1Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders, scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, bound Jesus, carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. 2Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
He answered, “So you say.”
3The chief priests accused him of many things. 4Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you!”
5But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate marveled.
6Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner, whomever they asked of him. 7There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. 8The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them. 9Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. 11But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead. 12Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13They cried out again, “Crucify him!”
14Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?”
But they cried out exceedingly, “Crucify him!”
15Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.
16The soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they called together the whole cohort. 17They clothed him with purple; and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18They began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19They struck his head with a reed and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him. 20When they had mocked him, they took the purple cloak off him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him.
21They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them that he might bear his cross. 22They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.” 23They offered him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he didn’t take it.
24Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take. 25It was the third hour when they crucified him. 26The superscription of his accusation was written over him: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 27With him they crucified two robbers, one on his right hand, and one on his left. 28The Scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was counted with transgressors.”
29Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30save yourself, and come down from the cross!”
31Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself. 32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.” Those who were crucified with him also insulted him.
33When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
35Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.”
36One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.”
37Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit. 38The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. 39When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
40There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; 41who, when he was in Galilee, followed him and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
42When evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. 44Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead long. 45When he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46He bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of a rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid.
37 Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit. 38 The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. 39 When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
When God created Adam and Eve, they lived in a state of bliss. The Garden of Eden was heaven on earth. Every need and every desire that they longed for was there for the taking. There was no illness, no sorrow, no tears. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, a wall of separation came between God and mankind. Ever since that day, humanity has tried in every way it knows how to return to the garden. God gave Moses designs and building instructions for the tabernacle. Later, this would serve as a template for making Solomon’s Temple. Interestingly, both were filled with designs and art that evoked the Garden of Eden. The Menorah, that ancient candlestick, had designs of almond buds and other garden motifs. The tapestries showed pomegranates, vines, and other designs reminiscent of Eden. And then there was the veil hiding the Holy of Holies. It covered the place where God dwelt and spoke to man. It could only be entered into on one day of the year, the Day of Atonement, with specific sacrifices and ritual cleansings. It was a wall of separation.
As Jesus was crucified on that horrific cross, the sins of the entire world were poured out on Him. We can’t really imagine what that means, but it sounds pretty awful. It was part of a divine exchange that we cannot fully understand. It was God in the flesh, loving man so much, that He was paying the price for mankind’s rebellion. It was God who provided a way for mankind to return to the Garden. The gospel account tells us that when He had given up His spirit (meaning He died), the veil of the Temple ripped in two from top to bottom. This signified that the wall of separation had been removed. No more were man and God apart.
In the same way that an offering permitted the priests to enter into the Holy of Holies, a perfect offering had been provided for all of us. It was Jesus giving His spilled blood on the cross. This enables you and me to walk in the garden with Him every day of our lives. Oh, I understand. He is not with us in the flesh, but His Spirit is ever present in our hearts. He is here. He abides in you. Abide in Him, and walk with Him this day. We are no longer separated. The veil that separates us from God has been removed.