Matthew 27:54

The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

When Jesus died, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom and there was a great earthquake. It’s no wonder that the soldiers, tough as they were, were terrified. We need to be very grateful to the Gospel writers for recording so much of what took place, but there is so much more that we would love to know.

I find it fascinating that the Gospel writers tell us nothing of the response of the religious people. We know that some of the Jewish leaders were very sympathetic to Jesus. I wonder what Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea thought. And what about the disciples? Wouldn’t it be fascinating to know what their reactions were on this most traumatic of days? Matthew only tells us about the reaction of one group of people. We would hardly have expected to hear any comment from them, because they were the people who had carried out the crucifixion – the Roman soldiers. Their response was to declare that Jesus was truly the Son of God.

In his Gospel, Matthew continually points out that the good news of Jesus belongs to the world. It isn’t confined to a small religious group, or respectable people or the wealthy and successful. Jesus came to bring good news to everyone who will put their faith in him.

Question

Think of the people you are going to meet today. What do you think their reaction would be to the fact that Jesus died on the cross for them?

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I praise you for showing your perfect love by dying on the cross. Amen