The Torn Curtain

The Torn Curtain

Tuesday in Holy Week – 4/15/2025

Mark 14:1-15:47

Rev. Christopher W. Brademeyer – St. John’s Lutheran Church of Oakes, ND

That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our third lesson, the fourteenth and fifteenth chapters of the holy Gospel according to St. Mark with special emphasis on Mark 15:37-39 which reads as follows:

“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.  And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

If you’ve ever stood before a locked door that you desperately needed to get through, one for which you cannot find the key, you know the feeling: the frustration of being kept from what’s on the other side. It is easy is such situations to be helpless, frustrated, and to feel powerless. This is the condition of us human beings before God. We are barred from Paradise. We cannot open the door; we are unable to enter the presence of God. The way is locked, and we do not have the key. This is the reality of what sin does to us. Worst of all, our sinful selves enjoy that the way is barred, even going so far as to delight in our sins and to justify and rationalize them.

Suffice it to say, the door is locked and there is no way for us to God. And if we are honest, we must admit that the locking of this proverbial door is entirely our fault. We are guilty, both by nature and deed. And, as such, we deserve nothing good, only guilt, shame, and punishment. And no matter how hard we try, we cannot force that door open. No few people have tried. We human beings have tried being good, rather, good enough. We have tried meditation and religious rites concocted to appease God. We have tried moral perfection and cultivated charity. None of these have cracked the door even a sixteenth of an inch.

But today, the pen of the holy Evangelist Mark brings us to the moment when the door is opened. At the death of Jesus, something extraordinary happened: “The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”[2] With that miraculous act, God declared: “The way to Me is now open!” Christ’s death brings us access to His Father, not by way of punishment or wrath, but by grace, salvation, and everlasting blessing.

The Depth of Our Separation

Let’s not rush past the depth of the problem of our sins. Mark makes it painfully clear that they are deep in depth and scope. In Gethsemane, we see the crushing weight of sin pressing on Jesus as He prays, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.”[3] At His arrest, Jesus is betrayed by a friend and abandoned by His followers. They all run away, showing their human weakness and fear.[4] At His trial, He is falsely accused, spat upon, mocked, and beaten.[5] At the cross, He is surrounded by insults and rejection. Even those crucified with Him heap scorn upon Him.[6]

But it goes deeper still. On the cross, Jesus cries out the most gut-wrenching words of all: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[7] Here is the true weight of the sorrow caused by sin. Jesus, the sinless One, experiences the full abandonment, the full God-forsakenness that sin deserves. He bore it for you, in your place. This is not just history. This is substitution. He takes on Himself the rejection we should suffer, so that we never have to cry out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”

The Curtain Torn: God’s Work of Reconciliation

And then, at the moment of death of our Lord, Mark gives us this astonishing detail: “The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”[8] This curtain wasn’t merely decorative. It was the massive veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, which is the very place where God’s presence dwelled. Only the high priest could enter, and only once a year, to make atonement for the people. That curtain was a visible sign of the separation between God and humanity due to sin. The atoning sacrifice was a constant reminder that we humans needed to have sacrifices made for us to stand in God’s presence. The veil reminded us that we sinners were not allowed in the presence of the Most Holy God.

But at the death of Jesus, the curtain is torn. It’s torn from top to bottom because this is God’s doing, not man’s. More still, the death of Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. No more do we need blood of bulls and goats. No more do we need annual sacrifices. No more does the barrier erected by sin stand in the way.  As the book of Hebrews proclaims: “We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.”[9]The torn curtain is the Gospel in action. God is not far off. He is not hidden behind layers of sacrifice or Temple curtain. Because of Jesus, the way to the Father is open. Even more, the Father comes to us in His Son.[10]

Access Granted: What This Means for Us

This means something very important: no sin is too great for Christ, no depth of horror, shame, or depravity is beyond His reach. Not only has He descended into the very pit of God-forsakenness, but He has shattered the things that kept us from God. More still, in His very person, in Himself, Jesus, our God has come to us to save us by His grace.

This means none of us are ever too far gone. No sin is too great, no past too dark, no heart too cold.The way is open. It means you don’t have to carry the weight of guilt and shame. Jesus has borne it for you, and the barrier of sin is gone. It means you can approach God with confidence, even as a beloved son. You, through Christ, have full access to the Father.  It means that even in your darkest hour, even in death, trust in God is never misspent.

Mark tells us that at the moment of Jesus’s death, a Roman centurion, standing at the foot of the cross, looked up and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”[11] 

This is the miracle of the cross: Even the hardened soldier sees the truth. Even the lost and God-forsaken one is welcomed in. The curtain is torn; the way is open.

Conclusion

Dear friends in Christ, stand at the foot of the cross and marvel. See the cost of our salvation through the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus. See also the triumph, the victory that this death is and brings. The curtain is torn, the barrier of sin is obliterated, and we are now through the blood of Jesus able to stand in the very presence of the Almighty Father forever. Come boldly to the throne of grace. Come in repentance, in faith, and in joy. For Christ has died. The curtain is torn. The way is open for you and your salvation.

In the Holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] Mark 15:38 English Standard Version. All subsequent quotations from the Bible are ESV.

[2] Mark 15:38

[3] Mark 14:34

[4] Mark 14:43, 50

[5] Mark 15:16-20

[6] Mark 15:29-32

[7] Mark 15:34

[8] Mark 15:38

[9] Hebrews 10:19-20

[10] John 10:30, 38

[11] Mark 15:39