At noon, darkness covered the whole land. It lasted three hours. At three o’clock in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” This means “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” (Psalm 22:1). Some of those standing nearby heard Jesus cry out. They said, “Listen! He’s calling for Elijah.” Someone ran and filled a sponge with wine vinegar. He put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. “Leave him alone,” he said. “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”
With a loud cry, Jesus took his last breath. The temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. A Roman commander was standing there in front of Jesus. He saw how Jesus died. Then he said, “This man was surely the Son of God!”
Not very far away, some women were watching. Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of the younger James and of Joseph, was also there. So was Salome. In Galilee these women had followed Jesus. They had taken care of his needs. Many other women were also there. They had come up with him to Jerusalem.
Mark 15:33-41 NIRV
For three hours, the land was dark, and before Jesus took his last breath, he cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” This means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” (Psalm 22:1). I had heard this very well-known phrase many, many times growing up—as a kid, as a big kid, and now as an adult. But I don’t think I truly understood the meaning until now that I’ve read “deserted” and “forsaken.” The Son of God was saying this right before he took his last breath. The people mistook Jesus’ cry for Elijah, but Jesus’ call was to the Father in heaven.
At first, reading this, I was thinking, “What is Jesus thinking and feeling during all this?” Jesus was beaten, dragged, and hung!? Who can love like this? Am I capable of loving someone like this? I think the closest thing I can think of is the love a mother has for her child.
When I was first pregnant, I had a really hard time – the hardest time of my life! I compared it to conditioning for basketball when I would run until I threw up or passed out, or the time I was beaten because I stayed out too late one night. Nope, pregnancy was way harder! I was just married, I was away from my parents and I was so miserable. I had morning sickness the whole pregnancy. The one person who was supposed to help me (who had taken me away from my parents) smelled like fresh garlic walking, yuck! I couldn’t stand the smell of him. I was so miserable that I went dark and told Teisi I could never ever do this again.
Then the time came for the baby to come. I first saw this precious little thing and finally received the title “mother.” I can’t describe the feeling in words that I had for this little one. I knew that I loved him with all my heart, body, and soul and would protect him with my life!
Now there’s Esther, Uaine, Lineni, Sifa, and Finau. Teisi and I would get beaten, dragged, and hung if it was to save these humans over and over again! That is LOVE! God loves us so much that he sent his Only Son to die for us, so that whosoever believes in him shall have everlasting life (John 3:16). Like WOW!
The temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. I read this and thought, “Why is this here? Does this symbolize something?” I had to research this. The curtain was not torn in two from top to bottom by a person or a thing; it was just torn in two by itself. They say it’s like a symbol that the gate or bridge between God and us is no longer there. Jesus died to break that barrier between humans and God – no more rituals. We now have a direct line.
A Roman commander who observed the whole thing said, “Surely this is the Son of God!” Someone who did not believe in the God of the Jews saw the whole thing and said, “He has to be the Son of God.” He was amazed.
Re-reading this passage has truly opened my heart to the depth of Jesus’ sacrifice. When I think of the fierce, protective love I have for Esther, Uaine, Lineni, Sifa, and Finau—a love that would lead me to be beaten or dragged just to save them—I finally begin to grasp the magnitude of what God did for us.
The tearing of the temple curtain is such a powerful reminder that the barrier is gone; I don’t need rituals to reach God. Just as my children have a direct line to my heart, I now have a direct line to my Heavenly Father through prayer and the Word. Like the Roman commander, I stand in absolute awe, humbled by a Savior who loved me enough to bridge the gap forever. I am so loved. Thank you Jesus, Amen!
Mele Vakalahi Uaine has been married to Teisi for 22 years and is grateful for their children, Esther, Uaine, Lineni, Sifa, and Finau. She volunteers at La Sierra Academy with home and school, helps with the junior high girls’ basketball team, and is a huge college women’s basketball fan.