It Is Finished
Darkness at noon, a torn curtain, a borrowed tomb
A man named Simon was forced to carry Jesus' cross. They crucified Jesus at a place called Golgotha, between two robbers, with a sign reading 'King of the Jews' above Him. People passing by hurled insults.
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice: 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' — 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last. At that moment, the curtain of the temple — the very curtain separating people from God's presence — was torn in two, from top to bottom!
A Roman centurion, watching how Jesus died, said: 'Surely this man was the Son of God!' That evening, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected council member who was himself looking for the kingdom of God, boldly asked Pilate for Jesus' body. He wrapped it in linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock, rolling a stone against the entrance.
The women watched where He was laid. The most painful day in history ended in a borrowed tomb — but the curtain was already torn.
✨ Memory verse
“And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”Mark 15:38 (NIV)
Tap the words in the right order:
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👨👩👧 Parent & teacher guide
Big idea: the torn temple curtain at the precise moment of Jesus' death is one of Mark's most theologically loaded details — the barrier separating humanity from God's presence is decisively, visibly removed, fulfilling everything the old tabernacle system pointed toward (a theme this platform has taught extensively through Hebrews). Even a Roman centurion, an outsider with no religious stake, recognizes the truth the religious leaders had rejected.
This is the most solemn moment in the whole Bible for children to encounter — handle it with quiet reverence rather than dwelling on graphic detail; the focus is what Jesus' death accomplished, not the mechanics of suffering.
Conversation starters: (1) What does the torn curtain mean about our access to God now? (2) Why might a Roman centurion recognize the truth about Jesus when religious leaders didn't? (3) How does it feel to sit with the weight of this moment before moving to the resurrection?
Pray quietly, thanking Jesus for what His death accomplished — full, open access to God.