The Roman Soldier at the Cross

I am a Roman centurion. I have stood at the foot of many men as they faced their final moments. I've seen criminals die, their lives slipping away without a second thought from the crowd. I had grown used to the violence, the punishment, the finality of it all. But that day was unlike any other.

I stood there, watching Him. I couldn’t help but notice the difference in Him. The man on the cross was no ordinary criminal. He was different, and I knew it deep within me. As He hung there, suffering in ways I had never seen before, He spoke. ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ (Luke 23:34)
At first, I thought I hadn’t heard it right. Who speaks like that when they're being tortured? Who speaks of forgiveness when their life is being stripped away from them? But there He was, speaking those words in the midst of His agony. Forgiveness. Mercy. How could anyone forgive those who were causing such pain?

I didn’t understand at that moment, but I couldn’t forget what I had heard. It stayed with me as I watched Him. The soldiers around me were indifferent, focused on their orders, not giving a second thought to the man on the cross. But I couldn’t look away.

Then, the sky darkened in the middle of the day. It wasn’t a storm—it was something different. A heaviness in the air. The ground itself seemed to shudder beneath my feet. I could feel it in my bones. The earth was mourning.
And then, in His final moments, He spoke again: ‘It is finished.’ (John 19:30)

The words were simple, but they carried such weight. ‘It is finished.’ The words echoed in my heart. It was as if time itself had paused. The life of a man, a man who had never deserved such a fate, was being offered up for something far greater than I could grasp at the time. The cost was beyond anything I had ever understood. But the weight of it… it crushed me.

When He finally gave up His spirit, the earth seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting for what would happen next. And in that moment, the truth became undeniable. I said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God.’ (Matthew 27:54)

I had been part of countless executions, seen men die in agony, but none had ever left me with this sense of awe. This wasn’t just a death. This was the death of something—someone—greater than I had ever known.

I stayed there, staring at the cross, trying to understand. Later, when I heard the words from the crowd, I couldn’t shake the realization. He was the one we had been waiting for. The Lamb of God, who had come to take away the sins of the world. (John 1:29)

And still, the question lingered in my mind: Why? Why would He do this? For whom? For me? It wasn’t until much later that I began to grasp the true meaning. He was there because He loved us. He was there for our sins. He took our punishment on Himself so that we might live. He did it for everyone, but especially for me.

I had seen death in many forms. But this—this was different. This was life. The life of God Himself, poured out for the world. For me.

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“What I write is not for everyone, but what I write is meant for someone.”

I am the author of two books: Embracing God's Wisdom: A Journey of Faith and Reflection and Embracing God’s Wisdom: Paul’s Commands for Victorious Living. Both are available on Amazon.

I’d love to hear how this post spoke to you. Have you experienced anything similar in your walk with God? Feel free to share. Let’s encourage one another in faith! Please reach out at: hopeinchrist2024@yahoo.com

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service. (1 Timothy 1:12)