Guest Post: "The Roman Centurion"

Of all the characters in the Crucifixion story, the Roman centurion, who stood at the base of the cross, is the one that intrigues me the most. He was a Roman centurion, a man used to having power; he may even have been over other men in the Roman Army. This had most likely not been his first crucifixion. Therefore, he was no stranger to death.

As he stood at the foot of the cross, he witnessed many unusual events that would have shown this Roman crucifixion to be different.  The man who had been brought to him had already suffered a tremendous amount. The prisoner’s criminal charge that was nailed to the cross was unique:

This is Jesus of Nazareth,

The King of the Jews.

This was a statement that came from the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, himself.  Pilate felt that Jesus was innocent of the charges the Jewish religious leaders had brought against him. Yet, Pilate insists that this charge be used.

Another unusual event happened at the crucifixion-darkness came upon the earth at mid-day. The Roman centurion heard the words from the cross that spoke of who Christ was even in the moments leading to his death. From looking after the care of his mother, to “It is finished.”  and the words asking his Father to forgive them, which would have included the Roman centurion.

These events led to his statement of faith- “This was the Son of God.” His statement would have made the Jewish religious leaders there angry and also the other Romans.

What is it that brought us to faith?  What was it that drew us to Christ?  Can we renew that commitment during these days of Lent?  Can we declare in front of everyone that “This is the Son of God”?

Let this season of Lent be a time of renewing your faith and declaring your faith anew in the Son of God.

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Renda Brinson is the Director of Christian Education. She lives in Matthews with her husband, Earl and dog, Daisy. Renda has four grown sons, and six grandchildren. If you enjoy her writing, you should check out her blog athttp://rendabrinson.wordpress.com/