My God and My Country

The Gospel According to Mark

Chapter 15:33-47

33 Now when the sixth hour was come, darkness arose over all the land until the ninth hour.
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama-sabachthani? which is by interpretation, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elijah.
36 And one ran, and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let him alone: let us see if Elijah will come, and take him down.
37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
38 And the veil of the Temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom.
39 Now when the Centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he thus crying gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
40 There were also women which beheld afar off, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less, and of Joses, and Salome,
41 Which also when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him, and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
42 And now when the night was come (because it was the day of the preparation that is before the Sabbath)
43 Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counselor, which also looked for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus.
44 And Pilate marveled, if he were already dead, and called unto him the Centurion, and asked of him whether he had been any while dead.
45 And when he knew the truth of the Centurion, he gave the body to Joseph:
46 Who bought a linen cloth, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulcher:
47 And Mary Magdalene, and Mary Joses’ mother, beheld where he should be laid.


Verse 33 - The strangeness of the wonder, is so much the more set forth in that, that at the feast of the Passover, and in the full moon, when the Sun shined over all the rest of the world and at midday that corner of the world, wherein so wicked an act was committed, was overcovered with most gross darkness.
Verse 38 - By renting of the veil of the Temple, and by the testimony wrung out of them which murdered him, he showeth evidently unto the rest of his enemies which are as yet obstinate, and mock at him, that he shall be known out of hand to be conqueror and Lord of all. (a)


'This rending of the veil signified that the whole of the Jewish dispensation, with its rites and ceremonies, was now unfolded by Christ; and that thenceforth the middle wall of partition was broken down, so that now, not the Jews only, but the Gentiles also might draw nigh by the blood of Christ. It further signified that the way to heaven was laid open by our Lord's death. 'When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.'The veil signified that heaven was closed to all, until Christ by his death rent this veil in twain, and laid open the way.
Pulpit Commentary


“At the same instant that Jesus died, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom. This spake terror to the unbelieving Jews, and was a sign of the destruction of their church and nation. It speaks comfort to all believing Christians, for it signified the laying open a new and living way into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. The confidence with which Christ had openly addressed God as his Father, and committed his soul into his hands, seems greatly to have affected the centurion. Right views of Christ crucified will reconcile the believer to the thought of death; he longs to behold, love, and praise, as he ought, that Saviour who was wounded and pierced to save him from the wrath to come.”
Matthew Henry - Theologian


(a) – One might also say, that this likewise was significant in that the veil separated the temple into to portions. The people, and the priests. It was known as the Holy of Holies. Thus when torn, the people, were now able to approach God Himself, instead of having a human intercessor, they now had a high priest in Christ. (Read Hebrews 2:17, 3:1, 4:14-15, 7:27, 9:11) “Having laid the foundation, that is to say, declared and proved both the natures of one selfsame Christ, he giveth him three offices, to wit, the office of a Prophet, king, and Priest, of the doctrine of the Gospel which we profess.” - GNV Notes