus’ Last Cry (John 19:30)
iii. Torn from Top to Bottom.
b. Significance of the Temple Curtain
i. It represented a Barrier (Ex. 26:30-33)
"Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan which you have been shown in the mountain. "And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet [material] and fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.32 "And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks [also being of] gold, on four sockets of silver.33 "And you shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies.
ii. God provided the Pattern (Ex. 25:8-9)
8 "And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.9 "According to all that I am going to show you, [as] the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct [it.]
iii. It measured 60' long by 30' wide
c. No Longer a Tabernacle System
i. It was God’s Confirmation of the Elimination of the Temple Sacrifice.
ii. It Magnifies the Opportunity now for Anyone to come into God’s presence.
iii. God’s Timing was miraculous:
1. The very moment Jesus died
2. Right when the Priests would be in the Holy Place front of the Curtain to begin the evening sacrifice (3:00 PM)
iv. This event was never denied or contradicted. (Acts 6:7)
And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
d. What the Miracle of the Torn Curtain Changed in the Tabernacle System:
i. It became impossible for the High Priest to carry the Blood of Atonement inside the curtain.
ii. The 1500 year old secret of the Holy of Holies came to an end.
iii. The priests were now free to enter safely into the presence of God.
iv. The people in the outer court were now free to enter the places that only the priests could previously.
v. God revealed His Holy Presence to all.
III. CONCLUSION
a. Why the Temple Curtain was necessary and now isn’t...
i. Sin was the obstruction
ii. The Body and Blood of Christ is the new Curtain. (Call to Worship: Hebrews 10:19-22)
Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since [we have] a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled [clean] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
PRAYER
SONG: Come as You Are
Matthew 27:50-51 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.
