When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “This man really was God’s Son!” - Matt 27:54 (HCSB)
Continuing on with the events that occurred the moment Jesus died, take a look at the eyewitnesses. For them, this was a moment that took them to the extreme of human emotion. The words “very frightened” in the original language point to an utmost level of terror and dread.
But also for the eyewitnesses, this was a moment of clarity. It leads to an astounding confession of faith. Sadly, if you look back at v. 41-43, you’ll see an ironic twist. Those who should’ve been the first to confess the Lordship of Christ missed it! The honor was given to a band of worldly, rough-around-the-edges, pagan, Gentile soldiers. The first confession of faith. All they saw was a crucified Jew, but they hailed Him as the Son of God. That’s faith!
Now, let me just stop here and ask you - What would you have done with “the earthquake and the things that had happened?” Today, what do you do with the evidence? I believe each of us faces a “Centurion moment.” I believe there is a moment for all of us where we are pushed to the edge, to the extreme, and we see Jesus for Who He is. It’s just us and Him. When that happens for you, how will you respond? What will your confession be? Or if that moment happened in the past, how did you respond? How are you prepared to respond to seeing Him suffer, die, make available a way into the most holy, and change everything? Will you come with a balled-up fist as a mocker? Even one who on the outside has the “right look” & all the “right answers.” Or will you come on bended knee as a worshipper? Even one, like the rough old centurion and his staff, who does not look the part?
How will you respond?