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Mark 
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Day 334

Acts 4:27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both before Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together." Acts 4:27"

Day 334 – Mark 15

“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both before Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together.”
Acts 4:27

A SHARPLY CONTRASTING REACTION

The enemies of Jesus mocked Jesus to the very end. But such behaviour may be expected of small and mean-minded people! Mark offered a sharp contrast in the reaction of the centurion on crucifixion duty.

“So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him,
saw that He had cried out like this and breathed His last,
He said, ‘Truly this Man was the Son of God!'”
MARK 15:39

1. A Roman centurion

It takes a lot to become a centurion in the Roman army. What are some of the things he must have experienced before he could be promoted to the rank of centurion? Three things must be demonstrated first:-

a) He must have seen battle many times.
b) He must have proven himself valorous in battle.
c) He must have displayed leadership qualities.

2. The confession of the centurion

Not too many Roman centurions were inclined towards religious fervour. They had seen too much blood and gore to be easily moved by religious sentiments. What struck the centurion about Jesus that he finally confessed that Jesus was no ordinary Man?

a) The way Jesus conducted Himself
The robbers cursed and swore! That was “natural and expected”! Jesus kept a dignified silence.
b) The way Jesus showed concern for others
That was unmistakable! There was genuine concern for others, including the robber who had earlier on reviled Him. That was outstanding!
c) The way Jesus cried out in triumph just before He died
The Roman centurion had seen many die in the battle field. He had seen people crucified before as well. But no one had ever died with such a spirit of triumph!

ONLY ONE CONCLUSION

The centurion, if nothing else, was one who was honest with his conclusion. He could not deny what he saw, what he had experienced. His conclusion?

“Truly this Man was the Son of God!”
MARK 15:39