44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. 45 The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.

46 Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last.

47 When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God, saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 And when all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts. 49 But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Michael Legaspi

Darkness over the land, a curtain torn in two, Jesus’ last words, sadness for Jesus’ friends – and somehow, a death that brings a soldier to glorify God (v 47).

There are many things going on in this scene, but I’m going to focus on the temple curtain which was torn in two (v 45).

What would you give to be reunited with the ones you love? What would you sacrifice? What would you endure? The death of Jesus, the Son of God, showed both how devastating the problem of sin is, and how far God would go to bridge the chasm of sin.

Romans 3 tells us that all people are under the power of sin. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away” (Romans 3:10-12). That’s why in the Old Testament, the temple had a curtain stopping people from entering the Most Holy Place, which represented the presence of God. But it also showed that someone was needed who could open the curtain and enter God’s presence on our behalf.

In Hebrews 9 it says: “But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed.” (Hebrews 9:7-8)

The way into God’s presence had not yet been revealed – until Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice and the true high priest. We could not enter paradise or heaven. That place did not belong to us. We would remain God’s enemies, if it weren’t for Jesus’ sacrifice. He is the true shepherd who willingly laid down his life for his sheep (John 10:15-18).

Life can be hard. But death is harder, especially since after death, all will face the judgment of God (Hebrews 9:27). But with this great event of the cross, justice is satisfied and mercy will be given to all who believe in Jesus. Let us praise God for choosing to save us, and let us share God’s truth with all those around us, because Jesus Christ, God’s Son, chose the pain of God’s judgment for your sake and mine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.