During Holy Week we reflect on events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who came to save humanity from their sins. Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and the Lord of all who believe in Him. God’s coming to earth and living a human life changed the world as nothing else has. Placing your trust in Jesus changes you and your life as nothing else can.

The story of the two thieves hanging on either side of Jesus as He died, helps us understand how people must make the choice for Christ; Christ does not make the choice for them. The story of the centurion who oversaw their crucifixion provides great insight into the mighty power of the cross of Christ from the beginning. It did not take days or even hours for the news to get around.

The synoptic gospels record the centurion’s witnessing to Jesus’s divinity and His righteousness. According to Matthew, the centurion and others watching on were awestruck by the supernatural happenings that day as they proclaimed: “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:54).

Mark records that as Jesus drew His last breath the centurion who was facing Jesus at the time declared, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39). Mark assigns these words solely to the centurion facing Jesus.

Luke states that the centurion praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” (Luke 23:47). Luke, a physician and Paul’s companion, spoke to the Greeks who valued the law. A centurion who had upheld Roman law for Caesar renouncing Rome by proclaiming that Jesus was a righteous man, innocent of wrongdoing, was surely viewed as scandalous.

This centurion kept order, guarded prisoners, and one day would collect a good pension. Not only did his words at a criminal’s cross that day put his pension in jeopardy, but, indeed, he knew that his behavior could well cost him his life. Watching Jesus as He drew His very last breath, the centurion saw and heard things that he could not unsee or unhear. He was a transformed man.

The Roman army, the longest surviving and most effective military force in history, was a force to be reconned with. Jewish leaders depended on it to control their own people (Acts 21). In charge of about one hundred soldiers, centurions were good leaders because they worked hard and commanded loyalty by example, directly in the line of fire with those they oversaw.

After years working, centurions had experienced everything and they became hardened. There is nothing that they would have refused to do. They were unshakeable. The thief who said yes to Jesus that day had nothing to lose, unlike his guard who gave everything, maybe even his life, to follow Jesus. The centurion was a credible witness because he was well respected.

While on Calvary to ensure that the prisoners were crucified without incident, the centurion had no control over anything that God had charge of, but God worked through every incident to impact everyone who would hear and see, even this Roman in charge of Christ’s crucifixion.

This resolute man bound to his duties ensured that those under him did as they were told just as he had always done. But then it was as if all hell had broken loose. Everyone there that day saw and heard the strangest things. Things that would be talked about forever after.

Why would a man hanging on a cross and being crucified cry out for his enemies to be forgiven? How could this man be concerned about his mother when he was in such pain? How dare He even think that he could forgive one of the two hanging beside him? Only Caesar forgives. Why would he announce his death? It is finished. How could he know he was dying? The other two were still alive. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. Surely, he could not be who he claimed to be, could he? Contemplating Christ’s last moments as if we were that centurion, would we have fathomed what was happening? Would we call out in faith to Jesus?

Evil exists. But the light shines brighter in darkness, like the day when Jesus died. The centurion at the cross saw and heard things he could not explain. Darkness, rocks breaking, an earthquake, tombs opening revealing the dead coming to life. Surely, he had heard of what happened in the Temple. He could not unsee or unhear what he saw and heard, nor did he want to. The darkness within this centurion was lifted as he was touched by the mighty hand of God. The centurion knew it, proclaimed the truth, and most certainly continued to do that when he left Calvary.

Everything in scripture has purpose. In his few moments of acknowledgment at the cross of Christ, this centurion had a true encounter that changed him and countless others forever. While dozens of Romans and Jews whose names we know evaded seeing three men die by crucifixion, this unnamed Roman guard is today in heaven with Jesus after having introduced multitudes through his biblical witness to the Jesus that he knows and loves.

The centurion is the first converted Gentile, before Paul, before the apostles who ran from the cross. He converted from paganism through conviction of Christ’s perfect sacrifice for him and God’s omnipotent love for him. Innumerable saved souls are not named or even acknowledged, yet they are eternally with God. And God, in heaven, will call everyone by name.

God is always victorious. People too are victorious when they are in Christ, but not when they insist on doing things outside of God’s will. When people heed God’s voice, what He reveals will come to the light, be seen, and heard.

Come and see what God has done; He is awesome in His deeds toward the children of man. Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me! (Psalm 66)