What’s Your Response?

What is your response?

Today, we conclude our series on "The Easter 4" with one sentence from a Roman Centurion. Matthew 27:54 says, "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!"

This week is special for Christians because we reflect on what sets Jesus apart from everyone—the Resurrection. We are reminded of the blood that Jesus shed for our forgiveness and the love He demonstrated on the cross. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, demonstrating that He keeps His promises and He is the Son of God.

One man who acknowledged this is the centurion at the cross. We do not know if he became a follower of Jesus, but we do know that he was moved by what he saw. Before the earthquake, the centurion most likely thought Jesus was another crazy man. However, after seeing what happened in response to Jesus's death, the centurion uttered, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

His response reminds us of two lessons. First, the centurion spoke with an almost defeated tone, as if he thought everything was over. But we know that victory over sin and death came, and our Savior is alive. We are not defeated.

Second, we learn about the centurion's response to Jesus. Everyone is going to have to respond to the cross at some point. Everyone must answer, "Are you going to accept Jesus's invitation to be a child of God?" We do not know for sure what came of this man's faith in Jesus. But we do know that he gave a response to Jesus. Therefore, we must ask ourselves, "What is our response to the cross?"

Sources: https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/easter/5-characters-of-the-easter-story-you-re-probably-forgetting.html