A curtain call: Janet Scott reads from the gospel of Mark

‘And the curtain of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom.’ 
(Mark 15:38)

‘And the curtain of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom.’ 
(Mark 15:38) | Photo: Manos Gkikas / Unsplash.

In his account of the crucifixion of Jesus, Mark does an extraordinary thing. Between the verse which says that Jesus died and the verse reporting the reaction of the centurion, he takes us away from Golgotha over to the Temple Mount, to tell us about the destruction of a curtain. This verse placement indicates that it is significant. We can see several layers of meaning, each of which can add depth to our understanding.

You need to login to read subscriber-only content and/or comment on articles.