Need proof that Jesus was no ordinary guy? That evidence presented itself loud and clear when he was crucified. First, the entire country became completely dark at noon during his crucifixion (Mark 15:33). It stayed black as night in the middle of the day for three hours. There has never been another time when the sky went from full sun to pitch black—not just stormy gray, but truly dark—for several hours in the middle of the day.
Then, at the moment Jesus died, the veil in the Temple tore from top to bottom. This veil had separated the rest of the Temple (and the people) from the Most Holy Place, where the Spirit of God dwelled at the Ark of the Agreement. Before then, only the high priest could go behind the veil to make sacrifices for sins—and even that was restricted to once a year. No one else could get that close to God on earth.
The moment Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and died for all sins, God ripped away the barrier between people and himself. Don’t miss the significance here: God—not human beings—tore that veil from the top to the bottom so that the people he created could get close to him again. To have direct access to the Creator of the universe, all you have to do is believe in Jesus and ask him to be in charge of your life. Jesus already took care of the rest.
“Don’t be afraid. You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who has been crucified. He has risen from the dead; he is not here. Look, here is the place they laid him.” Mark 16:6 NCV
Excerpted from Revolve™ 2009: The Complete New Testament. © 2008 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Holy Bible, New Century Version. © 2005 Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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