“Truly This Is the Son of God”
Marcus 15:39
Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
The Roman centurion stationed on Golgotha‘
“Truly This Is the Son of God”
Isaiah 53:2
He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.
“And no beauty that we should desire Him”
The Man they brought to me this morning was a sad looking creature. “He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him” Not only had He received 39 lashes from a braided whip earlier this morning, but my men also made a sport of Him before they brought Him to me.
They heard He was a king, so they gave Him “The kingly treatment”. By the time they were done with Him, He could not even carry His cross all the way out here. They had to compel an unsuspecting foreigner to carry it for Him. And then, when He arrived, my men again stripped Him naked, divided His garments, pounded the stakes into His hands and feet, raised the cross, placed the charge against Him above His head, and then sat down nearby to gloat and gawk and gape as this Man and two others slowly suffocated to death. Since that day called Good Friday, I, the Roman centurion stationed on Golgotha, have come to learn more about this Son of God. What He did for me. What He did for you. By means of His Blood.
2 Corinthians 5:19
That God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
“That God was Reconciling the world to Himself in Christ”
The centurion’s confession is stunning not least because it was made by a non-Jew and a non-disciple. Coming from the mouth of a Roman soldier, it had the singular distinction of being in sharp contrast to the very charge of blasphemy viciously preferred by the religious leaders of the day which set the whole movement of Jesus’ passion-narrative in motion.
The Roman army was composed of 25 legions of soldiers
with 6,000 men in each legion. These
were broken down into cohorts, maniples and centuries. This Bible says he was a
centurion, a commander of a 100 many division. For this Roman soldier his
assignment on this Friday began like any other. But ended like no other. Either
in his life. Or in history. He had the responsibility of guarding Jesus. Most likely he was given
“Passover is an eternal ordinance”
Exodus 12:14
And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, as a permanent statute for the generations to come.
Passover does not belong to the Jews it belongs to God. Passover is when the Messiah died for our sins. Those who put the Blood of the Lamb on the doorpost or their hearts will be saved.
“Faith was essential to the keeping of Passover”
Hebrews 11:28
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel’s own firstborn.
“The protection of the blood”
Exodus 12:12-13
On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
For Israel to be spared the judgment on the firstborn, they had to apply to blood just as God said they should, the Blood of the Lamb was essential to what God required.
They are instructed to use a bunch of hyssop to apply the blood to the door posts and lintel; hyssop was often used
Hebrews 11:29
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them
“Passover as an enduring ordinance”
Exodus 12:24-27
And you are to keep this command as a permanent statute for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as He promised, you are to keep this service. When your children ask you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’ you are to reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck down the Egyptians and spared our homes.” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
The deliverance of Passover Israel would shortly experience was not only for them, but for their children, and all generations to follow. Passover was the greatest work of redemption performed on the Old Testament side of the cross.
John 13:1
Now before the feast of the pass over, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
God Bless
Josie Hagen
