The world, as a whole, does not understand the significance of this day. They go about their business as usual. Embrace their routines. Enjoy a Sunday morning to sleep in.
But for us, as Christians, we realize this day, more than 2,000 years ago, changed the course of history and turned despair into hope, defeat into victory, death to life.
– This morning, we want to focus on the words of a soldier – who almost got it right.
We don’t know anything about him except he was a Roman soldier over 100 men, was at the crucifixion, and that one sentence he spoke is recorded in the gospel of Mark…
But his declaration is the climax of Mark’s gospel, a book written to a Gentile audience, so his listeners would make the connection with one of their own…
For him, it was likely another routine assignment. Another day at the office. Another round with a bunch of a rowdy Jews who were a thorn in Rome’s side – especially on this weekend because they swarmed Jerusalem like they owned the place. They were always creating problems and causing trouble claiming to be God’s privileged chosen.
Perhaps he had heard of this man “Jesus” and the commotion he had stirred up – the rumors of him claiming to be a king and trying to start an insurrection. He had seen them come and go… someone trying to rally the people, start a political coup, challenge the Roman government, establish a new kingdom, and then fade out of sight…
Maybe this soldier had heard him preach at some point while on duty, or he had witnessed one of the miracles Jesus performed, thinking “another showman,” another lunatic making outlandish claims of being some kind of Messiah…
Maybe Jesus had carried this man’s concessions a second mile and they struck up a conversation along the way and he had piqued this man’s curiosity, maybe Jesus had even raised this man’s son from the dead – we just don’t know.
What we DO know is what he said, and how he almost got it right…
Mark 15:39 reads, “When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him (Jesus), saw the way He breathed His last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’”
What makes this man’s observation of the last breath of Jesus so significant? He began:
1. TRULY –
Here was a truth, a reality, a certainty, an undeniable fact beyond doubt…no second guessing, no qualifiers, no room for disclaimers. A declaration.
Jesus used the statement himself on occasion to provoke emphasis and validity, to get people’s attention.
It appears more than 80 times throughout the gospels. A few examples:
“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
“Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.”
“And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!”
“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
“Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
You get the idea – here is something to pay attention to, a significant fact that is undeniable… It is true – HE is true… There is certainty with this soldier. Then:
2. THIS MAN
Here was a man – just like any other man. This Roman soldier saw him breathe his last breath after all… but maybe he wasn’t just like every other man…
This soldier, however, acknowledges the humanity of the Christ.
John 1:14 speaks to the divine nature of Christ yet it also addressing his humanity.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” There are such huge implications to that statement.
This Roman soldier would have been surrounded by pagan gods and taught the ultimate achievement for man was to become a god – for a ‘god’ to become a man like one of us was preposterous…
But we serve a God who is intimately concerned with his creation, one who yearns to connect at the deepest level, to be near us.
One who can sympathize with our infirmities… one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. We serve a God who cares.
- We have no way of knowing how many crucifixions this soldier had witnessed… likely dozens or more, as it was a common form of punishment to put men to death at that time.
Perhaps he was thinking: A few more hours on this shift and I can get home to the wife and kids… Let’s give these guys what they deserve and get out of here…
- Passover weekend had to be the most dreaded weekend on the calendar for any
Roman soldier. All these crazy Israeli nomads coming to town, boasting about what their God had done for them centuries ago through some wild wilderness wanderings, eating boring meals, killing tons of sheep, celebrating crazy rituals and cluttering up the streets.
And there were always the crucifixions themselves to deal with – a way of reminding these ‘has-beens’ and ‘want-a-bees’ who was in charge – that Rome was the authority and had the final say. They would deal with the rebellious rabble, and the insurrectionists who caused civil unrest and political upheaval for all to see – just to make their point.
So, perhaps this man comes to Jesus thinking… Here is just another guy, flesh and blood, skin and bones, another worthless Jew about to ‘meet his maker’ (not realizing he WAS the maker!…).
But yet, there was something different about “this man”… the blood dripping from his forehead due to the pressure of the impromptu crown of thorns placed on his head; the sign placed above his head which read, “King of the Jews” – perhaps a veiled confession on the part of Pilate, or perhaps just sheer mockery.
Either way, it was the same acknowledgement given Jesus by the wisemen from the East who came bearing gifts to honor him as king at his birth – but now he is facing death on a cross, not a coronation on a throne… what went wrong, were they and the others misled?
But there was something else… There was something different about ‘this man.’ His demeanor, his character was different – you could see it as he hung suspended there…
Men didn’t act the way “this man” did when being crucified – there was no blaming others, no taunting, no accusations, no mocking the Roman government…
All of the verbal assaults came from those men who were alive and well standing nearby:
Earlier Mark said, “Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, ‘Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!’ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; He cannot save Himself. Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!’ Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.”
It wasn’t enough to break his body, they were trying to break his spirit…
But, Peter later tells us, “while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering,
He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.”
This Roman soldier witnessed a man who wouldn’t budge and give in to their taunting.
He offered pardon instead of profanity. Forgiveness instead of four-letter words.
No bitterness. No guile. No resentment. No verbal attacks or outcries of rage, inequity, or injustice.
His main request was that his mother be taken care of by a close friend, and a lament towards feeling forsaken by his ‘god’… (but what could ‘the gods’ do for him now?)
– Did this soldier wonder ‘who was this ‘god’ he was crying out to anyway? How did he expect to get help from some ‘gospel guru in the sky’ when he had been accused of committing treason?… He was getting what he deserved.
The only thing ‘this man’ said that made any sense was “I thirst” – any man would have – after all, he was human… there is only so much a body can take.
Truly, “this man” … but this man was …
3. THE SON OF GOD
It is truly amazing the insight proclaimed here – this likely hardened, calloused Roman soldier was the one able to recognize who this man truly was: degenerate but divine, human but holy, mortal but Messiah…
The Jewish religious leaders – who had been searching for the ‘Messiah’ for centuries – were unable to see what was happening: the fulfillment of the prophecies – which they should have known and made the connection.
They had the inside track. They had been told one was coming to deliver them – “Emmanuel” God with Us – but they were too blinded by their own power and greed to see it.
Instead, the one who figured it out – was a Roman soldier just doing his job.
– There is something stated about this man’s position that maybe we should consider:
“When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’”
Maybe we need to spend more time in front of Jesus instead of the TV set or the computer screen. Maybe we need to truly open our eyes as to who he is…
You remember in Matt. 16, Jesus asked his disciples who he was – and it was Peter’s confession that, “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God” that Jesus said he would build his church upon and the gates of Hell could not prevail against it.
The first step of faith is the confession we make acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God.
But, we have to be looking for him. We have to be willing to see him for who he is.
What did this Roman soldier proclaim in his simple insight at the crucifixion:
“Surely” – a statement of FACT
“This man” – an acknowledgment of FLESH
“The son of God” – a declaration of FAITH
But, if you noticed, I left out one tiny word he said. For all the soldier got right, he got one thing wrong.
“Surely, this man WAS the son of God.”
It is true: “this man” WAS the son of God – He had witnessed him breath his last breath.
At that time, he spoke the truth – because it appeared to be over and finished.
What this Roman soldier didn’t know was that three days later he would rise from the dead and the tomb would be empty and it wouldn’t just be that this man WAS the son of God – but that he IS the son of God!
That is why we are here today. That is what makes the execution of Jesus unique among all the other deaths the Romans inflicted through the horrific means of crucifixion.
He is the only one today who is alive to tell about it!
The Roman soldier expressed the hopelessness that is found when we only see life in human terms… Here is what was… Death is the end… There is nothing more.
But the empty tomb testifies to the fact that there is so much more:
There is hope and healing. There is defeat of sin and the grave. Forgiveness of sin.
The wrath of God has been replaced with the righteousness found in Christ, available to all who believe – because he lives!
This Roman soldier made the best proclamation he could make about Jesus from the other side of the cross – surely this man was the son of God.
But we can confess today – This man IS the son of God because he lives today.
We believe that Jesus IS the Christ, the son of the LIVING God… and that makes all the difference in the world. It is where the Roman soldier almost got it right about Jesus.
Jesus was and is, and he is to come. The tomb could not contain him. The cross could not confine him. The grave has been replaced with grace. The ‘empty hole’ in the ground was replaced with ‘everlasting hope’ in the living God.
We aren’t told in scripture what happened to this Roman soldier who made the greatest confession of all time… But, I’d like to think he went home a changed man after experiencing the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ…
At least that is my hope and prayer – and it is my hope and prayer for each of us here today…
It is the message we need to share with others who see this day as a routine Sunday as they go about their business as usual, embracing their routines, enjoying a Sunday morning to sleep in…
We need to tell them, “Truly, this man was AND IS the son of God” and he can make all the difference in your life – because he lives.
I challenge you to live this week making the same claim this Roman centurion did 2,000 years ago – because he saw something in Jesus that was different and divine.
“Truly, this man was AND IS the son of God”
David Robison