The Curtain Is Torn - Stop Waiting Outside
- Henley Samuel
- Apr 20
- 6 min read
April 20, 2026
Have you ever stood at a door, hand raised to knock, but something kept you from knocking? Not because the door was locked from the outside, but because a voice inside you whispered, "You don't belong here. You're not good enough to walk in." That voice has a name. And today, the Word of God has something powerful to say about it.
The God Who Is Good, Always
The Lord is good. Not sometimes. Not when you have it all together. Not when you have prayed enough or read enough Bible chapters. He is good in every situation, in every season, at every hour. That truth is the foundation on which this message stands. Everything flows from God's goodness toward you.
And yet, so many believers live as though they must earn their way into God's presence. They carry a weight that was never meant to be theirs. They come to God with a long list of what they have done or failed to do, hoping that it will be enough. The book of Hebrews was written precisely for people like that.
The Bridge Between Two Worlds
The book of Hebrews was written as a bridge from the Old Covenant world of Jewish religious practice into the full reality of the New Covenant that Jesus established. It was written for people who had received Christ but were still stuck in the old way of thinking, still mixing old wineskins with new wine. And if we are honest, many of us are in the same condition today.
"Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." Matthew 9:17
The writer of Hebrews, after nine chapters of rich theological explanation, reaches a turning point.
"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus" Hebrew 10:19
The word "therefore" is a summary word. It means: everything we have said so far leads to this one conclusion. All the comparisons between the Old and New Covenant, all the explanations about the priesthood of Jesus, all the descriptions of the tabernacle they all lead to this: you can now enter boldly.
Understanding the Tabernacle
To appreciate what Jesus has done, you need to understand what the tabernacle looked like and what it cost to approach God under the Old Covenant.
The tabernacle had three distinct areas. First, there was the Outer Court, where the people gathered. There, animals were inspected, sacrificed on the altar, and burned. Every person who came was carrying guilt that was the reason they came. Second, there was the Holy Place, where only priests could enter. The lampstand was lit daily, the bread of the Presence was changed, and incense was burned. Common people could never set foot in this room. Third, and most significantly, there was the Most Holy Place the Holy of Holies. Only one man, the High Priest, could enter this room. And he could only do so once a year, on the Day of Atonement.
"The first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary." Hebrews 9:1
The Most Holy Place held the Ark of the Covenant. Inside the Ark were the Ten Commandments, Aaron's staff that had budded, and a jar of manna. The very presence of God resided there, above the mercy seat between the cherubim. And a thick, heavy curtain separated this room from the Holy Place. Historians tell us this curtain was woven from gold threads, so strong that two horses pulling from either side could not tear it apart.
Only the High Priest entered, and even he did so with great fear with a rope tied to his ankle and bells on his robe so that if he died inside, they could drag him out. You could not simply walk in. The requirements were extreme. Physical perfection was required to serve as a priest. There were endless rituals of washing, sacrifice, and ceremony, and even then, the conscience was never fully cleansed.
"For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Hebrews 10:4
Year after year, the same sacrifices. Year after year, the same guilt. The Law could show a person their sin, but it could not remove it. The Old Covenant could point to the problem, but it had no power to solve it permanently.
The Moment Everything Changed
Then Jesus came. And when He died on the cross, something happened that no human hand could accomplish.
"And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split." Matthew 27:50-51
From top to bottom. Not from the bottom up, as a man would tear it. From the top down. God tore it. The barrier between humanity and God's holy presence was removed not because of anything we did, but because of what Jesus did.
The curtain that once kept us out was torn apart by the love of a Father who wanted us in.
The body of Jesus was the true curtain. His flesh, broken and pierced, opened a new and living way into the Most Holy Place. The old way was through animal blood, ritual, and law. The new way is through His blood alone. And it is a way that is living it never grows old, never needs repeating, never expires.
Conclusion
Before this, the Most Holy Place was off-limits to everyone except the High Priest, who still could not enter without fear and ceremony. Now, through Jesus, you have not just access you have bold access. The old conscience that constantly reminded you of your failures has been cleansed. The guilt that made you hesitate at the door has been washed away.
"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience." Hebrews 10:22
This is the gift of the New Covenant. Jesus did not merely crack open a door for you. He tore down the wall. The same God before whom the High Priest trembled is now your Father and He is waiting for you, not with judgment, but with open arms.
Stop approaching God like a stranger trying to earn an audience with a distant king. You are not a stranger. You are a child. And the Father's door is not just open it has no curtain anymore.
Reflect on This
In what ways have you been approaching God with a guilty conscience, as though the Old Covenant sacrifices never gave way to something better? What would change if you truly believed that Jesus' blood has permanently removed your guilt?
Have you been living in the outer courts of your spiritual life going through religious motions instead of pressing into the Most Holy Place and dwelling in the Father's presence? What does it look like to change that?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus tore the curtain and opened the way into Your presence for me. I declare that I approach You not with guilt, not with shame, and not with a list of my performances. I come boldly, by the blood of Jesus, into the Most Holy Place. I receive the cleansing of my conscience right now. My sins are forgiven, my guilt is removed, and I am accepted in the Beloved. I am not a stranger to You, I am Your child. Thank You for a new and living way that never expires and never fails. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Key Takeaways
The book of Hebrews was written to move believers from Old Covenant thinking into the full reality of the New Covenant, where access to God is through Jesus alone.
Under the Old Covenant, approaching God required endless rituals, animal sacrifices, and strict conditions and even then, the conscience was never permanently cleansed.
When Jesus died on the cross, the temple curtain was torn from top to bottom by God, removing the barrier between humanity and His holy presence.
Through the blood of Jesus, every believer now has bold, confident access to the Most Holy Place not because of their own worthiness, but because of what He accomplished.
A guilty conscience is not a sign of spiritual depth; it is a sign that you have not yet fully received what Jesus' sacrifice provided for you.
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To dive deeper into this powerful message, watch the full sermon on our YouTube video below.
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