WEEK 12 – DAY 5

CENTURION’S DECLARATION

And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. Mark 15:39

This centurion had watched as Jesus was nailed naked and beaten beyond recognition to the cross. He had stood close by as part of his job was to verify when the condemned had expired. He had witnessed Jesus forgiving those who thus abused Him and assuring the believing thief he would join Him in paradise. Then the soldier heard Jesus cry out, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46) and die. This man had not been one of Jesus’s disciples, nor was he a Jew who recognized Him as Messiah. He was a Roman who did not even believe in Israel’s God. What prompted the declaration he exclaimed as Jesus breathed His last? He had seen no miracles except darkness in the middle of the day (Matthew 27:45) which a person might be able to explain away. However, he had seen grace in action as Jesus forgave all who persecuted Him. He had seen the kindness of the Lord as He spoke with the thief who expressed belief. He saw Jesus’s love and compassion toward all and especially expressed in designating John to take care of His mother. He had witnessed a person who in the direst of pain cared more about others than Himself. He had seen the Lord’s confidence that His Spirit was in God’s hands.  Therefore, though he had probably never heard Jesus preach or witnessed with his own eyes His miraculous healing power, he could see that Jesus was completely different than any man he had seen crucified. Tradition says this man later professed Christianity and was martyred but there is no proof of that. But in that moment, He was touched by the Spirit of God to declare truth. What do you see when you gaze upon the cross? Do you see a man who was crucified despite His innocence? Or do you see the Son of God willingly sacrificing His own life to save yours?

Father, may we reflect upon Jesus dying on the cross and see the attributes of God in His demeanor. May we remember that He endured those things willingly. He was not martyred but was the voluntary Lamb of God dying for those He loves.