Faith From a Centurion's Mouth

The Crucifixion of Jesus had just run its course.  Darkness shrouded Jerusalem, possibly the whole earth. The earth quaked with rocks being split.  Observing this and possibly other phenomena of which there is no record, “the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).

If this centurion was the “captain of the guard” who oversaw events from the trial, through the flogging, the host of abuses, and Jesus falling under the load of the cross so He needed assistance on the way to Golgotha, to Jesus being nailed to the cross, understanding has to be rapidly growing.  He heard every word Jesus uttered from the cross, none more mystifying than, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:54).

If nothing else Romans were practical, even very logical.  Yet there was a titanic struggle going on inside him, because he was on the verge of saying something that almost the whole of the Jewish, religious establishment could not see, or worse, would not see. Further, did he did not have passing knowledge of the most pre-eminent Roman gods?  Even the Caesars wanted to get in on the act, declaring themselves gods.

But this was different.  This man made no claim for Himself.  In derision it had been spoken over Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Luke 23:38), but no one took it seriously.  And the way he blamelessly conducted Himself on the cross—there was something here exceeding any dignity he had ever witnessed—like royalty?

And what of this darkness? it was far beyond just being cloudy, his company had to light torches.  And then as this “King of the Jews” breathed his last, there was an earthquake, not just a tremor but even to the splitting of rocks.  This was too much, he could contain himself no longer, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54). 

This confession rivaled that of Peter’s when he said to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Where Peter and his compatriots “backed away” from this great confession, denying Jesus; the Centurion “backed into” his confession, affirming Jesus—perhaps the only person in Jerusalem holding such a confession at the moment.

The Centurion was glad he said what he did.  Amidst the craziness and turmoil of the moment, this seemed so right—as though it needed to be said.

Is the Lord looking for you to confess Him in a very hard place, perhaps a hostile environment?