Mark 15.33-41
The heart of our religion is the death of Jesus . Everything depends on the Cross: life and death, heaven and hell, now and forever. I was reading one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' death recently when I stumbled onto a thought. There is no explanation of the significance of what is happening. Wouldn't you expect Mark to write something about how Jesus' death provides forgiveness of sin or the hope of heaven? Luke was a close associate of the Apostle Paul. You'd think that he would include maybe just a hint of Paul's teaching about our justification before the Father through the death of Jesus. But there is none of this in any of the four Gospels. They simply log what happened: this happened and then this happened and then this happened and then He died. There are no comments describing the salvation Jesus gained for us on that day. And that's why this tidbit in our text stood out to me. 'And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.' Believe it or not, this is commentary about the Cross, an explanation of what happened. But it is not commentary from Mark. Rather, it is commentary from the Father. And it is a profound commentary. So, this morning we're going to take a look at this curtain and what happened to it. There are some things going on here that you need to see, things that will speak to how you live. So, let's see what the Spirit has to say to us this morning.
The first thing we need to do is understand why the curtain is there. Mark tells us that it is the curtain of the temple. As such, it has quite a history. After the exodus, when God made His covenant with Israel, He told the people, in no uncertain terms, how they were to worship Him. At the heart of that worship was a tent called the tabernacle. God showed Moses what it should look like and then told him to build one just like it. I think it's helpful to view the tabernacle as a series of curtains. The first set of curtains surround the courtyard. Picture some heavy curtains hanging on wooden frames and attached to each other. They are set up to form four walls that you cannot see around or over or through. These curtains separate the courtyard and what is within it from the rest of the world. Within this courtyard is another set of curtains. This second group of curtains cover the four walls of the tabernacle as well as its roof. They separate the tabernacle itself from the rest of the courtyard. Then there is the third wall of curtains inside the tabernacle. This separates the Most Holy Place from all the rest. The Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God's special presence, was kept here, in the Most Holy Place. The center of Israel's worship that Moses built was a series of curtains that blocked the way to God's special presence. When King Solomon arrived on the scene some 500 years later, he built a worship center that was more permanent than a tent. He erected a building with solid walls instead of curtains. But there was still a curtain separating the Most Holy Place, where God's special presence resided, from the rest of the world.
While this theme of the curtains is displayed most clearly in the tabernacle and the temple, it didn't start with these. In this as with so much else, we need to return to the Garden of Eden. The Garden was heaven on earth for Adam and Eve. It was a place of deep contentment and complete and perfect happiness. And it was that because God was there. Adam and Eve enjoyed God while in the Garden. Try to imagine taking a walk with God in the cool of the day. How glorious that must have been. And the work that He gave to them wasn't frustrating or tedious or anything like that. It was a joy. It satisfied. It fulfilled. Every day was filled with sunshine. It really was heaven on earth. But all that was destroyed. Adam and Eve listened to Satan and ruined everything. Do you remember what God did next? It's tempting to misread what happened. It's possible to think of it as God having a calm chat with His two errant creatures. 'Oh Adam? Where are you? There you are. Hey, buddy, we need to sort out what's happened.' That misses the point completely. God was enraged. Enraged. Just consider what He did. First, He cursed them both. Cursed! Try to picture God cursing someone. Not a pleasant image. Next, He kicked them out of the Garden. He kicked them out of this little bit of heaven on earth. Don't imaging this as some troubled host politely telling his guests, 'I think it's time that you left.' No. Genesis says He drove them out; He thrust them out. But then He did a third thing. He posted some angels at the entrance to the Garden and gave them a flaming sword. There is no explanation given of what they were to do but I think it's pretty clear. What would you think if you saw armed angels? 'Try to enter the Garden and we will kill you. God's orders.' We miss the point of what is going on if we imagine God as calm and eminently reasonable as He gently asks Adam and Eve to leave. No. He was angry. He was enraged. And He was enraged because He really hates sin. Really hates it.
All of this explains the curtains. What are the curtains saying? I think the message of the curtains is clear. 'STAY OUT!!' The curtains are a sign with bold letters on them. 'NO TRESPASSING! VIOLATORS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT.'There were some who ignored this message of the curtains. And they died. Just for one example there was Nadab and Abihu. Because they did not heed this message they were burned alive by God. I think that the point of the curtains is clear. But, in case you are unsure, consider this. Do you know what images were woven into the curtains? Angels, the guardians of the Garden. The curtains are God's message to sinners. 'Do not enter – on pain of death.' And so, no heaven on earth. No joyous work. No sense of being satisfied and fulfilled. No strolls with God. 'Stay out!'
Now, we're ready for our text. 'And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.' It is the image of a torn curtain that explains the Cross. This act is God's commentary. The curtain is ripped in two. It is taken away so that an entryway is opened. And who removed the curtain. God did. He grabbed it and ripped it from top to bottom. God has taken that 'No Trespassing' sign and thrown it away. The angels have sheathed their swords. The way back into the Garden has been opened to us. Heaven on earth.
But wait. What has changed? After all these centuries of armed angels why is that warning sign removed? We need to answer this. Could it be that God has changed? Does He now have a new opinion? 'Well, we all make mistakes. I was too harsh in the past. I'm turning over a new leaf. Let's let bygones be bygones.' The only label that fits this suggestion is blasphemy. What an insult! God's intense hatred of sin is not just some passing and errant opinion. God hates sin because it is an expression of His character. He is holy. And for that reason, sin – our sin – enrages Him. It is a personal affront to His sense of what is right. And that can never change. God hates sin – intensely. So, the curtain is ripped not because God has changed.
Could it be that we have changed? Have we finally sorted things out so that we understand how this life works? We've changed and now obey God and because of that He can now allow us in, right? I hope ho one here is so blinded to himself as to give this even a moment's consideration. Reality check. We sin. A lot. And in ways that we are too ashamed to admit out loud. The curtain is gone, but that is in no way because we are a better people. To suggest this is simply foolishness.
The curtain is gone but not because there has been some change in God or us. The difference is because of the Cross. The reason for the ripped curtain is tied to what Jesus did. Jesus died. But lots of people die. Why does this death change things? How does this death open the way for us? Luther called it the Great Exchange. All of your sin was placed on Jesus. That means all of the rage of a holy God against your sin was exploded upon Jesus. All of it. So, now, there is none left. God's anger at your sin is spent. God's sense of justice is satisfied by Jesus' death for you. At the same time, you get all of Jesus' perfection. And that means that the Father deals with you in the same way that He deals with the resurrected Jesus. The very same way. So, you see, the Father didn't lower His standards. You haven't changed into some obedient person. No, Jesus has traded places with you. He has suffered justice for you so that you might enjoy the benefits of His perfect life. This is all yours by faith. The Great Exchange.
So, the 'No Trespassing' sign lies off to the side, ripped to pieces. In its place is something new. A Welcome mat. Now, we are invited to draw near to the Father so that we might enjoy Him just as Adam and Eve once did. And that's what the Gospel is about. That's why Jesus has come: that we might enjoy God. And that makes so much sense because enjoying the Father is why we were created. When Adam and Eve looked around at the Garden, amazed at its beauty, that was enjoying the Father. When they strolled together holding hands, sharing their hearts, that was enjoying the Father. When they picked some fresh vegetables so they could enjoy a meal together, that was enjoying the Father. And when they walked with their God in the cool of the day, that was enjoying the Father. The Welcome mat is out. We have been invited back into the Garden to enjoy the Father and to be who we were meant to be. That's the Gospel. That's what Jesus came to do.
However – for one reason or another we do not enjoy Him as much as we could. And that's a problem. And it is a very large problem for some. In fact, for some the Welcome mat seems to be a cruel joke that God is playing on them. They see the Welcome but they do not feel it. And that really is a problem. But like every other problem of this life, it is one that can be dealt with. There are lots of reason why we don't enjoy the Father as much as we could. I'm only going to look at three. I do this as someone who believes the message of the Welcome mat. The curtain is gone. The way is open to draw near. That is something that I believe as well as something that I enjoy. And I want all of you to believe it and enjoy it also as much as you possibly can.
Here's one reason why we don't enjoy God as much as we might. We don't understand well enough what Jesus has done. Before we were married, Linda made a quilt. She cut some fabric into squares about four inches on a side. She put two of these squares back to back and sewed three sides. She stuffed each of these and then sewed the fourth side. Each looked like a little pillow, four inches square. She then took these little pillows and stitched them each, by hand, to the others until she ended up with a quilt. Then, she gave it to me. When she did, I said to myself something like, 'Oh, a nice blanket', put it aside and then asked her about what we should do for the rest of the day. She put in hours and hours and hours of work into that gift, and I just didn't get it. I did not appreciate her gift. And that is because I did not understand what went into making such a work of art. Jesus has given us a gift, but we do not enjoy it as much as we might because we do not understand well enough what went into creating such a gift. Since those pre-marriage days I have come to appreciate that quilt. But that's because I learned what it takes to make such a thing. We all need to learn more about what it took to create that Welcome mat. We all need need to ponder the ripped curtain. That will require understanding better things like angels with flaming swords, a God who is so holy that sin requires a violent reaction, hell and what exactly happened on Good Friday. We will not appreciate sufficiently – and thus enjoy sufficiently – Jesus' gift if we do not have a growing sense of what went into creating it.
Here's a second reason why some of you do not enjoy the Father as much as you might. You feel disqualified because of your sin. There you are and, once again, you've done something stupid. Your sin stares you in the face with that condemning look. It mocks your claim to be a disciple of Jesus, and it assures you that even God couldn't love you now. And life takes a nosedive. But here you must remember why the curtain was ripped apart. It wasn't' because you changed. It wasn't because you finally became a nice person. You're not. You sin. A lot. So, sinning some more doesn't change things. It's here that you need to remember that the curtain was removed because of Jesus. Remember the Great Exchange. You are loved by the Father not because you always get it right. You are loved because you enjoy the benefits of Jesus' perfection. Even when you sin – which is more often that you know – the Father still loves you. Because of Jesus, He still loves you. Do not believe the lies. When you've sinned, believe the Gospel instead and return to your loving Father and enjoy Him some more.
The last reason that we don't enjoy the Father as much as we might is that we don't work at it. There are some great marriages out there. But most marriages aren't great. And the reason for that is that most couples don't work at their marriages. Great marriages take effort. There are great Christians out there, people full of joy and love and an unshakable sense of peace. It seems as if the Spirit just overflows from them. And the reason for this is that they work at it. These are Christians who work at knowing God, who work at understanding the change from that 'No Trespassing' sign to the Welcome mat, who work at understanding the Cross. They battle with their own hearts and the sin that still resides there. They take pains to pray thoughtfully and honestly. They are not content with a surface understanding of their Bibles. They are not content with a surface understanding of Jesus. They work at it. This takes time and it takes effort, but it's worth it. Their enjoyment of the Father deepens with each passing year. Most Christians today do not work at following Jesus. Don't be among them.
The curtain is ripped in two. Jesus has come to open the way for you. That's something that starts now and gets better and better until it is transferred to the life to come where it continues on. Come and enjoy the Father.
The heart of our religion is the death of Jesus . Everything depends on the Cross: life and death, heaven and hell, now and forever. I was reading one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' death recently when I stumbled onto a thought. There is no explanation of the significance of what is happening. Wouldn't you expect Mark to write something about how Jesus' death provides forgiveness of sin or the hope of heaven? Luke was a close associate of the Apostle Paul. You'd think that he would include maybe just a hint of Paul's teaching about our justification before the Father through the death of Jesus. But there is none of this in any of the four Gospels. They simply log what happened: this happened and then this happened and then this happened and then He died. There are no comments describing the salvation Jesus gained for us on that day. And that's why this tidbit in our text stood out to me. 'And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.' Believe it or not, this is commentary about the Cross, an explanation of what happened. But it is not commentary from Mark. Rather, it is commentary from the Father. And it is a profound commentary. So, this morning we're going to take a look at this curtain and what happened to it. There are some things going on here that you need to see, things that will speak to how you live. So, let's see what the Spirit has to say to us this morning.
The first thing we need to do is understand why the curtain is there. Mark tells us that it is the curtain of the temple. As such, it has quite a history. After the exodus, when God made His covenant with Israel, He told the people, in no uncertain terms, how they were to worship Him. At the heart of that worship was a tent called the tabernacle. God showed Moses what it should look like and then told him to build one just like it. I think it's helpful to view the tabernacle as a series of curtains. The first set of curtains surround the courtyard. Picture some heavy curtains hanging on wooden frames and attached to each other. They are set up to form four walls that you cannot see around or over or through. These curtains separate the courtyard and what is within it from the rest of the world. Within this courtyard is another set of curtains. This second group of curtains cover the four walls of the tabernacle as well as its roof. They separate the tabernacle itself from the rest of the courtyard. Then there is the third wall of curtains inside the tabernacle. This separates the Most Holy Place from all the rest. The Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God's special presence, was kept here, in the Most Holy Place. The center of Israel's worship that Moses built was a series of curtains that blocked the way to God's special presence. When King Solomon arrived on the scene some 500 years later, he built a worship center that was more permanent than a tent. He erected a building with solid walls instead of curtains. But there was still a curtain separating the Most Holy Place, where God's special presence resided, from the rest of the world.
While this theme of the curtains is displayed most clearly in the tabernacle and the temple, it didn't start with these. In this as with so much else, we need to return to the Garden of Eden. The Garden was heaven on earth for Adam and Eve. It was a place of deep contentment and complete and perfect happiness. And it was that because God was there. Adam and Eve enjoyed God while in the Garden. Try to imagine taking a walk with God in the cool of the day. How glorious that must have been. And the work that He gave to them wasn't frustrating or tedious or anything like that. It was a joy. It satisfied. It fulfilled. Every day was filled with sunshine. It really was heaven on earth. But all that was destroyed. Adam and Eve listened to Satan and ruined everything. Do you remember what God did next? It's tempting to misread what happened. It's possible to think of it as God having a calm chat with His two errant creatures. 'Oh Adam? Where are you? There you are. Hey, buddy, we need to sort out what's happened.' That misses the point completely. God was enraged. Enraged. Just consider what He did. First, He cursed them both. Cursed! Try to picture God cursing someone. Not a pleasant image. Next, He kicked them out of the Garden. He kicked them out of this little bit of heaven on earth. Don't imaging this as some troubled host politely telling his guests, 'I think it's time that you left.' No. Genesis says He drove them out; He thrust them out. But then He did a third thing. He posted some angels at the entrance to the Garden and gave them a flaming sword. There is no explanation given of what they were to do but I think it's pretty clear. What would you think if you saw armed angels? 'Try to enter the Garden and we will kill you. God's orders.' We miss the point of what is going on if we imagine God as calm and eminently reasonable as He gently asks Adam and Eve to leave. No. He was angry. He was enraged. And He was enraged because He really hates sin. Really hates it.
All of this explains the curtains. What are the curtains saying? I think the message of the curtains is clear. 'STAY OUT!!' The curtains are a sign with bold letters on them. 'NO TRESPASSING! VIOLATORS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT.'There were some who ignored this message of the curtains. And they died. Just for one example there was Nadab and Abihu. Because they did not heed this message they were burned alive by God. I think that the point of the curtains is clear. But, in case you are unsure, consider this. Do you know what images were woven into the curtains? Angels, the guardians of the Garden. The curtains are God's message to sinners. 'Do not enter – on pain of death.' And so, no heaven on earth. No joyous work. No sense of being satisfied and fulfilled. No strolls with God. 'Stay out!'
Now, we're ready for our text. 'And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.' It is the image of a torn curtain that explains the Cross. This act is God's commentary. The curtain is ripped in two. It is taken away so that an entryway is opened. And who removed the curtain. God did. He grabbed it and ripped it from top to bottom. God has taken that 'No Trespassing' sign and thrown it away. The angels have sheathed their swords. The way back into the Garden has been opened to us. Heaven on earth.
But wait. What has changed? After all these centuries of armed angels why is that warning sign removed? We need to answer this. Could it be that God has changed? Does He now have a new opinion? 'Well, we all make mistakes. I was too harsh in the past. I'm turning over a new leaf. Let's let bygones be bygones.' The only label that fits this suggestion is blasphemy. What an insult! God's intense hatred of sin is not just some passing and errant opinion. God hates sin because it is an expression of His character. He is holy. And for that reason, sin – our sin – enrages Him. It is a personal affront to His sense of what is right. And that can never change. God hates sin – intensely. So, the curtain is ripped not because God has changed.
Could it be that we have changed? Have we finally sorted things out so that we understand how this life works? We've changed and now obey God and because of that He can now allow us in, right? I hope ho one here is so blinded to himself as to give this even a moment's consideration. Reality check. We sin. A lot. And in ways that we are too ashamed to admit out loud. The curtain is gone, but that is in no way because we are a better people. To suggest this is simply foolishness.
The curtain is gone but not because there has been some change in God or us. The difference is because of the Cross. The reason for the ripped curtain is tied to what Jesus did. Jesus died. But lots of people die. Why does this death change things? How does this death open the way for us? Luther called it the Great Exchange. All of your sin was placed on Jesus. That means all of the rage of a holy God against your sin was exploded upon Jesus. All of it. So, now, there is none left. God's anger at your sin is spent. God's sense of justice is satisfied by Jesus' death for you. At the same time, you get all of Jesus' perfection. And that means that the Father deals with you in the same way that He deals with the resurrected Jesus. The very same way. So, you see, the Father didn't lower His standards. You haven't changed into some obedient person. No, Jesus has traded places with you. He has suffered justice for you so that you might enjoy the benefits of His perfect life. This is all yours by faith. The Great Exchange.
So, the 'No Trespassing' sign lies off to the side, ripped to pieces. In its place is something new. A Welcome mat. Now, we are invited to draw near to the Father so that we might enjoy Him just as Adam and Eve once did. And that's what the Gospel is about. That's why Jesus has come: that we might enjoy God. And that makes so much sense because enjoying the Father is why we were created. When Adam and Eve looked around at the Garden, amazed at its beauty, that was enjoying the Father. When they strolled together holding hands, sharing their hearts, that was enjoying the Father. When they picked some fresh vegetables so they could enjoy a meal together, that was enjoying the Father. And when they walked with their God in the cool of the day, that was enjoying the Father. The Welcome mat is out. We have been invited back into the Garden to enjoy the Father and to be who we were meant to be. That's the Gospel. That's what Jesus came to do.
However – for one reason or another we do not enjoy Him as much as we could. And that's a problem. And it is a very large problem for some. In fact, for some the Welcome mat seems to be a cruel joke that God is playing on them. They see the Welcome but they do not feel it. And that really is a problem. But like every other problem of this life, it is one that can be dealt with. There are lots of reason why we don't enjoy the Father as much as we could. I'm only going to look at three. I do this as someone who believes the message of the Welcome mat. The curtain is gone. The way is open to draw near. That is something that I believe as well as something that I enjoy. And I want all of you to believe it and enjoy it also as much as you possibly can.
Here's one reason why we don't enjoy God as much as we might. We don't understand well enough what Jesus has done. Before we were married, Linda made a quilt. She cut some fabric into squares about four inches on a side. She put two of these squares back to back and sewed three sides. She stuffed each of these and then sewed the fourth side. Each looked like a little pillow, four inches square. She then took these little pillows and stitched them each, by hand, to the others until she ended up with a quilt. Then, she gave it to me. When she did, I said to myself something like, 'Oh, a nice blanket', put it aside and then asked her about what we should do for the rest of the day. She put in hours and hours and hours of work into that gift, and I just didn't get it. I did not appreciate her gift. And that is because I did not understand what went into making such a work of art. Jesus has given us a gift, but we do not enjoy it as much as we might because we do not understand well enough what went into creating such a gift. Since those pre-marriage days I have come to appreciate that quilt. But that's because I learned what it takes to make such a thing. We all need to learn more about what it took to create that Welcome mat. We all need need to ponder the ripped curtain. That will require understanding better things like angels with flaming swords, a God who is so holy that sin requires a violent reaction, hell and what exactly happened on Good Friday. We will not appreciate sufficiently – and thus enjoy sufficiently – Jesus' gift if we do not have a growing sense of what went into creating it.
Here's a second reason why some of you do not enjoy the Father as much as you might. You feel disqualified because of your sin. There you are and, once again, you've done something stupid. Your sin stares you in the face with that condemning look. It mocks your claim to be a disciple of Jesus, and it assures you that even God couldn't love you now. And life takes a nosedive. But here you must remember why the curtain was ripped apart. It wasn't' because you changed. It wasn't because you finally became a nice person. You're not. You sin. A lot. So, sinning some more doesn't change things. It's here that you need to remember that the curtain was removed because of Jesus. Remember the Great Exchange. You are loved by the Father not because you always get it right. You are loved because you enjoy the benefits of Jesus' perfection. Even when you sin – which is more often that you know – the Father still loves you. Because of Jesus, He still loves you. Do not believe the lies. When you've sinned, believe the Gospel instead and return to your loving Father and enjoy Him some more.
The last reason that we don't enjoy the Father as much as we might is that we don't work at it. There are some great marriages out there. But most marriages aren't great. And the reason for that is that most couples don't work at their marriages. Great marriages take effort. There are great Christians out there, people full of joy and love and an unshakable sense of peace. It seems as if the Spirit just overflows from them. And the reason for this is that they work at it. These are Christians who work at knowing God, who work at understanding the change from that 'No Trespassing' sign to the Welcome mat, who work at understanding the Cross. They battle with their own hearts and the sin that still resides there. They take pains to pray thoughtfully and honestly. They are not content with a surface understanding of their Bibles. They are not content with a surface understanding of Jesus. They work at it. This takes time and it takes effort, but it's worth it. Their enjoyment of the Father deepens with each passing year. Most Christians today do not work at following Jesus. Don't be among them.
The curtain is ripped in two. Jesus has come to open the way for you. That's something that starts now and gets better and better until it is transferred to the life to come where it continues on. Come and enjoy the Father.
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