Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Scripture Lesson just read, from Matthew 27. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Our text brings to an end any suspense left as to the outcome of Jesus’ arrest, conviction, and execution. Just before Jesus died, some had expressed the possibility that Elijah might come and save Jesus. Jesus had clearly taught that there would be no other outcome than His death.
- The comments of the centurion and those who were with him, under his authority, the group responsible to carry out the execution of Jesus and of the two thieves, are quite interesting. They are the first to bear positive witness to Jesus following His death. They did so even prior to His resurrection! Just the nature of His death impressed them!
- It seems inconsonant that these soldiers would be quoted in Holy Scripture. Their confession was good – it was true, and impressive. Yet, these soldiers were the ones who had put an innocent man to death. Sure they were under orders, but this does not change the nature of the deed. Other soldiers had mocked Jesus, beaten Him, and dressed Him in a purple robe and a crown of thorns.
- Some say that soldiers are more hardened, more calloused, less inclined to emotional or spiritual expression than others. In the soldiers I have gotten to know, this is both true and false. Yes, they are hardened to do their duty – and to do it extraordinarily well. But this has not destroyed or even tempered their emotional and spiritual lives. In many respects they reflect the experience that has led more than one soldier to remark that “in the foxholes, there are no atheists.”
- When your business is death, you are pressed to think more deeply about death. When your business is dispensing justice, you tend to think more deeply about justice. When you observe men being executed, you are more likely to contemplate human nature, and observe differences in men.
- All of this is reflected in this account of Jesus’ execution. And what happened was that:
I. Jesus’ Words, Demeanor, And Actions Impacted A Hardened Executioner And His Crew
Text: “When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’”
Statement: In Luke’s gospel we also read that this centurion declared Jesus to be a “righteous” or innocent man. Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent, and tried several times to get Him acquitted and off the hook. In commending Him to the executioners, Pilate washed his hands of the matter, claiming personal innocence in Jesus’ death. Pilate’s wife also declared Jesus a “just man.” Sadly, the religious leaders of the day were not of the same opinion. Their hatred of Jesus blinded them to the reality. The soldiers, however, had to execute Jesus, for they were under orders – and to do so with a clean conscience, they had to assume that somehow Jesus was guilty of something deserving death. This was – after all – what He was getting, and they were making sure of it.
Application: So, consider how you would feel if you realized that you had just executed an innocent and righteous man! They likely were not only filled with awe, but a good bit of dread and fear, and perhaps even some guilt. It is remarkable that they would so freely admit what they had done – as they praised Jesus in His death!
Transition: And there were the other things impacting them – the powerful natural signs that occurred, and there is no doubt that:
II. The Powerful Natural Signs Accompanying Jesus’ Death Filled These Witnesses With Great Awe
Text: “When they saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God.’”
Statement: Understanding and acknowledging their part in executing Jesus, and the awesome power unleashed at the moment of His death, they might have wondered what was coming next, and whether it might be directed at them! Perhaps their confession and praise of Jesus was intended to hopefully ward off any evil and retribution coming their way.
Application: We often do the same – when we recognize our own sin and guilt. We want to say the right thing, think the right thing, or offer up some pious act or word – in hopes that God will be merciful. But the point of Jesus death, the Son of God dying as the Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world, is that we do not have to fear or worry about our sin. He is the blood atonement for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Transition: It is highly doubtful that these men understood what their actions had accomplished – that even in perpetrating a huge injustice they had been tools and instruments in the greatest cosmic sacrifice for mankind’s greatest good and blessing, including forgiveness for them for what they had done. If they had, it would still have been extremely difficult for them not to be in fear and dread, in addition to awe. But this much is certain:
III. These Tough Men Correctly Praised Jesus In His Death – He Is The Son Of God, Our Dear Savior
2 Cor. 5:19 “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.”
Eph. 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
Statement: The scholars have debated for centuries as to just how much these Roman soldiers knew about Jesus, and just how much therefore is in their confession of Jesus as Son of God. How much they understood about their confession, however, is in some respects moot; the fact is that they got it right. Jesus is the Son of God, and He is the Savior of the world. We hope and pray that if they didn’t understand at the moment they uttered this sentence, that later on they somehow came to know fully the blessings of God’s salvation in Christ Jesus.
Application: So also for us – what is critical is for us to understand the full truthfulness of what these soldiers uttered. In many respects, even as long-standing Christians, we lose sight of the realities of Christ’s work of redemption. We become hardened in defending ourselves, our stubborn and sinful ways. Like Pilate, we tend to try to wash our hands of guilt, to shuck off the stain of our sin. These hardened soldiers show us the right way, the bold way! Let God be innocent and all men guilty; after all Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world cried out, “It is finished.” Then He cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit to our heavenly Father. We are saved. We are redeemed. His blood does cleanse us from all sin.
Conclusion: I would submit to you that there is much we can learn from hardened old soldiers – like David, like Samson, like Samuel, like Isaiah, like Jeremiah. At one point Jesus said, rather poignantly and cryptically: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” [Matt. 11:12] So Jacob said to the man sent from God to wrestle with him: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” [Gen. 32:26]
But if we are to be hardened and “violent,” let it be for the sake of the kingdom of God – both to enter it ourselves, and also to proclaim it to others. There is no shame or blame in this submission to the will of God, for “Truly this man was the Son of God.” And He still is, thanks and praise be to God! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.