Good Morning Friends,
“It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, ‘Surely this was a righteous man.’ When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.” (Luke 23:44-49)
Luke mentions two miracles that happened around the death of Jesus: darkness covered the land and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Both are astounding acts of God’s power and authority.
It was an act of God that caused darkness to cover the land. In the middle of a spring day in Israel that just doesn’t happen naturally. Rains don’t come often and even when they do the clouds don’t block out the rays of the sun. This was some unnatural – something supernatural. It was God’s way of saying that heaven didn’t want to see what was happening on earth. Darkness was having its day.
The second miracle Luke mentions is even more astounding. The huge curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in the temple was torn in two. Some of the Gospel accounts mention that it happened from top to bottom. It wasn’t like something fell against the curtain and caused a tear to rise from the floor to the ceiling. Something – or Someone – grabbed the curtain at the ceiling and ripped it to the floor. It was a thick curtain – too thick for a human to rip in two – and impossible for a human to rip from top to bottom. This was an act of God. It was God’s way of saying that the way into His presence – barred to all except the High Priest on the Day of Atonement – was now opened to all. A new Day of Atonement had happened and it had ripped the way to God completely open.
These two aren’t the only miracles that surrounded the death of Jesus, just the only two that Luke mentions. They are enough to show that something astounding was happening and God was involved. Something supernatural occurred when Jesus died.
Darkness prevailed for a short time – but darkness would not prevail for long. Light would win. What darkness thought would be the end of Jesus turned out to be His greatest hour – atonement was purchased – the way to God was opened to all.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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