Matthew, Chapter 27, Verse 54
54 The centurion and the
men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was
happening, and they said, “Truly, this was the Son of God!”
Naturally we fear darkness and are terrified when
the very ground we stand on moves. Yet in this case the greatest gift of Christ
was the movement of a toughened soldier’s heart.
Truly, this was the Son of God![1]
Every believer carries a measure of
the guilt for Jesus’ death. If it were not for our willful disobedience to
God’s perfect Law, we would have no need of a Savior. We acknowledge in song
that it was our hands that drove the spikes into His’ and sometimes speak about
driving the nails into Jesus’ hands every time we sin. We speak figuratively,
of course, knowing that although we were not present at the time of His death,
we bear the guilt of providing the need for His death. In the Bible we are
given a brief glimpse of a man who was present while Jesus was nailed to the
tree. This man was a Roman centurion, a commander of over 100 soldiers of the
Roman army. We know little about the man except that he was probably a hardened
soldier and commanded a detachment of what were most likely Syrian-born
soldiers. He had, in all likelihood, presided over the crucifixion of hundreds
or even thousands of men and must have become hardened to the agony these men
endured.
It is likely that this man was present from the time Jesus
was brought before Pilate right until the Lord’s body was lowered from the
cross and given to Joseph of Arimathea. He may even have been present with the
detachment of soldiers that aided in Jesus’ arrest the night before His
crucifixion. This man would have accompanied Jesus from the time the Jewish
leaders brought him to the Praetorium. He would have ordered his men to beat
Him, caring little for who He was, knowing Him only to be another in a long
line of people he was commanded to execute. He would have been nearby when his
men dressed Jesus in a robe, pressed a crown of thorns onto His head and walked
Him to Golgotha. He would have given the order to proceed with the crucifixion.
The centurion is mentioned in three of the four gospel accounts. He is
mentioned not for his cruelty, ruthlessness or ability as a soldier. He is
mentioned for something far more important, for a marvelous transformation that
occurred immediately after the death of one of his prisoners.
Having seen so many crucifixions, the centurion knew
what to expect from prisoners. Most people who were sentenced to be crucified
were criminals, brigands, thieves and murderers. He had heard countless men
scream in agony while being whipped and plead for their lives before Pilate.
From their crosses he had heard them shout curses to men below and blasphemies
to God above. The behavior of the thieves on either side of Jesus was all too
common, as they mocked and ridiculed Jesus as he hung between them. Perhaps it
was during this time that the centurion began to notice that there was
something different about Jesus. Where most men cursed and swore, Jesus, as His
hands were nailed to the wood, cried out for God to forgive those who were
causing His suffering. Or maybe He noticed the tender mercy in Jesus’ voice
when He spoke to the penitent thief beside Him, promising that the same day he
would be with Jesus in paradise. Perhaps he was amazed that during such
suffering Jesus could look down at His mother and ensure that her future was
secure by telling John to take care of her. Certainly three hours of darkness
that accompanied Jesus’ suffering would have marked this as an execution unlike
any other.
We can only guess when the centurion began to realize that perhaps, just
perhaps, Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be. What we do know is exactly
when He knew with full certainty. Just before He died, Jesus cried out “It is
finished.” Immediately after that He said “Father, into your hands I commit my
spirit.” At that very moment Jesus died. At that same moment a violent
earthquake shook the land with such ferocity that rocks were split. Matthew
tells us “when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw
the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Luke
expands on this saying “when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified
God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
And just like that, the man who presided over Jesus’ execution, the man
who ordered the nails to be driven into His hands and feet, became the first
person to become a believer after Jesus’ death.
Watch the film, "Risen." Today I ask your prayers for my son Vincent Michael who's name means Conqueror; who is like God; and that he may fulfill the essence of his name.
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