The Way.

According to the scriptures Jesus was on the cross for 6 hours, the bible says around 3pm he shouted with a loud voice saying; “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and thereafter he gave up the ghost. Just after doing that, there was an earthquake, the graves were opened and all the old testament saints came out and the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:45-51).

The reason he shouted My God, why have you forsaken me was because the Father turned his face away from him. This was because all the sins of the whole world were now laid on him, and God cannot look at sin. As he was hanging on that cross, the Father no longer saw his dear Son, he saw sin, and was judging that sin. He who knew no sin was made sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), he didn’t become a sinner, he became sin itself.

Secondly, all the saints that died in the old testament had not yet ascended to heaven, they were held captive by Satan in hades, they were not in the fire but in Abraham’s bosom which was in hades. All the famous guys we read about in the old testament including David, Solomon, Samuel, Joshua, were there, they were waiting for the Messiah to set them free, and the death of Jesus did just that, they came out of those graves and ascended to heaven, glory to God. Jesus paid for their sins as well so that they could go to heaven.

Thirdly, the curtain that separated the holy of holies from the rest of the temple was torn from top to bottom. This was like a door to the presence of God, it being torn apart meant that Jesus is the new door. Once a year the high priest was required to enter the holy of holies to burn incense and sprinkle sacrificial animal blood to expiate his own sins and those of the people. By tearing the curtain down, the Lord was saying; Jesus is the new high priest, who entered the holy of holies with his own blood sprinkled it for the sins of many.