Introduction
Matthew 27:54-56 is a brief but rich passage, “When the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly, this was the Son of God. And many women were there beholding afar off, who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.” In those verses and the parallel verses are four responses to the death of Christ–the same kind of responses we see today: saving faith, shallow conviction, sympathetic loyalty, and selfish fear. Two are responses of unbelievers and two of believers. These verses are part of an historical narrative, but they have practical application for our time.
I. SAVING FAITH
This is the best response any unbeliever could have. It is illustrated by the soldiers in Matthew 27:54: “When the centurion, and they that were with him guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly, this was the Son of God.”
A. The Character of Christ’s Crucifiers
1. Their responsibility
The centurion is the focal point of our discussion about the response of saving faith. He commanded over a hundred men–a man of some significance in the ranks of Roman soldiers. He and the men under his command were given the unique responsibility of guarding Jesus Christ. We can assume their assignment began at the start of the trial before Pilate early that morning. The centurion had to be aware of the issues surrounding Jesus. He was certain to have heard the accusations of the Jewish leaders. He also may have heard part of the conversation between Jesus and Pilate (John 18:33-38).
2. Their ignorance
The soldiers serving the centurion were the same men who nailed Jesus to the cross after mocking Him . They were uninformed about Judaism. They were irreligious pagans. They didn’t have anything against Jesus; they were at the cross of Christ because their commander wanted them there.
Jesus was nothing more to them than some bizarre character claiming to be King, although looking at Him indicated He was anything but a King. By the time Jesus arrived at Pilate’s Judgment Hall early Friday morning, the Jewish leaders had concluded their mock trial. After the trial they hit Him repeatedly in the face, leaving it disfigured. Jesus certainly didn’t look the part of a King. He was dressed as a common man. Herod had his men put a robe on Him to mock His claim to be king. Furthermore, Jesus was silent–He didn’t sound like a king. He didn’t pontificate, pull rank, or call for His followers to rescue Him. The soldiers may have concluded He was mentally deranged because He accepted so much abuse without saying anything. When Jesus did have an opportunity to speak to Pilate, He spoke of a kingdom that was not of this world. So they concluded He was someone who had delusions of grandeur.
The soldiers were ignorant of whom they were dealing with. They served Pilate, which meant they were from Caesarea, a seaport city some sixty miles from Jerusalem. The Roman garrison for the Roman occupation of Israel was headquartered there. Since Jesus centered His ministry primarily in Galilee and Jerusalem, they may never have seen Jesus before this day.
3. Their participation
The centurion knew the Jews hated Christ. He had heard them scream, “Crucify Him.” The soldiers saw Pilate continually affirm the innocence of Jesus, all to no avail. They knew the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of claiming to be the Son of God and a King–that He was a threat to Rome and Judaism. But all that seemed ludicrous in view of the beaten and pathetic man now hanging on a cross. How could He be anything more than just a common criminal? To them He was a fake, a nobody.
B. The Fear of Christ’s Crucifiers
1. The cause of their fear
Something happened that changed what the soldiers thought about Jesus. Matthew 27:54 says, “When the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done [present participle: `were occurring'].” When the sun instantly became dark at noon, when the earthquake split the ground and the rocks, and when the graves were opened, they knew something out of the ordinary was happening. Verse 54 says, “They feared greatly.”
The Greek word translated “fear” is phobeo, from which we get the word phobia. The soldiers were overcome with sheer terror–a state of panic causing the heart to beat rapidly and the body to sweat profusely. A person feels terrible anxiety in the midst of such terror. The same word is used in Matthew 14:27 to describe the fear the disciples experienced when they saw Jesus walking on water and when Jesus revealed His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:6-7).
2. The context of their fear
The soldiers were not afraid merely of the earthquake or the darkness. Inherent within their fear was spiritual awe–a reverential terror. They concluded that Jesus was not just another criminal or rebel.
3. The conviction of their fear
The centurion heard Jesus speak while He hung on the cross. He heard profound words that penetrated his heart. Now he had seen miraculous phenomena take place when Christ died. He knew something has gone wrong because the land convulsed in response to it. His fear indicates a sense of his sin. He feared he might be under the judgment of God. Although the soldiers were pagans, that possibility no doubt penetrated their hearts.
C. The Confession of Christ’s Crucifiers
Their sense of guilt for having mocked and crucified Christ led the soldiers to another step. Fearing greatly, the centurion and some of his soldiers said, “Truly, this was the Son of God.” Their fear indicates an awareness of their sin; their confession indicates salvation.
1. They affirmed Christ’s Sonship
If their fear merely was natural human fear, they would have cried for help or run away. However theirs was awe reserved only for God. Mark 15:39 says, “When the centurion, who stood facing him [Christ], saw that he so cried out, and gave up the spirit, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.” It wasn’t just the phenomena; the final words of Jesus drove the truth into his heart. He uses the word truly to make clear he had no doubt in his mind. He wasn’t saying, “Maybe He’s the Son of God.” I believe he was affirming the divine Sonship of Jesus. Christ had just said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). With His final words Jesus implied He was God’s Son and the centurion affirmed it in Matthew 27:54.
How did the centurion know Jesus is God’s Son? By both the phenomena and the demeanor of Jesus on the cross–His gracious spirit, His silence when rebuked, and His victorious statement of completing His divine mission. Yet the only way anyone can ever know Jesus is God’s Son is by the Holy Spirit. When Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” Jesus said, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, who is in heaven” (Matt. 16:16-17). Peter knew Jesus was the Son of God because the Holy Spirit told him that. First Corinthians 12:3 says, “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.” You can’t come to that conclusion on your own. What happened to the centurion and some of the soldiers was a work of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ’s attitude and words on the cross, and through the supernatural phenomena, the Holy Spirit brought them to an affirmation of faith that can only come from God.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
