When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. —John 19:30
When Jesus died on the Cross, nature itself began to cry out and writhe at what was happening to its Creator. Sound weird?
Matthew 27:45 explains that at the height of the execution, the sun was actually darkened from noon to 3 p.m. (No eclipse has ever lasted three hours!)
There was also a violent earthquake. Now we’re not talking California-tremor time. This quake was so intense that it split rocks apart and opened up graves. And what happened to all those buried bodies? “The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people” (Matthew 27:52-53).
As a grand finale, the veil in the temple ripped in two (Luke 23:45). That may not sound like much of a finale to you, but to the Jewish people of the day, it was serious business. For one thing, the curtain was so thick (several inches) that it’s doubtful any person or normal earthquake could have ripped it.
Second, the curtain served as a barrier to protect the people from getting too close to God. You see, back then part of God’s presence actually stayed in a room called the “Holy of Holies,” which was separated from the rest of the temple by this thick curtain. God’s holiness was so intense that if any of the common people went inside that room, they’d die on the spot. Only the high priest was allowed to enter, and then only once a year. He had a rope tied around his ankles so he could be pulled out if he keeled over. In short, the curtain was a form of protection and separation.
But by Jesus’ death, all that changed. Suddenly, the barrier was destroyed, ripped from top to bottom. Jesus’ payment on the Cross now makes it possible for anybody who accepts His offer of salvation to be pure enough to stand in God’s presence. God has paid for the world’s sins. The sacrifice, the substitution for our punishment and for our disobedience, is complete. Jesus finished all that He came to do. The mission is accomplished. We’re free. The tremendous debt that each of us has run up in heaven has been paid by another — in full.
Satan has lost. The war is over. Now it’s simply up to each of us to step forward and put our trust in the victory that has already been won for us. 
