Access Restored
Tuesday, March 31
Mark 15:37-39 (NIV)
“With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Devotion
When Jesus breathed His last, it looked like the end. Darkness had covered the land, hope seemed buried, and those who loved Him stood in grief and confusion. But heaven was doing something powerful at that very moment.
As highlighted in his message on Sunday, Pastor Franklin mentioned that the tearing of the temple curtain is something we must not overlook. Scripture tells us the veil was torn from top to bottom, a detail that carries deep meaning. The height of the curtain made it humanly impossible for this to be done by man. This was not an accident. This was not symbolic imagination. This was the hand of God.
What looked devastating on earth was actually divine intervention from heaven.
The veil represented separation, the barrier between a holy God and sinful humanity. Only the high priest could go behind it, and only once a year. But when Jesus died, God Himself tore that barrier apart. Not from the bottom, where man could reach, but from the top, where only God could act.
Access was restored. Permanently. Completely.
No more distance. No more restriction. No more separation.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we were invited to step boldly into the presence of God, not occasionally, not conditionally, but continually.
And then we see something even more powerful.
In verse 39, a Roman centurion, an outsider, a man overseeing the crucifixion, looked at Jesus’ broken body and declared, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”
A man who stood at the foot of the cross, complicit in the execution, encountered revelation in real time. At the very moment the veil was torn, access wasn’t just granted, it was extended outward. Even to him. Even to the one who seemed farthest from God.
This reminds us of something crucial: God’s invitation is immediate and urgent. He doesn’t wait for perfection. He meets people in broken places, in moments of realization, in the midst of their worst actions, and calls them into His marvelous light.
Because a life lived outside of His presence is empty. It lacks purpose, meaning, and eternal significance.
But the moment we recognize who Jesus is, everything changes, His presence makes all the difference.
Today's Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I need You. I want Your presence. Just as You tore down the veil in the temple that separated You from mankind, I ask and give You full permission to tear down every barrier, every wall that has separated me from You. I want You in my life, in every space—even the dark ones—to turn them into light. I declare You as my Lord, Jesus. Have Your way, each and every day, in the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Apply It Today
This is a time of surrender. As we meet Him in this season with humility, He will meet us with His mercy. For the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever.
Resources
- Take a moment to watch “Then Jesus Came.” Let this message remind you that His presence still brings hope, restoration, and breakthrough.
- The veil was torn, access has been granted. You don’t have to stand at a distance anymore. Come close, behold Him as King, and receive Him as Lord. Salvation