Luke 23:47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
Answer: We agree with those who see a profound connecting thread with Jesus’ words and their impact on the centurion.
- Luke 23:32-34 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
The centurion surely heard these words of Jesus clearly in his ears and this likely deeply touched his heart and emotions.
It is even possible the centurion had heard or become somehow acquainted with Jesus’ teaching concerning loving one’s enemies. These words would have carried tremendous force as they were lived out before him.
- Matthew 5:43-44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
The centurion would have heard every word Jesus spoke during His tortuous death. He would have heard the communication exchange between the two criminals crucified alongside Jesus.
- Luke 23:39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
- Luke 23:40-43 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
The centurion would have seen and likely participated in the placing of the placard, which Pilate had caused to be written, above Jesus: - Luke 23:38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS
The centurion was not a squeamish man, but a hardened one. He was well accustomed to seeing death, even the gruesome deaths brought about by the agony of crucifixion.
The centurion’s words gave witness to his life-changed belief about Jesus Christ:
- Luke 23:44-46 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
As we remember the words spoken by other guards, we could safely assume that this centurion was thoroughly convinced of Jesus’ divine nature and relationship with God, His Father, by the uniqueness of Jesus’ words. Jesus’s death was unlike any death he had ever witnessed.
- John 7:45-46 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”
Some 2000 years have now passed since these words of reliable witnesses were recorded. Are these witnesses’ statements still true and valid for our generation as they were when made?
Yes! The years which have passed establish beyond any doubt that Jesus was who He claimed to be, the very Son of God. Jesus came to willingly offer Himself as our SUBSTITUTE in death for the just payment of our sins against Holy God and our neighbors.
No man who ever lived spoke like Jesus as He revealed divine, eternal truths which are binding on all generations. No man who ever lived performed the miracles which Jesus accomplished. The miracles performed by Jesus give clear evidence of His supernatural origin and omnipotent power over all of His creation.
Jesus’ words, works and life + death, totally impacted all of humanity and gives irrevocable evidence of the truth He declared about His coming again, one day soon, to complete the final restoration, reclamation and regeneration of the universe. Jesus declared that when He returns He will bring with Him all those who are God’s children and His brothers and sisters.
At Jesus’ second coming to earth we read:
- Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.
We also are promised that every knee will bow before Jesus and that every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord.
- Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The recorded event of the centurion gives us a forward glimpse of this future event.
It was a space of six hours that Jesus spent in the agony of crucifixion. This agony included His separation as a Perfect Man from Holy God the Father. The purpose of His death was to pay for the sins of all who would trust Jesus as Lord and Savior. Observing all this, the centurion went from a calloused Christ-rejector to the awestruck realization that Jesus was wholly a righteous man.
We also have the recorded deaths and final words of two other men, accused criminals, who were crucified alongside Jesus that day.
One criminal mocked and rejected Jesus’ claim to be the King of the Jews, God’s Messiah.
- Luke 23:39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
- Luke 23:40-43 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
One criminal within the same time period of six hours of the crucifixion, received a new heart. With his new heart he clearly understood that Jesus was, indeed, God the Son, Lord and Savior. This criminal also gave witness that Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be.
Even the crowds were affected by all they observed and by Jesus’ words:
- Luke 23:48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.
Why is this historical record critically important for you and me today?
Every person ever born into this world will die either as the criminal that rejected Jesus or we will die as this centurion of today’s passage and like the one criminal who confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Each person will die and be forever judged on what they believed and confessed to be true about God the Son, Jesus Christ.
What one believes to be true about Jesus is the most important thought one will ever hold because it will determine where that individual spends all eternity, either in heaven with Jesus in never ending joy and peace, or in hell in never ending pain and regret.
We trust you have or will make the clear irrevocable choice to believe, trust and follow Jesus Christ as your Lord, Savior and Friend?
If you have made this decision to love and follow Jesus Christ, please send us a note for our encouragement today.
We prayed for you as we sent this answer to you. If you would like for us to continue to pray for you, please note that request in your reply.
All our love to All in Christ
– Jon + Philis + Friends @ WasItForMe.com
“I BELIEVE!” https://vimeo.com/943289655
