The Roman soldiers stationed in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' crucifixion were trained executioners. Growing up in the Roman Catholic Church they were etched in my mind as warriors and mighty men of battle. Those who organized the crowd and disciplined the masses. They were to do a job and they did it well. The Centurion would be in charge of one hundred soldiers.
When I came to faith and away from Catholic doctrines, I took special note of the Centurion's words as he stood in front of the body of Jesus on the cross. He said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Previous to this death, he lead his legion of soldiers in thousands of executions. One commentator said, "The legions did not rely on elite warriors supported by less skilled recruits, as had the armies depicted in the Old Testament, but on large, homogeneous units of highly disciplined professionals, trained to fight as an organized body." Yet this centurion knew that under his watch, no one ever died like Jesus. He saw the hatred of the masses of people. He felt the tension of the religious crowd. He heard Jesus speak words of forgiveness. He witnessed Nature in turmoil. He saw the Temple curtain tear in two from top to the bottom. It was unlike any other execution.
For quite some time I took pride in the Centurion's declaration - as if he had no hand in any of the torture brought upon the criminal of Whom he stared. In reading the Bible, I gave greater attention to any reference of Rome or Italy. But today, as I studied what the Roman soldiers did to Jesus before the declaration of that Centurion, my cultural pride gave way to deep sadness. How could I have been so blind? It wasn't as if I didn't know that Jesus was flogged and whipped and beaten. But, I had never taken ownership of what my people did at the cross.
And if they are my people of which I take pride in the Cultural Arts, Food, Wine, Music, and World History; then they are also my people in the historical death of Jesus.
It is written that after the flogging (whipping) of Jesus, "The Governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him...
They stripped him
Put a scarlet robe on him
Twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head
They knelt in front of him and mocked him
They spit on him
They took a staff and struck him on the head...again and again
Then they crucified him
And gambled between each other for his clothes.
The Almighty God knew that the Romans would have a working hand in the death of Jesus. By allowing both Romans and Jews to accomplish the death of Jesus - no one would ever have the right to accuse only one group of his death. The Almighty God made sure that all humanity was represented at the death of Jesus. Both Jew and Gentile. The Messiah was killed and it was the Roman hand that nailed Him to the cross, mocking and spitting all the way.
It is time to accept what we, as Romans, have done. Put away any cultural pride. Confess it one to another. Turn from the desire to hate (whether in our hearts or actions) and receive what God has done for you through the life and death of His Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
"Dogs (a word commonly used to describe Gentiles) have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." Psalm 22:16-18 (A prophecy written by King David hundreds of years before the death of Jesus.)
References - Mark 15:40; Luke 23:34, 44-45; John 19; Psalm 22
When I came to faith and away from Catholic doctrines, I took special note of the Centurion's words as he stood in front of the body of Jesus on the cross. He said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Previous to this death, he lead his legion of soldiers in thousands of executions. One commentator said, "The legions did not rely on elite warriors supported by less skilled recruits, as had the armies depicted in the Old Testament, but on large, homogeneous units of highly disciplined professionals, trained to fight as an organized body." Yet this centurion knew that under his watch, no one ever died like Jesus. He saw the hatred of the masses of people. He felt the tension of the religious crowd. He heard Jesus speak words of forgiveness. He witnessed Nature in turmoil. He saw the Temple curtain tear in two from top to the bottom. It was unlike any other execution.
For quite some time I took pride in the Centurion's declaration - as if he had no hand in any of the torture brought upon the criminal of Whom he stared. In reading the Bible, I gave greater attention to any reference of Rome or Italy. But today, as I studied what the Roman soldiers did to Jesus before the declaration of that Centurion, my cultural pride gave way to deep sadness. How could I have been so blind? It wasn't as if I didn't know that Jesus was flogged and whipped and beaten. But, I had never taken ownership of what my people did at the cross.
And if they are my people of which I take pride in the Cultural Arts, Food, Wine, Music, and World History; then they are also my people in the historical death of Jesus.
It is written that after the flogging (whipping) of Jesus, "The Governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him...
They stripped him
Put a scarlet robe on him
Twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head
They knelt in front of him and mocked him
They spit on him
They took a staff and struck him on the head...again and again
Then they crucified him
And gambled between each other for his clothes.
The Almighty God knew that the Romans would have a working hand in the death of Jesus. By allowing both Romans and Jews to accomplish the death of Jesus - no one would ever have the right to accuse only one group of his death. The Almighty God made sure that all humanity was represented at the death of Jesus. Both Jew and Gentile. The Messiah was killed and it was the Roman hand that nailed Him to the cross, mocking and spitting all the way.
It is time to accept what we, as Romans, have done. Put away any cultural pride. Confess it one to another. Turn from the desire to hate (whether in our hearts or actions) and receive what God has done for you through the life and death of His Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
"Dogs (a word commonly used to describe Gentiles) have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." Psalm 22:16-18 (A prophecy written by King David hundreds of years before the death of Jesus.)
References - Mark 15:40; Luke 23:34, 44-45; John 19; Psalm 22
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