Matthew 27:54 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

NIV: 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!"

NASB: Now as for the centurion and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the other things that were happening, they became extremely frightened and said, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'

CSB: When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

NLT: The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, 'This man truly was the Son of God!'

KJV: Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

NKJV: So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Earlier, Matthew noted that Roman soldiers had been tasked with keeping watch over the men on the crosses. This would have been standard procedure. Crucifixion was a slow, horrific process that could take days. To ensure no one attempted to rescue the person before they died, guards would observe, speed up the process, or otherwise confirm death (John 19:31–34). These same men were likely involved in beating, mocking, and tormenting Jesus that same day (Matthew 27:27–31).

Since then, though, an unnatural darkness had come and gone in the middle of the day (Matthew 27:45). Jesus' death was immediately followed by a dramatic earthquake that seemed too connected to be coincidence (Matthew 27:50–51). That combination of eerie events and the odd taunts of the crowd (Matthew 27:40–43) seems to have terrified the attending soldiers. They might fear they are about to experience divine punishment for their involvement.

It's extremely unlikely pagan soldiers meant they now believed Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, the Christ. More likely, they were echoing His depiction as "Son of God," which they would have heard from the crowd. The Greek of this verse can also be translated as "a son of God," or "a son of a god." Roman mythology allowed for the idea of demigods and other partially divine beings. Pilate also expressed fear when he heard Jesus associated with this idea (John 19:7–8). In any case, their experiences were deeply humbling, and pulled them towards some level of faith in Jesus (John 12:32).

Matthew 27:45–56 describes the climactic moment when Jesus dies on the cross. Darkness falls over Israel as Jesus hangs near death. Jesus cries out the words of Psalm 22:1, which mean "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some nearby think He is calling for Elijah the prophet to come and save Him. Jesus dies. Immediately, the massive temple curtain is torn in two, top to bottom. Earthquakes open the tombs of some of the saints of Israel, who are later resurrected. A Roman centurion is shocked enough to declare that Jesus was the Son of God. Three women, Jesus' friends, watch from a distance.

When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus' death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.

Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus' condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.