“By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”And with those words he breathed his last.” Luke 23:44-46

From the time God told the Jews to build the first temporary temple in a tent during the time Moses led the Jews out of Egypt, there was a section in the temple called the Holy of Holies. Only one person, the High Priest, could enter this place, and only one day per year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This was the day the High Priest made sacrifices in atonement for the sins of all the people.

In the passage in Luke, and similar passages in other gospels, the curtain in the sanctuary, presumably that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, was torn in half at the moment Jesus died. What an amazing symbol of the good news that Jesus has made the atonement for our sins once and for all. No longer do we have to have the high priest make sacrifices for us. Jesus is our high priest, and the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. By accepting this we are saved.

Dear Lord, saying thank you sounds so trivial for the amazing gift you give to all who come to you for their salvation. Help us overcome our fears to share the joy of this gift with others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.