𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Share about your first impression of someone who you now know in a radically different way.

• Share an event, a story, or a quote that changed your perspective on something.

• What was one act of love that deeply moved you? How did it affect you?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, “𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵!” 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟮𝟯:𝟰𝟳

(Read also 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟮𝟯:𝟯𝟯–𝟯𝟴, 𝟰𝟰–𝟰𝟲.)

Crucifixion was a Roman capital punishment. In Jesus’ case, He had been brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. It was Pilate’s soldiers who put the crown of thorns on Him and mocked Him, knowing He called Himself “King of the Jews.” At the crucifixion, there was a Roman centurion—a commander of a platoon of 80 soldiers in the Roman army—who was keeping watch over Jesus. This centurion was a witness to all the events of God’s love and power at Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Some of these events were truly astonishing. He saw that Jesus, rather than weeping and cursing like others who were to be crucified, forgave His executioners (Luke 23:34). At Jesus’ death, the centurion saw the sunlight fail, the earth shake, rocks break, and tombs open (Matthew 27:51–53; Luke 23:44). Today, we’ll talk about the centurion’s response to the events of the crucifixion and death of Jesus, and how it can apply to us.

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴, 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥!” 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟮𝟳:𝟱𝟰

After witnessing these events, the Roman centurion was 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘸𝘦 and declared that Jesus was 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥. Most of the mockery was about Jesus’ claim to be Christ—including the crown of thorns, the robe, and the sign over Jesus’ head. They had been mocking a man claiming to be King, who was now undergoing a death sentence. Unlike the Jews, the centurion hadn’t grown up with the hope of a coming Messiah. But when Jesus died, the centurion acknowledged that He was who He said He was: the Son of God. How do you see God in your life? How did you acknowledge Him and continue to grow in your relationship with Him?

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗱.

𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, “𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵!” 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟮𝟯:𝟰𝟳

In addition to acknowledging that Jesus was the Son of God, the centurion 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥. This means he also acknowledged and believed in God. This reaction and transformation of a Roman soldier were so different compared to others. While others mocked Jesus, the centurion praised Him. Do you have a story of transformation from mockery to praise? How has experiencing Jesus’ love and witnessing Jesus’ power transformed you?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• Reflect on how you acknowledge Jesus in your everyday life. What’s one way you could be more intentional about this?

• Take time to thank God for a specific way He’s shown His love to you. How can you remember to praise Him daily?

• Pray about one area in your life where you feel you need transformation. What’s one step you could take this week toward this change?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for revealing His love and power through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and in each day of your life.

• Ask God to help you see Him clearly and recognize His work in your life. Pray to clearly communicate and testify about His goodness to others.

• Pray for a heart that is open to transformation and God’s leading, knowing that we are being sanctified each day.