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“A Centurion's Testimony” • 4.3.15 • Calvary Christian
Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
• Mark 15:39 : "So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried
out like this and breathed His last, he said, 'Truly this Man was the Son of
God!'"
: When we come to this passage, it is helpful to understand the culture of a
centurion officer.
- He is a man of
Italian descent, part of a company of soldiers called a "legion"
which would have comprised 6,000 men of equally impressive physical stature.
- A Roman legion
was divided into cohorts and maniples, which were divisions of 200 men. A
centurion was a captain of 100 of those men.
- This man is a
career soldier of the highest caliber, who could only enter this fellowship
after the age 30 and that at the recommendation of a Roman citizen in prominent
standing.
- In his book,
"Concerning Military Matters," Vegetius painted quite an austere picture
of centurion life.
˚ "The centurion in the infantry is chosen for his size, strength
and dexterity in throwing his missile weapons and for his skill in the use of
his sword and shield; in short for his expertness in all the exercises. He is
to be vigilant, temperate, active and readier to execute the orders he receives
than to talk; Strict in exercising and keeping up proper discipline among his
soldiers, in obliging them to appear clean and well-dressed and to have their
arms constantly rubbed and bright." : This well prepared man would have
been in a typical position on this Friday serving in a typical way. Crucifixion
was a common crime deterrant in Rome occupied territories.
- On this day, he
is situated in a common place, opposite of Jesus Christ. He has been standing
at the foot of the cross of Christ for several hours.
- He has
witnessed the horrors of this scene before. He has personally overseen the
crucifixion of thousands of criminals and has been responsible for nailing people
to their respective crosses.
- He is a
calloused man to some degree and was likely among the the four soldiers who had
gambled for the clothing of the Lord in John
19:23.
- After that bit
of sadistic joviality, like a British Palace guard, he stood silently observing
the behaviors of the crowd around Jesus, as well as the Lord's behavior from
the cross.
- For the most
full picture of what happened here, I'd recommend that you read all of the
gospel narratives. For our purposes, Mark's gospel record will suffice.
- Here is what
the Centurion has seen. He has witnessed a miscarriage of justice, as the
clearly innocent Jesus of Nazareth was condemned over the clearly guilty Jesus
Barabbas! (v.1-13)
- He noted that
Jesus had been scourged and was sentenced to be crucified, something that was
almost unheard of! (v.14,15) Most
criminals that were scourged succumbed to their injuries.
- This Centurion
watched this man carry the cross beam for almost a half of a mile, which was
astounding given the blood loss and the weakened condition of the Lord's body.
- When he could
no longer walk under the weight of the beam, a Passover visitor was
commissioned to take it the rest of the way. (v.21)
- The sign on His
cross indicating the crime he was being punished for, was interesting. It
stated His crime: "King of the Jews!" (v.25)
- After the
aforementioned gambling for the clothes, the crowd began to pass by and it was
their mockery and insults that really began to bring things into focus for why
Jesus was there.
• Mark
15:29-32
: "And those
who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, 'Aha! You who
destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from
the cross!' Likewise
the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, 'He
saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross,
that we may see and believe.' Even those who were crucified with Him reviled
Him."
- Where are these
people coming from? Imagine the Centurion's view point. These men are going to
die. Justice has been served. With no human dignity left, the sight alone bears
respect.
- But the passing
crowd took the time to repeatedly insult and decry Him! Far from being
respectful and compassionate, they wagged their head at Him!
- This is indicative
of a furious shaking denoting their displeasure for Jesus specifically. How odd
was this to the Centurion.
- Some who had
participated in the earlier, illegal, pre-dawn trial of Christ at the High Priest's
house had heard the faulty evidence presented against him and reveal themselves
here.
- "You who
destroy the temple and build it in three days? Save yourself and come down from
the cross!" Jesus had been referring to His own body, but truth wasn't
what they were after.
- That was bad
enough for the mob, but what was really telling were the chief priests who came
also and did as the people did! Of all the people who should be compassionate!
- The Roman
Centurion was neither completely naive or innocent. He must have known of the
sham Priests that these guys were but this was curious.
- At this time,
Jerusalem was flooded with visitors for the Passover and Feast of Unleavened
bread. There were millions of people there who held the Priests in some regard.
- Certainly, they
would put their best faces forward, but they held no such facade! In open
sight, they exposed their furious hatred of Christ for all to see!
- The dignified
Priests in their distinguished garb, stood there mocking the Lord among
themselves, the scribes or lawyers with them.
- Perhaps they
thought they were being sly, but it was obvious in their body language and in
the words that they chose, which I cannot help but believe to be sovereignly
selected.
- Listen to the profundity
of this statement: "He saved
others. Himself He cannot save!" They meant this derisively. They
wouldn't own up to His indisputable works!
- Yet, here, for
the purpose of their mockery, they must attest to the fact that He had an effective,
powerful ministry! They must say the words, "He saved others!"
- There is
something to that friends: Jesus has indeed saved others! There are people who
can testify to that fact even here today! But on the cross, Jesus could not
save Himself. Why?
- First, He had
no need of salvation! His crucifixion was a miscarriage of justice to human
eyes, but a full payment for humanity's sin in the eyes of heaven!
- He could not
save Himself because He was not a sinner in any way and His death was for sinners
exclusively!
- Second, if He
did spare or rescue Himself, He could never have saved anyone else! Because
Jesus stayed on the cross, you and I will never face a drop of God's wrath!
- Then they
uttered their repeated childish rhetoric. "Come down from the cross and
we'll believe!" Are they now going to change their tune if He meets their
request?
- How often we
hear this from the lips of people who know the truth, but just need God to
acquiesce to them on one point, usually that which will relieve their present
pain!
- Forget that
they had ignored all of His teachings, all of the easily verifiable,
indisputable miracles. Now, they claim that they will see and believe?
- Let me say that
they couldn't believe because they wouldn't believe! They willed themselves to
refuse Christ's claim upon their life! But the Centurion is wondering.
- The priests
hate Him and the criminals crucified with Him began to insult Him, one
insulting Him to his own death, the other repenting!
- To the criminal
that repented, Jesus said, "Today, you will be with me in paradise!"
Maybe it was in the way that He said it, but it had to touch the heart of this
Centurion.
- And then at
noon, the lights went out! Being that this is Passover season, the Moon is on
the opposite side of the sky from the sun. Beside that, no eclipse lasts three
hours!
- This was a
supernatural darkness that covered the landscape for three hours, a fact
attested to by several other non-Christian authors!
- Just before
3PM, Mark records the last of the Lord's Words in his story.
• Mark 15:34 : "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried
out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' which is translated, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'" : It is
almost impossible to understand how this could be misunderstood, but Jesus
literally yells out the first line from Psalm
22.
- Anyone in their
right mind, it seems, would have understood it. In this moment, Jesus became
our representative and took the sin of all humanity from all ages, upon
Himself.
- Jesus never
lost His deity, but in the same way that He took on humanity, here, He is
clothed with the sins of history! This separation is one that we can never
fully understand.
- Jesus, once and
for all, took every sin that has ever been committed upon His shoulders! Every
murder, rape, theft, adultery was laid upon Him.
- God accepted
Jesus, a willing, sacrificial, human, yet divine, representative for all
sinners every where in every time!
- In this moment,
God satisfied His wrath upon sin, having poured it out upon Jesus Christ! We
are privileged to understand this and yet, the men that should have understood
it were in darkness!
• Mark
15:35,36
: "Some of those who stood by, when
they heard that,
said, 'Look, He is calling for Elijah!' Then someone ran and filled a sponge
full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and
offered it
to Him to drink, saying, 'Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take
Him down.'" : The religious leaders are right there, but are absolutely
quiet. Others are wondering if this is the Lord's response to their prodding.
- "Will He
prove to be the Messiah? Is that why He is calling for Elijah?" The
Prophet's return in Spirit was promised in Malachi
4. He was to precede the Messiah.
- John the
Baptist was understood to be Christ's forerunner, but the people rejected
Christ as the Messiah. Here, their minds conceive of this being a possible
culmination.
- This sour wine
gave Jesus the final coat for His throat. The Centurion watched carefully. In
his mind, he's not understanding the prophecy, but there is a heightened
anticipation.
- Just as his
soldier senses are awakened, the scene closes in a dramatic fashion.
• Mark
15:37,38
: "And Jesus cried out with a loud
voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from
top to bottom." : This must have startled the Centurion as Jesus cried out with a
shout!
- The words are
literally, "megaphone!" As close to death as one can be, after hours
of brutal treatment, such as we can hardly imagine, Jesus screamed out "It
is finished!" (John 19:30)
- Can you imagine
how startling that would be? This man presumably has nothing left. He is as
broken as a man could be, even expressing an abandonment by God!
- Now, out of
nowhere, in this creepy darkness, He screams with the might of a man virtually celebrating
the moment! I truly believe this was the Lord's joy pouring out from obedience!
- He had finished
His Father's work! He had paid for the sins of His people! He was going soon
back to His glory! This was the joy that was set before Him!
- I imagine the
Centurion turned to look at Jesus and then in the exact next moment, before he
could answer any of his own questions, he turned over to look toward the Temple.
- What he saw
couldn't be right? Was the light playing a trick on him? It looked like the
Holy of Holies was wide open to public view! Before that, a veil had separated
the most Holy Place.
- This temple,
called "Herod's Temple," was the most ornate and wonderfully designed
worship center ever built!
- The veil itself
was not a light, transparent material that we might consider when we hear the
word. This was a thick curtain!
- The original
veil of the wilderness tabernacle was a 15ft cube. Herod was not willing to be
out done! His veil was at least 60 feet tall, 30 feet wide and 4 inches thick!
- Rabbinic sources
quoted in various places tell us that 82 servant girls fashioned two of these
veils per year and when they were done, 300 priests carried it to it's place!
- That veil was
torn in two, torn away at the middle, from top to bottom! What a sight to
behold!
- Now, we can
begin to piece this together! The Centurion has witnessed humanity and deity.
- He has
judiciously watched this Man forgive when insulted and promise hope to a fellow
prisoner. He has seen the care and compassion of a Son to His mother, all from
the cross.
- He has noted
the darkness and listened to the triumphant cry of the Lord from the cross, but
when that veil tore at the very same time that Christ took His final breath, he
put it together.
• Mark 15:39b : "So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried
out like this and breathed His last, he said, 'Truly this man was the Son
of God!"
: Understand that this man is a polygamist. Virtually all Roman men were and
Centurions especially. Caesar, the man's boss, was considered to hold godlike
status.
- Some count this
to be a mockery, yet, when the other mocked Jesus, Mark mentions that.
- I believe that
we can dismiss mockery and embrace a true, if limited confession. To say that
this man was the Son of God is astounding for anyone!!
- When did he say
this? When he saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last! A Roman
crucifixion, the shortest on record, was in excess of 32 hours!
- Jesus screamed
out His joyful proclamation and then said goodbye! He dismissed His Spirit!
- He had power
over His own death and heaven recognized His claim when the veil, a symbol of
Christ's flesh, tore in half!
- This Centurion,
an unbiased man of truth points us to Jesus and says, "Truly, without a
doubt, this was the Son of God!"
Conclusion
- I
expect to meet this centurion one day. He may have been the first of many
Centurions who honored Christ, leading to the Centurion that we find in Acts 10, named Cornelius.
- I
wonder what happened after this day, especially after the resurrection. One
thing we can say is that while we weren't there, we can more accurately finish
his statement.
- "Truly
this was the Son of God," who took our sins with Him to the grave.
"Truly, this was the Son of God, who faced God's wrath, for the whole
world and averted it for those who believe!"
-
Truly, this was the Son of God who died so that we might live!
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