He is truly the Son of God

"He is truly the Son of God" Matthew 27:54-56 Centurion was the one who commanded a hundred soldiers. A man of authority. Who was with his men guarding Jesus. They were soldiers, a profession that ordinarily "hardens", and whose breasts are not so easily softened "by impressions" (stamp or mark that remain) of fear or compassion. We know, then, that there is no mind so haughty or so bold that it cannot be softened and humbled by the power of Christ.

I. They were Romans, Gentiles, and yet they were the only ones who were impressed in this way.

A. As the Gentiles softened, His people became hardened.

1. They were "persecutors" of Christ, who had not long ago, offended, mistreated, slandered, despised Him as Luke 23:36 says: In His thirst they gave Him vinegar.

2. How quickly can God, by the power He has over men's consciences, also change the way men speak!

3. God takes over convincing them: seeing "the earthquake", which frightened them and things that had happened. (51-53).

4. These things impacted the soldiers, whatever it was, and they did it on others, they had it face to face, the death of Jesus the Son of God, only they, they all fled.

5. The expressions with which they expressed this conviction: a) The "terror" that seized them: they feared greatly:

1. They feared being plunged into darkness, swallowed by the earth in the earthquake.

2. God can easily terrify the boldest of His adversaries.

3. The guilt of conscience instills fear in the minds of men. b) The "testimony" that they were compelled and forced to give.

1. They said, "Surely, this was the Son of God."

2. This was the crucial, critical point of the dispute and on Him "their enemies were now in agreement" (Matthew 26:63-64).

3. His disciples believed it, but for now they did not dare to confess it.

4. The Jews, now that they saw Him dead on the cross, took the matter as settled, settled in their favor.

5. But the centurion and the soldiers were now pronouncing this voluntary confession of the Christian faith.

6. The best of His disciples could not have said it better at any time and at this moment He had neither faith nor courage enough to say the very thing: "Verily, this was the Son of God."

7. (Matthew 27:55-56) The presence of the few friends who witnessed His death.

8. They were many women... who had followed Jesus from Galilee.

9. Not His apostles (only John we find by the cross, John 19:26), whose hearts had fainted and did not appear there.

10. After following Him from so far away, these women decided not to abandon Him now.

11. They were there until Mary went to the tomb and until Pentecost and then each one for what they had to do.

12. We must do the work "to the end," and gladly offer Him the rest of our lives.

13. (Luke 23:49) They were "far off."

14. No doubt Christ's sufferings were harder to endure when He saw "in the distance" "the friends" who "most" loved Him.

15. (Luke 23-49) His acquaintances were male, indicating that there were some males, who were not the 11 disciples who had not arrived there.

16. Near the cross is John, the mother of Jesus, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Magdalene.

17. That they were far away was not disaffection, shyness, it would be the same and delicacy, our Beloved was in His punishment of nakedness.

18. (Matthew 27:55) They were "looking"; since they could render Him no service, they gave Him at least a look of affection, a look full of sorrow. "My Beloved."

19. We can imagine how it would hurt them "in the depths of their hearts" "to see Him in "such torment."

20. Let us contemplate our crucified Savior with the eyes of faith and may our hearts "be touched by the great love with which He loved us."

21. The Church is the place where our Jesus had to pass the cross, so that we could see Him, love Him, adore Him, cleanse ourselves, because there is no longer pain in His body, for we must give Him our affection with joy.

22. The one who goes to church to mock, judge and worse when he does not know Jesus, is not to love the one who deserves to be loved, no longer you but He in our midst. Amen.