GOD WAS HERE!
|
Perspective is important. Only a few verses after Jesus’ anguished cry of forsakenness, the Roman centurion—a pagan military oppressor—was acknowledging Him as the Son of God in those moments of death, upheaval, and terror.
He and his fellow soldiers guarding Jesus had been witnesses to the whole crucifixion story, perhaps including mocking Him in Pilate’s courtyard (see Matthew 27:27–31). Jesus had experienced only darkness, suffering, and silence, but this centurion—who had likely overseen many crucifixions—saw something unique and profound, something divine. In that moment of fear, the centurion and his men asked deeper questions and found a meaningful answer. This is an enigmatic story. We were not told why the centurion and his men arrived at this conclusion or their understanding when describing this executed criminal as “the Son of God.” Given so few details, we can imagine that this centurion might have been known to the first readers of the Gospels; perhaps he became a member of one of the earliest groups of believers after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. Or perhaps he and his men were simply overwhelmed by the strange events of this particular crucifixion, and the Gospel writer used this unlikely voice to remind us at this point in the story just who Jesus is and how significant His death was in almost every imaginable way. Sometimes, fear reveals truth.
It can jolt us to authentic, unscripted, and otherwise unlikely conclusions, even if we do not fully understand or grasp what we are saying. But as the feeling of fear passes, so too can our moment of clarity and honesty. We tend to revert quickly.
That doesn’t diminish the truth we might have stumbled upon, but it means we have to choose what we do with that insight, whether we shrug and move on or whether we allow it to settle more deeply into our lives.
