Truly, This Was the Son of God
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a monumental event in human history. It definitely divided the religious community of His day, and continues to do so even in our day. Although this event has been described by eyewitnesses and preserved for us in the Bible, many still fail to comprehend just who it was that died on that cross. Was He a good man or was He God. Was He the promised Messiah, long awaited by the nation of Israel? The disciples claimed He was, but that certainly wasn’t the verdict of the Jewish leaders. Were there others whose account might help us decide? Indeed there were!
One of those witnesses was a Centurion: a Roman officer responsible for the command of one hundred Roman soldiers stationed there about Jerusalem; a man who not only witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but was likely in charge of what transpired that fateful day. Although the Jewish leaders insisted that Christ be crucified, it was the Roman soldiers who inflicted the punishment under the supervision of the Centurion. When Joseph of Arimathaea begged Pilate for the body of Jesus, it was the Centurion who was summoned to verify His death. Why the Centurion? He was present at the scene. He knew exactly what transpired.
Why is this man such a valuable witness? Perhaps his objectivity provides an extra dose of credibility for those earnestly searching for the truth. One might expect a biased response from the Disciples of Christ and an equally distorted report from those sought to kill Him, but the Centurion had no axes to grind. He was simply doing his job, and gave testimony to the things he observed firsthand.
He knew the accusations and studied His silence. He was stunned by Christ’s submission as He was nailed to the cross; not a look of anger in His eyes, not a word of guile came from His lips. He heard the words of the mockers and took note of Jesus’ forgiving response. He was a bit nervous about the eerie darkness that mysteriously overshadowed the land during the time Jesus suffered. He eavesdropped on the conversation between Christ and the two thieves. He paid particular attention as Christ spoke to His Father from the Cross. He was startled when He cried out, “It is finished!”, then shocked by the great earthquake that ensued. And then, as coincidently as the darkness fell, the light suddenly reappeared. What was the Centurion’s conclusion as he sorted out all the evidence? Seven powerful words - “Truly this was the Son of God.”