(44)  And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  (45)  And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. 

Luke 24:44-45

Explanation:

In today’s text wee see another person making a statement, but not verbally.  We see two seperate occurances.  The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent.

Who caused these things to happen?  It was God the Father.  We know that He was active because Jesus speaks to Him at the end of this passage.  We also know that He was active because of another statement Jesus made.

(34)  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Mark 15:34

God the Father caused it to be dark.  It was dark for the space of three hours.  Darkness was often symbolic of judgment in the Old Testament.  This was evident when God brought plagues to Egypt.

(21)  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

(22)  And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:

Exodus 10:21-22

God also proclaimed future judgement in the Old Testament characterized by darkness.

(9)  And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:

(10)  And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

Amos 8:9-10

(9)  Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

(10)  For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

(11)  And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

Isaiah 13:9-11

Jesus fortells coming judgement in the future and in so doing predicts darkness.

(24)  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

(25)  And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Mark 13:24-25

So when there was darkness here we see God’s statement on what was happening.  Paul speaks to what happened on the cross between God the Father and God the Son in 2 Corinthians 5:21 where he said this:

(21)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Corinthians 5:21

God the Father also caused the veil in the temple be torn. 

(51)  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Matthew 27:51

What was the veil?

Well we know that it was in the temple.  Hebrews gives us some insight into this veil. 

And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

Hebrews 9:3 

There was a veil that separated the Holy Place (which only priests could enter) from the Holy of Holies. Hebrews tells us about this holy of holies.

But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

Hebrews 9:7 

This holiest of holy place was entered into once a year by the high priest who would sprinkle the blood of a spotless lamb on the mercy seat.  The priest would often where ar rope around his ankle as he went in so that if He died at the presence of God He could be dragged out of that holy place without anyone else having to go in. 

The author goes on to say this about Christ.

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;  (12)  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Hebrews 9:11-12

Jesus offered Himself as a once for all sacrifice for sin.  The darkness signified God’s judgement of Christ on the cross.  He became sin for us who knew no sin that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Now that the price had been paid, and the wrath of God had been satisfied, the veil seperating God and men was torn.  It was torn from top to bottom so that there was no question as to who did it.

Because the veil was torn from top to bottom we know that it was not a man made thing.  God did it.  Because of Jesus Christ, we no longer need human priests to go to God for us.  He became our High Priest, mediating between us and God.  In that way we are our own priest, able to go to God ourselves through Jesus Christ.  This is what we call the “priesthood of the believer”.  Peter referred to this in 1 Peter 2.

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:5 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:  (10)  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10 

So what did God say?  What statements did He make?

The darkness signified what He thought of our sin, and the wrath for sin that was being placed on His Son. 

The veil being torn signified that the payment for sin was satisfactory, and that now by the blood of Jesus Christ we can be made a royal priesthood, able to come to God by Jesus Christ.

Application:

Two ways this must be applied:

1.  We must see our sin how God sees it.  Jesus bore the wrath of God for our sin.  If we do not trust in Christ we must endure His wrath forever in a lake that burns with fire and brimstone.  We will be cast into “outer darkness” the Bible says.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teth.

2.  We who are saved can go to God by the blood of Jesus.  We can worship Him in Spirit and in truth.  Access to God is not limited to a location.  We can go to God whenever and wherever we want because of Jesus Christ.

Response:

Are you saved?

Have you considered the privilege you have as a believer to go to God by the blood of Jesus?