Rejoice in Salvation

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is in Matthew 27 that says, "And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split" (51).


Immediately after Jesus' death on the cross, the earth shook and the curtain in the temple that separates the Inner Court from the Holy of Holies was torn. I love this because it shows us pictorially that we are no longer separated from God, but because of Jesus' blood on the cross, "We can hide our unholiness in the wounds of Christ just as Moses hid himself in the cleft of the rock as the glory of the Lord passed by" (AW Tozer). 


Honestly, I get kind of fired up when I talk this. Do you get it? We were objects of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), completely unworthy of entering into the presence of God. Our sin keeps us separated from God, because God is so holy, it is like he is the sun, and we are astronauts. But guess what? It we sent astronauts to the sun, they would burn to smithereens. We can't go to the sun, unless we have some sort of super-strong protective shield or suit of some kind...


Enter Jesus. His blood on the cross covers our sins and protects us. His cross crosses the great divide that our sin caused. His sacrifice on the cross tore the veil in the temple that kept us from entering into the holiness of God.


And you know what? This was talked about 700 years before Jesus walked the earth. 


"And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time." (Isaiah 25:7-8a)


The power of death was destroyed when Jesus rose from the dead! And the covering that kept us from the grace of God, that kept us from his presence and his kingdom, is swallowed up!!


"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." (2 Corinthians 3:16)


Are you excited yet about what God has done?


You know what? This passage also talks about things that are to come:


"The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day, 'Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.'" (Isaiah 25:6, 8b)


There is coming a day when the bride of Christ will be united with her groom. And we are going to feast! And we are going to party! And in that place, there will be no more crying or mourning or pain! And we are going to rejoice in his salvation!!


But let's start right now: rejoice in his salvation.