The Curtain Torn, the Way Opened
Month 6: The Cross — Why Jesus Died · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 27:50–51 & Hebrews 10:19–20
50 When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit. 51 At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, and the rocks were split. — Matthew 27:50–51
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, — Hebrews 10:19–20
Memory Verse
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”— Isaiah 53:5 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 4–6
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 169 of 365 — the ark is brought into the temple and God's glory fills the house.)The Heart of It
At the very moment Jesus died, something strange happened a half-mile away inside the temple. "The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (). That veil was a massive curtain. By tradition, it was thick and very tall. It walled off the Most Holy Place. That was the room where God's presence lived. Only one man could go behind it. That was the high priest. And he could go only once a year, and only with the blood of a sacrifice. The curtain was God's way of saying, "Holy God and sinful people cannot just stroll in together." But when Jesus paid for sin, God Himself ripped that curtain open. He tore it from the top down, as if reaching from heaven. And He was announcing something. The way to Me is now wide open.
Here's where this becomes a Walking in the Spirit truth. Hebrews says we now have "confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus," along "a new and living way" (). The cross didn't just forgive us. It gave us access. And the Holy Spirit makes that access real and personal. The same Spirit who was poured out at Pentecost now lives in everyone who belongs to Jesus. So we can come to the Father anytime and anywhere. We don't need a priest, a curtain, or a special room. Your kids don't have to wait, or qualify, or earn their way in. Because of the torn curtain and the Spirit living in us, a tired father and a three-year-old can both walk straight into the presence of God and say, "Abba, Father" ().
Around the Table
When Jesus died, God tore the big curtain so now we can talk to Him anytime — no waiting!
Let's do it: Make a tearing motion with your hands, then say, "Hi, God — I can talk to You right now!"
The torn curtain means the door to God is wide open. The Holy Spirit helps us come close.
Let's talk: How is it different to come to God as a welcomed child instead of a stranger at a locked door?
The cross gives us access, and the Spirit makes it living and personal. We don't need a priest. Jesus is our way in.
Let's go deeper: God already tore the curtain open. So what's stopping you from coming to Him boldly today?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's a place you're not normally allowed to go — but someone with the key takes you straight in? How does it feel to be welcomed in?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
The torn temple curtain wasn't a quiet, hidden event. It happened in Jerusalem's most public building, in front of the priests who served there every day. A sign that dramatic, right in the heart of Jewish worship, is exactly the kind of thing eyewitnesses would remember and write down ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Dad, classic Pentecostal teaching treasures the nearness of God, and the torn curtain is its foundation. The Spirit-filled life isn't first about gifts or experiences. It's about access won at the cross and made alive by the Spirit who lives in us, the Spirit who cries "Abba!" within us (). Robert Menzies reminds us the Spirit is given for relationship and mission, never for show. So here's your invitation. Don't lead your family to a God they approach nervously, as if the curtain were still hanging there. Lead them, by your example, to come boldly, daily, and unhurried. The greatest gift of the cross may be this: your children grow up unafraid to draw near to their Father.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Pentecost; Sam Storms, A Sincere and Pure Devotion to Christ.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You. The cross tore the curtain and opened the way to You. Your Spirit lives in us, so we can come close anytime. Help us run to You boldly. Help us never run away. In Jesus' name, amen."
The curtain is torn and the Spirit lives in me. I can come close to God boldly, anytime.