Week 7 - Day 5 - The Power Of The Cross

The centurion who crucified Christ is mentioned in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament. He is often referred to as the centurion at the crucifixion, and his reaction to Jesus’s death is particularly noteworthy. Here’s a summary:

Summary:

At the crucifixion of Jesus, a Roman centurion was present, along with other soldiers. The centurion oversaw the execution and ensured that it was carried out according to Roman protocol. As Jesus hung on the cross, enduring great suffering, darkness covered the land. In the Gospel of Matthew, it is recorded that the centurion, witnessing the events surrounding Jesus’s death, exclaimed, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54, ESV). In Mark’s account, the centurion’s words are slightly different but convey the same sentiment: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39, ESV).

Reflection:

In my atheist life style I crucified Jesus every day by my actions. Has that changed? 

No. Every time I sin each day, I nail Him to the cross again. I am like the centurion who crucified Him and if you are honest, so are you. We are all Roman centurions and fall short of the glory of God.

But the centurion testified to the power of the Cross when he declared that “ Jesus really was the Son Of God.”

Put yourself in his shoes. He had a tangible understanding when it was too late, that he had indeed killed The Son Of God. Can you imagine the dread and remorse that filled the soldier at that moment. But by his public declaration he may well have been redeemed. Not much is known of the centurion and he doesn’t rate a mention anywhere else in the bible, but we can be assured that his experience that day would have changed him forever and that his public declaration and subsequent life may well mean that we will meet him one day to find out.

We must daily realise the trauma of that day in the life of the centurion when we turn away from God. When we feel that dread in His absence, we must continue to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and get back to that place where we last were with Him. He will be there make no mistake. He is never the one that leaves. It’s us.

God never wastes a hurt. 

1. Recognition of Christ’s Identity: What led the centurion, a Roman soldier, to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God? How does his acknowledgment challenge our own perceptions of who Jesus is?
2. Impact of Christ’s Death: How did witnessing Jesus’s crucifixion and the events surrounding it affect the centurion’s perspective? How does Jesus’s death continue to impact our lives and shape our understanding of salvation?
3. Response to Grace: In what ways can we emulate the centurion’s response to Jesus’s death? How can we acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God in our own lives and respond to His grace and sacrifice?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Papa God.

Thank you for the example of the centurion at the crucifixion, whose acknowledgment of Jesus as the Son of God reminds us of the profound significance of Christ’s sacrifice. Help us to recognise Jesus’s identity and to respond to His grace with humility and faith. May we continually be transformed by the power of His death and resurrection. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

Graham Hood