July 22 2025

Tuesday July 22

The Three Response at the Cross

Luke 23:47-49

47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!" 48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. 49 But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Welcome to Pastor's Chat. Today we're continuing to look at Luke 13:47-49. Jesus just breathed His last and had cried out, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." I couldn't help but think of the passage of scripture in John 10:17-18 where Jesus had said to His disciples, "Therefore, My Father loves Me because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." Jesus did not get killed by the soldiers. He was not put to death by the Jews. My friend, Jesus laid down His life Himself and as He said, He would take it up again.

Now, there are three responses that Luke records here in these verses that happen when Jesus died. In verse 47, the centurion who was in charge of the execution testified, "So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, certainly this was a righteous Man." Mark's Gospel describe this scene also: “So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"  (Mark 15:39). He exclaimed that Jesus was an innocent, righteous Man, who is the Son of God.

This centurion had observe Jesus for six hours as He was being crucified and as he watch what took place and also heard the words of Jesus from the cross something happens in his heart.  He had heard the words of Jesus to the mockers, "Father, forgive them. They know not what they do”. He heard Jesus say to the murder being crucified with him, “Today you'll be with Me in paradise." He heard Jesus speak to John and His mother Mary, "Behold your mother. Mother, behold your son." Then the three hours of darkness happen and he had heard Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" And then shortly after that he heard Jesus cry out a shout of victory, "It is finished." 

And last the centurion heard Jesus said, "Father, Into Your hands I commit My spirit." Then he watched as Jesus’ head dropped and breathed His last. Usually, people that were being crucified might have lingered for days before they actually died. This centurion actually, personally observed Jesus laid down His life. He felt the earthquake and watch the rock split and he was so amazed and it says that “he glorified God”. As he had watched all this, it came over him. There is no doubt that this Man indeed is the Son of God. He is the Savior. He is an innocent Man. He's a righteous Man. I believe it is very possible that we will see this centurion in heaven. Who knows? Maybe it will be Cornelius who later called for Peter in Acts 10 to clearly hear the plan of salvation. I guess we will find out when we get to heaven.

Then in verse 48, we see the other response as, “the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, they beat their breast and returned”. Remember not only did the darkness take place, but when Jesus gave up His life and laid it down, my friend, there was a great earthquake. God shook the ground, and they all felt that, and they beat their breast. I'm not sure if they were repenting, if they were saying, "We wish we hadn't seen a righteous Man die like this." We don't know. Maybe some of them got saved later and some of them maybe didn't. They were spectators, and they left. Like so many today and unchanged!

But then there were His acquaintances in verse 49. And the women who followed Him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. They didn't leave. Now, isn't that interesting because women were mentioned last at the cross, and they were mentioned first at His resurrection. Isn't that interesting? Oh, my friend, God loves everyone. He loves the poor, the rich, as we're going to see when we talk about Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus loves the sinner. He loves the wicked. He loves you today so much.

The centurion proclaimed, “This Man is the Son of God”! My friend, that's the real question. Who is Jesus? Is He indeed the Son of God? Oh, if you believe that, you can believe that He is the Savior of the world, and He's the only one who can save you from your sins. That's crucial. And so, I trust today that you'll trust Jesus to be your Lord and your Savior. And like the centurion, you will proclaim Him as innocent, the Son of God, and you will receive Him as your Lord and Savior.

God bless!