Wielding Guilt, Wielding Mercy
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,
45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”
48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.
49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. ”
Luke 23:44–49 Read More
The Sun failed.
About the most faithful thing in the universe.
Failed.
The temple curtain, some of the thickest, richest material every sewn. Hung in the temple to separate the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place and keeping secure the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of Hosts.
Failed.
And here is the Last Adam, the representative of all mankind, offering Himself to God the Father. He has all of the sin of the world on Him, like the sin offering lamb at so many of the past Jewish feasts.
When He finally dies and everyone sees how it happens, a deep solemnity comes over all of them. “Certainly this man was innocent!” Is too late of a statement now. In the moment that all guilt has just been paid for, the people who looked up on it happen feel the guilt. They go home beating their breasts because they are mourning the mistake they made.
The Apostle Paul would later write that “Godly sorrow brings about repentance.” It’s ok for these people to feel guilty. On the one hand, they should! Those dirtbags!
At the same time, they should, because God is going to work in the ones that are showing godly sorrow beyond those that are just miserable that somebody died. 50 days from Passover comes Pentecost. Peter will stand up and shout at the people that theykilled the Lord of Life, and they’ll be cut to their souls. 3,000 people will believe on that day, even if they didn’t believe it at the right time on this day.
My favorite part about the curtain tearing is that only the sons of Aaron would know about it. Ok, the Levites, but especially the sons of Aaron. While all of the crowds went home and celebrated the Passover but also beat their chests and fretted over the fact that Jesus was in fact innocent, some priests had to sit in darkness and consider the consequences of their overnight illegal court. All they had, in their failure, was a gold box.
And for the world, the decision of what to do with the Mercy Seat of God, which was now exposed and revealed to all.