The Torn Veil - Easter 2019 (Bot9 #272)
Having been reading and writing about the Old Testament here in early 2019, Easter is hitting me in a different place this year. The indications and words pointing us to the coming Christ are abundant in the Old Testament, yet many Christians don’t take the time to study and understand it. All I can share in this moment is my experience. The Easter story intensifies and my adoration of God has grown immeasurably by being in the Old Testament, specifically the story of the Temple.
God never wanted a barrier between us. His desire to be with us and walk with us is apparent throughout the Old Testament. Our rebellion against Him begins in the Garden and continues throughout human history. We reject His desire to walk with us.
After the Exodus, God dwells with Moses and the Israelites in the creation of the Tabernacle. Later, in the era of David and Solomon, man wants to build the Temple as a dwelling place for God, even though God didn’t ask for it. This was an important thing to realize - God has never desired a barrier between us. Because of our rebellion against His goodness, laws and rules are necessary to approach His perfection.
Then comes Jesus. Instead of staying in His perfection in Heaven, He comes to us. Again God shows His desire to walk with us, this time with nothing between us and Him. What do we do? In their pride and ignorance, the most religious people of the time kill Him.
But then, as Jesus is breathing His last human breaths on the cross, the veil inside the Temple was torn (Matthew 27-50-51, Mark 15:37-38, Luke 23:45-46). The veil was the size of a tennis court and as thick as four nickels. Torn from top to bottom. The barrier between the Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of God on Earth, was removed forever.
No one could have understood the significance of this moment until Jesus was resurrected on this Easter Sunday and the Holy Spirit released. This is the time in which we live now - God is no longer in the Temple. The veil was torn when Jesus died and the Holy Spirit unleashed for all believers in Him. Our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Do you realize the significance of this? It means we can have church on a baseball field and experience His presence there as well as we can at church. We can play and coach as an act of worship because the veil has been torn. God is no longer confined to the Holy of Holies. He desires to be in our every action and that includes as we play. It means there should be a way that we play, coach, and interact with people that allows for our Lord to be present. Let us continue to deepen our experience on the field by allowing Him everywhere we go. The veil was torn so that we could experience the fullness of God in every corner of our lives!