And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

Matthew 27:51

The direction of the tear tells us who did the tearing. When Jesus died, the temple curtain tore from the top down, not the bottom up. This small detail has big meaning. A tear from bottom to top would mean humans were reaching up to God. But the tear from top to bottom shows God reaching down to us. This shows that salvation is not something we earn, but a gift that God gives us.

God always takes the first step to bring us back to Him. We see this pattern all through the Bible. God walked in the garden looking for Adam and Eve after they sinned. God called Abraham while he was still living in Ur. God spoke to Moses from a burning bush. The torn curtain follows this same pattern—God breaking barriers and pursuing a relationship with us. We love because He loved us first.

No human could have planned or done this. In 1755, a massive earthquake destroyed Lisbon, Portugal, killing thousands. Events like earthquakes remind us of powers beyond human control. The temple curtain's tearing occurred during an earthquake that split rocks—signs that no person could have created. The timing, the way it happened, and the quake all point to God's work, not human hands.

The tear from above shows that salvation is God's gift to us. The Greek word used here, meaning "torn," refers to a violent or decisive action. This wasn't a gentle splitting but a powerful divine statement. For hundreds of years, religious systems created complex ways for humans to try to reach God. In one dramatic moment, God showed that the true path comes from Him down to us, not the other way around.

What God starts, He finishes. When a project begins from the top, it demonstrates authority and a clear intention to complete it. The torn curtain began the new agreement that Jesus promised—one written not on stone but on human hearts. The book of Hebrews explains that Jesus serves as both the sacrifice and the high priest in this new arrangement. The torn curtain announced that the perfect sacrifice had been accepted.

Godseekers, your relationship with God started with His move, not yours. Before you took your first step toward God, He was already moving to reach you. The same God who tore the temple curtain has been removing barriers to reach your heart. Your salvation story begins not with your choice but with His decision to bring you into a relationship with Him. The tear from top to bottom reminds us that grace always flows downward.

Prayer

Dear Father, thank You for making the first move toward me. I admit how often I've acted like my relationship with You depends mostly on my efforts. The torn curtain reminds me that salvation has always been Your work from start to finish. Help me rest in Your initiative and respond with thankfulness rather than anxious striving. Help me better understand Your grace that reaches down to me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Personal Reflection

• How might I still be trying to reach up to God rather than receiving His downward grace?
• In what areas of my spiritual life am I relying on my efforts instead of God's work?

Step of Faith

Today, I will identify one spiritual struggle I've been trying to solve on my own and instead receive God's grace as the solution.