The Cure for Sin

The Cure for Sin
“And Behold the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.”

The moment Christ died, three critical events happened, events that served to foreshadow what Christ accomplished on the cross.  The cross was more than a story of a righteous man dying unjustly for a just cause.  Jesus went to the cross to pay the penalty for sin.  His death was more than just an example of one who was living for God no matter the cost.  It was a vicarious death.  In other words, Christ was dying in our place to pay the penalty for the sins we have committed.  It was a judicial act that satisfied the justice of God.

In the three events that simultaneously happened, we have pictured the significance of Christ’s death for the world.  The first thing that occurred was that the temple's veil was torn in two from top to bottom. When the temple was built part of the mandated requirements was that a heavy veil be hung between the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place.  The Holy Place was where the priest conducted all their ritual and acts of worship.  But the Holy of Holies was where God dwelt in his manifested glory.  The High Priest could only enter this place once a year and only when he was bringing the sacrificial blood of the atoning sacrifice.  The blood was then placed upon the Ark of God to atone for the people's sins.  The veil was a visual reminder that the sins of the people separated them from a holy and righteous God.  No matter how many sacrifices they made, their sin could never be fully atoned for by the blood of the animals.  We can only imagine the absolute horror and shock the priests must have felt when they walked into the temple after the crucifixion and the view was torn apart.  By this act,  God made it clear that the final sacrifice was achieved.  No longer was there a need for another sacrifice.  But even more important, it was a visual demonstration that all people who, by faith, accepted the sacrifice of Christ now have free and continual access to God.  It was the unthinkable becoming a reality.  No longer was sin a barrier between sinful humanity and a holy God.

The second event that happened was the resurrection of many people.  This was more than just a chance circumstance.  This resurrection provided a visual lesson that Christ's death became the basis for our future resurrection. No longer would death have its relentless grip upon humanity.  Through the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ, the hope of our resurrection was fully realized.  Death no longer has its reign.  We are no longer confronted with the hopelessness and despair of death; now, we have the hope and assurance of eternal life.

The third event is the testimony of the centurion guard who saw the events.  As he witnesses the passing of Jesus and the simultaneous earthquake, he cries out that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. The Centurion and the other soldiers with him confessed what the Jews refused to accept: that Jesus was the son of God.  This points us to the new direction that God was taking in his redemptive plan.  The gospel was not just a gospel for the Jews, like the Old Testament law.  The gospel is for all people.  Jesus’ death was not only to bring salvation to the Jews. It was to bring salvation to all humanity.

It is upon Christ's death and subsequent resurrection that all the hopes of sinful humanity lie.  Apart from Christ, we are still separated from God because of our sins, and death still has its mastery over us.  But in Christ, we now have access to God.  We can boldly come before him.  The grip of death is broken, and we have the hope of salvation.  The only requirement for us is faith, to confess and acknowledge our sins and need for Christ, surrender our lives to Christ, and submit to his sovereign plan.  This is the only cure for sin.