I envision the centurion.
I envision that the centurion was a big man, in both stature and in personality. Being in the Roman army would have required him to be physically strong, and I imagine him always having a demanding presence whenever he was around others. Leading up to 80 men, this centurion, was probably highly respected by most, or even feared by anyone who was not a Roman citizen! Commander of those 80 people, but he was accountable for all of his actions, he had to be calculated in his decisions, and stand behind each one regardless of it being right or wrong. His job was one of respect, but by no means would have been easy!
Before the cross the centurion knew of who Jesus was, but needed to be ruthless.
The centurion was the hand of Rome, and enforcer of the law. He was in charge of maintaining order among the people, whether Roman or not. We see in Scripture that the Romans were aware
of who Jesus said that he is; even sending to Jesus for a miraculous healing of a servant because of the centurion's belief. However, the Roman Army was there for a reason. The centurion would have been in charge of keeping any person after he or she had been arrested. He also would have been in charge of the soldiers who conducted all of the beatings, imprisonment, and he would supervise the crucifixions of criminals and law breakers. He had a very wide range of emotions from day to day, from sorrow for his servant’s life and elation from him being healed on one day, and on the next needing to be numb and cold towards someone else’s life.
The Centurion was a man that lost track of who Jesus was until it was almost too late!
The centurion had a job to perform, keeping order while progressing through the trial and death of Jesus. But He and the other soldiers did more than that. They mocked and spat on Jesus during his trails and beatings. They tore his clothes and gambled them away, while still mocking Jesus as he hung on the cross, helpless and bare. After Jesus’ last words and final breath, an earth quake shook the ground, a sudden darkness, rocks split and the dead are raised to life! Imagine the noise and confusion that would all be happening at once!
The centurion is astounded. He recognized that this man had suffered unjustly, and was truly innocent. In trembling reverence, only beginning to understand what had happened: He announces “Surely he was the Son of God!”
Often times, I feel that we can be like the centurion before his
realization. Not in a brutal way, but in our emotional weight and understanding of what tonight, of what this weekend is truly all about. What is our attitude towards the crucifixion? Is it
something that is recognized once every calendar year? We might go to church, eat lunch with our family, perhaps read some scripture and then go back to our lives and jobs unchanged?
Or.
Do we have a reverence of what it is that Jesus has done? The centurion’s eyes were opened on that hill, he realized that the Son of God was hanging there for HIM. The centurion believed.
He may have not understood it completely, but imagine what the next week was like? Or even the next few months!
I want tonight to be reminder of what Jesus came to do, yes. But I challenge to let it move you. Try to understand the weight and emotion the centurion may have felt, thinking back on everything he had done and permitted, he announced to everyone, "Surely he was the Son of God!” We may not have earthquakes and splitting rocks around us today, but the power of what Jesus did has not lost any of its amazing power or awe. Be renewed in your thankfulness and astonishment of Jesus.
He came to abolish your sin willingly.
I am like the centurion; we are like the centurion when we ponder the love displayed on the cross; And believe.
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