Mark 15:39 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

NIV: And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

NASB: And when the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw that He died in this way, he said, 'Truly this man was the Son of God!'

CSB: When the centurion, who was standing opposite him, saw the way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

NLT: When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, 'This man truly was the Son of God!'

KJV: And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

NKJV: 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!”

Centurions rank much higher than common foot soldiers. This man is probably the senior officer at the crucifixion site, most likely the one responsible for supervising the event. Matthew adds that the centurion is also influenced by a sudden earthquake (Matthew 27:54) while Luke says the centurion "praised God, saying, 'Certainly this man was innocent!'" (Luke 23:47). Some translations in Mark say the centurion noticed how Jesus' last breath included the loud cry.

Medical experts note that Jesus' cry at the end is not characteristic of someone who is dying of asphyxiation, which is the normal way crucifixion victims die. When the soldier later pierces Jesus' side with a spear, blood and water come out (John 19:34), indicating Jesus died from some form of hemothorax or a pleural effusion, both of which can be brought on by hypovolemic shock, or blood loss. The centurion knows Pilate believes Jesus to be innocent. He then witnesses the three hours of darkness (Mark 15:33) and the earthquake upon His death. If not at this moment then shortly after, he likely will have heard of the veil in the temple ripping from the top down, and the bodies of the Christ-followers who had died coming back to life (Matthew 27:51–53).

Scholars debate what the centurion means by calling Jesus "the Son of God." One possibility is that he can tell Jesus is accepting His fate as a servant of the deity He serves. Another is that he really does think Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Jewish God. In Roman culture, the emperor is considered the son of the gods, and the centurion may be saying Jesus is more divine than the emperor. Or, as a polytheistic Roman, he may believe Jesus is the literal son of one of the many gods. In whatever way the centurion means his statement, he echoes Pilate's inadvertent validation of Jesus' identity in the form of the sign on the cross. That Jesus is the King of the Jews and the Son of God is officially and spontaneously acknowledged by Gentiles, even if the meaning is not fully understood.

Mark 15:33–41 is a raw and stark account of Jesus' death. Jesus feels separated from God and abandoned by His friends. The land is covered by darkness. The earth shakes and the tombs open (Matthew 27:52–53). Only too late does the centurion get a glimpse of what he and his men have done. Even the women who supported Jesus during His ministry have moved farther away. But when Jesus breaths His last, the temple veil tears, marking the possibility of our reconciliation with God. Jesus' death is also recorded in Matthew 27:45–56, Luke 23:44–49, and John 19:28–37.

After sham trials, Jesus is taken to the local Roman governor, Pilate. This is the only person in Jerusalem with the legal authority to have Jesus executed. Pilate is not fooled, and he attempts to arrange for Jesus' release. But the ruler's ploys fail, in part because Jesus will not defend Himself, and partly because the mob is intent on His death. Pilate offers a prisoner exchange in Barabbas, and even has Jesus brutally beaten in order to pacify the crowd. Eventually, he caves in and Jesus is crucified. Thanks to His prior abuse, Jesus survives only a few hours on the cross before dying. Jesus is then buried in a tomb belonging to a secret follower among the Jerusalem council.

After being unfairly judged, Jesus will now be unfairly sentenced and cruelly murdered. It's reasonable to say this chapter provides context for everything else contained in the Bible. From Adam and Eve until the last baby born in the millennial kingdom, every person other than Christ is stained with sin. Conscience, law, Jesus' direct leadership, even the indwelling of the Holy Spirit cannot keep us from sinning. Sinless Jesus had to die on the cross, sacrificing Himself in our place, so our sins could be forgiven and we could be reconciled to God. Beneath the violence, darkness, dishonor, and death is the love of God for all mankind (John 3:16). Jesus' crucifixion is also found in Matthew 27, Luke 23, and John 19. The next chapter describes the miracle of His resurrection.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.