On the Anvil by Max Lucado: No more Curtain

Sidenote (first):
I just finished reading the book, On the Anvil, by Max Lucado, yesterday. I bought this at MV Doulos last March 28, together with two other books and a Hillsong album (United we Stand). As always, Max Lucado's books are easy to read and 'relatable' because of the way the writings are presented in illustrations you could picture out as you read along. He uses simple words creatively to animate your thoughts. His works are not just written, it's communicated .

I just want to share this short chapter on the book, in time for this season. (Will probably share another chapter in my next post.)
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Chapter 22: NO MORE CURTAIN!

The annual event always drew a crowd. The priest would solemnly ascend the temple steps, bearing the blood of the sacrifice. As the people waited outside, he would pass through the great curtain and enter the Holy of Holies. He would sprinkle the mercy seat above the ark and pray that the blood would appease God. The sins would be rolled back. And the people would sigh with relief.

A great curtain hung as a reminder of the distance between God and man. It was like a deep chasm that no one could bridge. Man on his island...quarantined because of sin.

God could have left it like that. He could have left the people isolated. He could have washed his hands of the whole mess. He could have turned back, tossed in the towel, and started over to another planet. He could have, you know.

But he didn't.

God himself bridged the chasm. In the darkness of an eclipsed sun, he and a lamb stood in the Holy of Holies. He laid the lamb on the alstar. Not the lamb of a priest or a Jew or a shepherd but the Lamb of God. The angels hushed as the blood of the Sufficient Sacrifice began to fall on the golden altar. Where had dropped the blood of lambs, now dripped the blood of life.

"Behold the Lamb of God."

And then it happened. God turned and looked one last time at the curtain.

"No more." And it was torn...from top to bottom. Ripped in two.

"No more!"

"No more curtain!"

"No more sacrifices!"

"No more separation!"

And the sun came out.

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At the moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom...Matthew 27:51 (NIV)

In Moses' time, the blood of the lamb was used to mark the houses of the Israelites so they will be spared of the destructive plague on Egypt (The passover - Exodus 12). In the same way, the blood of the Lamb of God will spare us from the judgment of God when he comes...IF we only believe and have faith that Jesus died in our place on the cross, and on the third day he rose from the dead and taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God...to believe that when Jesus died on the cross, our sins died with him...to understand that no other sacrifice is acceptable to God, except the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus. Through Jesus, we can have our relationship with God and be part of his family.

You just have to come to Jesus and believe in him and what he's done with all your heart. Accept him as your personal Lord and Savior. Humbly come to him as you are --- sinful and unworthy, weary, broken & lonely. Jesus will lovingly welcome you into his arms.