Torn in Two

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23:44-46)

As Jesus took His final breath, a miraculous and deeply symbolic event took place: the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Matthew and Mark tell us that this curtain was torn from top to bottom. This was an unmistakable detail showing it was God who tore it, not man.

This wasn’t just a tear in fabric, it was a tearing open of what had long been closed off. The temple curtain had separated the Holy of Holies (the very dwelling place of God) from everyone else. Only the high priest, once a year, and only with a blood sacrifice, could enter beyond that curtain. It was a vivid reminder that sin separates humanity from God.

But now, through Jesus, that separation was finished. The final, perfect sacrifice had been made, the atonement was complete, and redemption was achieved. Jesus had fully taken on the wrath of God, satisfied the justice of God, and opened the way for sinners to come into the presence of God.

The torn curtain was the visible sign of what had spiritually been accomplished on the cross. Hebrews 10:19–20 made that very clear, “We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body.”

Walking in Freedom

And yet, even today, even among professing Christians – it can be hard to live as though it is truly finished. Legalism creeps in. Pride tries to earn what grace has already given. We feel like we must contribute something to our salvation or prove ourselves worthy of it. But that’s not the gospel.

Salvation is not Jesus plus our efforts – it’s Christ alone. The more we rest in His finished work, the more we walk in the freedom He died to give us. We are not called to work for our salvation but to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, because it has already been secured – we are now encouraged to take our faith seriously and be diligent in our pursuit of close relationship with God.

Just as Jesus said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit,” we too are called to commit ourselves fully to God, and not only our lives, but also our trust in His completed work. Romans 12:1 calls us to be living sacrifices, not striving for salvation, but surrendered in response to it. In a world striving to prove itself, may we be people who rest in completed work and remember the torn curtain – living in confidence that we are secure in Christ.

Because truly – it is finished…in Christ alone.