A DEATH OBSERVED
Susan Murray
Today’s Scripture: “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, ‘Certainly this man was innocent!’” Luke 23:46-47, ESV
Theme: Jesus surrendered His Spirit to God, simultaneously obeying completely and convincing the soldier observing of His innocence.
EVERY DEATH
Every death is traumatic, leaving vivid memories of the details, such as seeing your loved one in a casket or holding their hand as they take their last breath. Some deaths are slow, and others unexpected in the blink of an eye. As memories flood my mind of deaths I have witnessed, I weep. I bet you do, too.
Many onlookers witnessed Jesus' death. He was mocked by the religious rulers, grieved by His mother and some women followers along with only one disciple, John. No one had a full grasp of who Jesus was just yet. They had hopes, but His death seemed to contradict their expectations.
A SOLDIER’S VIEW
Yet there was a soldier who became convinced that Jesus really was “the son of God” (Matthew 27:54, ESV). How would a Roman pagan come to this conclusion? As a centurion, he was a fighting man. He had seen many deaths and put people to death. He most likely had carried out many other crucifixions, and the way Jesus died was just different than any other and, through that experience, he came to believe.
JESUS' DEATH
Jesus’ body felt the same as every other human body would feel when crucified. Crucifixion is a painful, long, slow death caused by asphyxiation and dehydration. It took hours and sometimes days to die. Often the femurs were violently broken to hasten the death. Yet His death was different, but how? First, there was the abnormal and terrifying phenomena of complete darkness from noon to three in the afternoon and a violent earthquake (Matthew 27:34). Then there were the words He spoke from the cross. While in pain and dying, Jesus comforted His mother and arranged for her care. Otherwise, as a widow, Mary would have been destitute in that culture (John 19:26-27). He was meek, speaking forgiveness while suffering the greatest injustice (Luke 23:34). Naked and treated like a criminal though completely innocent, He did not return contempt (which I would imagine others would have done in their pride, like the rebel crucified next to Him who mocked Him in Matthew 27:44) with one having a change of heart and believing in Jesus (Luke 23:40-43).
The centurion would have witnessed all of this, and then Jesus cried loudly, “Father into your hands I commit my spirit,” breathed His last breath, apparently choosing the second He would die. It was sooner than the centurion expected, and it was not a whimper of defeat but a confident, obedient, purposeful voice of surrender to God. That struck the centurion's heart, and he saw Jesus for who He really was; a death like no other he had witnessed meant Jesus was no ordinary man. Jesus had to be who He claimed to be; the Son of God.
Make It Personal: Have you seen Jesus for who He really is? What do you feel when you ponder that Jesus chose to die for you? Stop and think about it now. He’s your Savior. Maybe you have forgotten. He has not forgotten you.
Pray: Father, please show me Jesus. Amen.
Read: Luke 23:32-49; Matthew 27:34; John 19:26-27; Hebrews 12:2; John 10:17-18
Weekly Memory Verse: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14, ESV