The Burial of Jesus. Mark 15, 38-47.
Immediate effects of Christ's death: V. 38. And the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. V. 39. And when the centurion, which stood over against Him, saw that He so cried out and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly, this Man was the Son of God.
As a great sign had accompanied Christ's deepest suffering, so nature now signified its horror, at God's command, over the blasphemous deed which had been done on Calvary. While the earth was rocking in quivering terror over the outrage done to the Son of God, the great veil in the Temple, which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, the room where the altar of incense stood from the room which the high priest entered but once in the year, on the great Day of Atonement, was torn into two parts, from the top to the bottom.
That was a sign that sin, which till now had separated man from God, had now been taken away, done away with. No need of earthly mediators and priests to assure the believers of the mercy of God through the blood of calves and of goats, since our great Mediator and High Priest has entered into the most holy place of heaven and has perfected forever them that are sanctified. Every sinner may now, on the strength of Christ's sacrifice, freely come to God and depend upon the full redemption through His blood.
The Roman centurion that had charge of the soldiers guarding the cross was a witness of all the things that happened on and near Calvary. But the greatest impression was made upon him by the death of Jesus itself. Here was not a defeat, but a victory, as every one could see.
He and those that were with him may often have heard the accounts of the Messiah of the Jews, of the fact that He was to be the Son of God and that He should bring salvation to His people. This occurrence opened his eyes; he now realized and frankly confessed: Truly, this Man was the Son of God. His heart had accepted Jesus as his Savior.