The Roman Soldiers at the Crucifixion of Jesus

Roman soldiers were men hardened by combat. They encountered many unfamiliar things to them as they served in the Roman army. One could say they would not have been easily impressed by what they observed.

Only hours before Jesus died, Roman soldiers brutally tortured Jesus taking delight in doing so. While Jesus was on the cross some of the same soldiers cast lots for his Jesus’ clothing. To them he was just another criminal to be executed.

But strange things happened while Jesus was on the cross and when he died. In Matthew 27:45 we read:

 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.

In Matthew 27:51-5 we read:

The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 

So these battle hardened soldiers who had only a short time earlier cast lots for Jesus’ clothing an mocked Jesus saw the strange darkness that covered the land in the early afternoon, felt the earthquake when Jesus died and saw the bodies of dead people in tombs around them come to life.

Their response in Matthew 27:54?

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Imagine yourself being there and seeing the eerie darkness, experiencing the earthquake when Jesus died, and seeing dead people in tombs come to life. What would you have thought?

The Roman soldiers at the cross came to their conclusion- Jesus is the Son of God.

Thank you for reading/ God Bless.