Have you ever traced certain words through Scripture? It can make an interesting (and enlightening) study. I did this recently with the phrase “torn or ripped open”. This is what I found…
The heavens
The first example comes from the account of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. Some might think John was the founder of the “Baptist Church” but that’s not true. The one John was baptizing is the founder and foundation of this denomination (and many others as well).
Jesus’ baptism is recorded in the first three Gospels (see Matthew 3, Mark 1 and Luke 3). We read, “As soon as he (Jesus) came up out of the water, he was praying and saw the heavens being torn open, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.’” (Christian Standard Bible, 2017)
Imagine if you had been in the crowd that day on the banks of the River Jordan. You had travelled from Jerusalem to see and hear for yourself this prophet-like person called John the Baptist (or Baptizer) that everyone was talking about. You had been convicted of your own sins of selfishness, pride and greed as you listened to John’s preaching. And you had decided that you too needed to be baptized by immersion by this messenger of God as a symbolic act of repentance (sincere sorrow) for your sins.
But as you’re waiting your turn, something extraordinary happens. A person ahead of you has just been baptized by John. That’s nothing unusual as he’s just one of many in the line. However, as this man stands in the water the clouds in the Mediterranean sky suddenly are “torn open” in a very obvious and dramatic way.
As you (and everyone else) look up at this phenomenon, you notice a glowing, white object descending from above and gently resting upon this man. Its appearance and movement resemble a beautiful, graceful dove. Just as your eyes are taking this in, your ears hear a clear, profound voice which says, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.” It’s an unforgettable experience.
For us, it’s a powerful example of all three Persons of the divine Trinity being present in one place at one time. The voice is from God the Father. The person in the water is God the Son. And the dove-like object is God the Holy Spirit.
The temple veil
Fast forward three years. The person who had been baptized by John in the Jordan is now in Jerusalem. The one that John described as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (see John 1:29) has just been brutally executed on a Roman cross. As that momentous event was happening, other unusual events were taking place.
The brightness of the Middle Eastern afternoon had suddenly turned to darkness. Tremors shook the hills of Jerusalem. As the spectators at Calvary dispersed in fear, it seemed like the heavens and earth were writhing in sorrow and anguish.
Imagine if you had been a Jewish priest in the Jerusalem temple at that very moment. You were busy fulfilling your ceremonial duties of cleansing and sacrifice. Suddenly, you hear an unmistakable, ripping sound from the direction of the huge veil which separates “the holy place” from “the holy of holies” where the ark of the covenant dwells. As you look up, you witness an unbelievable sight.
Again, all three synoptic (or parallel) Gospels record it (see Matthew 27, Mark 15 and Luke 23). “And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” As with an invisible, divine hand, the heavy temple veil was “torn open”. A human hand could have attempted to tear the veil from the bottom up. But this massive tear was God’s initiative and removed the separating veil between God and man.
These two unforgettable events are linked. At the moment the veil was being “torn open”, Jesus was dying on the cross taking away the sins of all who would trust him as their Savior. This was the fulfillment of John’s prophecy three years before. And this act of selfless, sacrificial love and obedience by Jesus fulfilled the Father’s plan of salvation for us all. The separation of sin had been removed by Jesus at the cross.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor.
