Firstfruits of the Cross
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" Matt. 27:54, ESV.
Filled with awe." That is undoubtedly an understatement. One can only picture that Roman captain and his soldiers trembling at the supernatural darkness and the powerful earthquake and the victory-shouting death of this strange Captive whom they had been guarding.
We need to look a little more carefully at this centurion. He was undoubtedly a hardened man. Only such a person could stand up to the difficult duty of keeping down the boisterous population of Palestine. The Jews had no use for the Romans and made their contempt open through both minor and major acts of sabotage. The Romans reacted in kind. Violence had met violence on a consistent basis. The very centurion at the foot of Christ's cross had almost certainly participated in many crucifixions and witnessed people die the most agonizing of deaths. It was all part of his job.
But he sensed something different about this man, this death. As a result, we find an individual, who only a few minutes before may have been participating in cruel jesting, now confessing at the moment of Jesus' death that "Truly this was the Son of God." Even to this Gentile soldier and some of his men it was clear that there was something in the death of Jesus, together with the accompanying phenomena, that showed that He was not just another human being.
In the centurion's confession we find the beginning of the fulfillment of a prophecy that Jesus had made earlier: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). Jesus had foretold the magnetic power of the cross. Now we find in the centurion the firstfruits of Christ's cross.
We should not overlook his declaration that Jesus was the Son of God. That was God's declaration at His baptism. It was Peter's breakthrough insight on the nature of Messiahship on the road to Caesarea Philippi. And now we find that truth in the mouth of a Gentile. With that the earthly story of the One who was to be "God with us" has come full circle.
Christ our Savior has the power to save because of who He is. And His cross is still drawing men and women to His divine person.
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" Matt. 27:54, ESV.
Filled with awe." That is undoubtedly an understatement. One can only picture that Roman captain and his soldiers trembling at the supernatural darkness and the powerful earthquake and the victory-shouting death of this strange Captive whom they had been guarding.
We need to look a little more carefully at this centurion. He was undoubtedly a hardened man. Only such a person could stand up to the difficult duty of keeping down the boisterous population of Palestine. The Jews had no use for the Romans and made their contempt open through both minor and major acts of sabotage. The Romans reacted in kind. Violence had met violence on a consistent basis. The very centurion at the foot of Christ's cross had almost certainly participated in many crucifixions and witnessed people die the most agonizing of deaths. It was all part of his job.
But he sensed something different about this man, this death. As a result, we find an individual, who only a few minutes before may have been participating in cruel jesting, now confessing at the moment of Jesus' death that "Truly this was the Son of God." Even to this Gentile soldier and some of his men it was clear that there was something in the death of Jesus, together with the accompanying phenomena, that showed that He was not just another human being.
In the centurion's confession we find the beginning of the fulfillment of a prophecy that Jesus had made earlier: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). Jesus had foretold the magnetic power of the cross. Now we find in the centurion the firstfruits of Christ's cross.
We should not overlook his declaration that Jesus was the Son of God. That was God's declaration at His baptism. It was Peter's breakthrough insight on the nature of Messiahship on the road to Caesarea Philippi. And now we find that truth in the mouth of a Gentile. With that the earthly story of the One who was to be "God with us" has come full circle.
Christ our Savior has the power to save because of who He is. And His cross is still drawing men and women to His divine person.
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