Death: Mark 15:39-41

Jesus died knowing His death opens the gate to eternal life for all who are willing to follow.  His death frees us from eternal condemnation.  His death allows us to look evil in the eye and not flinch.  His death allows us to embrace death with grace rather than fear.  His death allows us to stand clean before our Creator.

The centurion witnessed the death of Jesus and declared Him Son of God.  This was a centurion, not just a Roman soldier.  He was a soldier in charge of other soldiers.  He’d put in his time, commanded others, and seen his share of conflict.  He knew what death looked like; if I had to guess this was nowhere near his first crucifixion.

What was it about the way Jesus died that made Him think Jesus was the Son of God?  Go back and think about that question.  Why would anyone think that anyone dying was the Son of God?  Aren’t gods invincible?  Aren’t gods immortal?  How is it even possible that a person who is comfortable around death could look into death and see anything resembling the divine?

Because this man is accustomed to death, He has the experience to see God in death.  He is properly credentialed to make this analysis.  He knows how people die.   This centurion didn’t see what He was accustomed to seeing in the death of Jesus.

Humans resist death.  Humans fight against it.  Humans fear death.  Humans run away from death.  Humans do anything and everything to escape the grasp of death.

Jesus embraced death.

Jesus breathed His last and died.

In Jesus, the centurion saw a man who was belittled by others and took it. In Jesus, the centurion saw a man accept being crucified for no legitimate reason other than to please a crowd.  In Jesus, the centurion saw a man hang on a cross, without struggle, without resistance, and without fear.  In Jesus, the centurion saw a man whose death was marked by supernatural darkness and movements of the earth.  Jesus died with the strength and composure of God.

Jesus died like someone with confidence that death does not signify the cessation of life.  Even through the horrible death crucifixion is, Jesus died differently than every other human this centurion experienced.

Ever wonder what happened to the centurion?  How do we know he identified the Son of God by the way He died?  Was it the faithful women who stood by and watched?  Did they overhear this centurion’s proclamation?  Did this moment in his life cause the centurion to pay attention to the stories that bubbled up about Jesus after the resurrection?  Did this centurion eventually became a follower of Jesus?  We don’t know.  I wish we did, but we don’t.

What we do know is that Jesus died differently enough to make the centurion take notice.  Jesus died knowing His death opens the gate to eternal life for all who are willing to follow.