By God Above

An audience sits in plush seats waiting for a show to begin…

Suddenly, curtains begin to open; stillness replaces chatter. Attention turns to center stage and the program. The crowd’s attention and interest varies. Some traveled far to attend and splurged for a night on the town; while others just came to pass the time.

A far different crowd once gathered at Golgotha for Jesus’ crucifixion; they were there to witness an execution. There would be no opening curtain in the nearby temple to begin the spectacle.

Many onlookers had seen bloodshed before. They held preconceived opinions of the victims and of the Roman’s method of the death penalty. Maybe the crucified were deserving of death. The cruelty of mocking and taunts was merely a part of the torture crucifixion victims experienced.

Why Jesus; why Him?

Jesus would die to pay for our sins.

The sin of mankind separated all from holy God. The curtain in the Jerusalem Temple was a symbol of that separation.

“Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many (Matthew 27:50-53 HCSB).”

The curtain was split (torn) from top to bottom.

What difference does that make?

The curtain of separation wasn’t torn by sinful man. It was split by God above!