Matthew 27:54, commentary and pictures

The Roman officer in command at the cross and the soldiers with him watching Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that were done, feared greatly, and declared aloud that this truly was the Son of God. Nature itself convulsed in sympathy with its dying Author, with three hours of supernatural darkness, quaking earth, rending rocks, the torn temple veil, and opened graves proclaiming that the Son of God had died. The manner of his death was itself evidence, for after only six hours he cried out in a clear, powerful voice of victory and died at once, after enduring trial and cruel abuse in patient, silent submission. The same conviction fell on many other watchers, so that those who had scoffed and mocked were silenced, confessed him righteous and the Son of God, smote their breasts, and fled lest the earth swallow them. That confession was seed that ripened after the ascension into a harvest for the gospel, and it foreshadows his return in glory when those who condemned and mocked him will in agony cry that he is the Son of God and the true Messiah.

Signs at Jesus' Death

Nature itself convulsed in sympathy with its dying Author and proclaimed that the Son of God had died. A supernatural darkness covered the earth for three hours with no natural cause. The earth quaked and trembled, rocks were rent and shivered, the veil of the temple was torn, and graves were opened. The shaking of the earth, the rending rocks, the spread darkness, and the loud strong final cry troubled His enemies and made His murderers tremble. The terror of the witnesses silenced the mockers and moved the crowd to question their rejection of Him.

Angels were present at the death. The earth quaked at the tread of the heavenly host, while nature showed sympathy with His suffering and humiliation.

The manner of death itself was evidence. Death by crucifixion was slow and lingering and often lasted days, yet Jesus died after only six hours on the cross. He cried It is finished in a clear, powerful, piercing voice of victory and died instantly with that cry on His lips, which astonished Roman officers experienced in such executions. He had endured trial, taunts, and cruel abuse in patient, serene, silent submission without a murmur, and His silence under degrading humiliation was eloquence that left a lasting impression on the soldiers. In the lacerated, bruised, broken body the centurion recognized the form of the Son of God through the sermon given in every action and in silence.

Other deeds seen at the cross added proof together with the earthquake. These included His words of comfort to the daughters of Jerusalem, His prayer Father forgive them for His murderers, and His forgetfulness of His own suffering in His merciful answer to the dying thief. The cloud of blackness rolled back from the cross with brighter light in contrast with the darkness, and His triumphant cry resounded through the universe. The piercing of His already-dead body so that blood and water flowed forth stood as unmistakable evidence of His death.

Confession and Varied Responses

The centurion in command with his soldiers watching Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and what was done, and declared aloud as witnesses, not in whispered tones, that this truly was the Son of God. Though they were heathen idolaters experienced in executions, they recognized the form of the Son of God in the lacerated, bruised, broken body hanging on the cross. What enlightened and convinced them so they could not refrain from confessing was the sermon given in every action of Christ and in His silence under cruel abuse and humiliation, when at His trial men vied to make His degradation as complete as possible yet His silence was eloquence. The conviction came through the darkness, the rending rocks, the earthquake, Christ's silent submission, the words spoken from the cross, and then as He cried It is finished the cloud of blackness rolled back with brighter light in contrast with the darkness. Simon heard the centurions and others repeat the declaration, and many others believed as they saw the terrible sights and remembered that voice heard amid noise and confusion at the foot of the cross.

The same conviction forced confession from many other watchers, including those who had scoffed and jeered and mocked and taunted. Terrified by the shaking earth and the rent and trembling rocks, the piercing cry, and the sudden death, building on conviction already pressed upon them at His trial, during the three hours of darkness over the cross, and by His last words, they confessed Him righteous and innocent and the Son of God. Their mocking was silenced, they smote their breasts, and they hastened away stumbling and falling in awful terror lest the quaking earth and trembling rocks put an end to their lives and swallow them up. The astonished throng withdrew groping through the darkness toward the city, saying in terror scarcely above a whisper that an innocent person had been murdered and that He might indeed be, as He asserted, the Son of God.

On the day Jesus died three widely different men openly declared belief in Him — the man who bore His cross, the man who died beside Him on the cross, and the centurion who commanded the detachment on duty at the cross. The centurion was moved by the manner of death, when after only six hours on the cross Jesus cried It is finished in a clear, powerful voice of startling power and victory and then instantly died, though death by crucifixion was slow and lingering and often lasted days and it was unheard of for one to die so soon. For a dying man to summon such power of voice astonished the Roman officers experienced in such scenes, and the Saviour's patience and sudden death and cry of victory impressed the centurion to recognize the Son of God in His bruised body and confess his faith. Roman officers and spectators and many others were convinced He was the Redeemer Israel had awaited, together with Christ's words of comfort to the daughters of Jerusalem, His prayer Father forgive them for His murderers, and the piercing of His already-dead body so that blood and water flowed forth as unmistakable evidence of death.

Responses diverged, for the terrible darkness, the convulsing of nature, and the quaking of the earth gave priests and rulers as well as the centurion and hardened soldiers all the evidence they desired that He was the Son of God, yet the priests and rulers remained hardened and determined to reject the light. Instead they spread everywhere the claim that the body of Christ was stolen and the grave robbed, to discredit the resurrection. The disciples wondered at these singular manifestations, yet their hopes of His reigning as a temporal prince died with Him, so they grieved in lonely hours weeping over disappointment, feared the Jews would destroy them also, and doubted whether He had deceived them. Even His mother was humbled and her faith wavered in Him being the Messiah, until resurrection and appearances revived hope.

The events also convicted others in authority, for conflicting reports of the strange events reached Pilate and he learned that Jesus died at the very moment the mysterious darkness enshrouding the earth passed away, sooner than crucified men usually died who frequently lingered days. Pilate was surprised He had died so soon, and the account left the Roman governor strangely agitated and keenly regretful for his part in condemning the Saviour. He was convinced Jesus was innocent and no ordinary man, and later when he heard that Jesus had risen he became convinced that he had condemned the Son of God to death. Many priests were likewise deeply convicted of His true character, and after His resurrection they acknowledged Him as the Son of God.

Prophecy Gospel and Return

The heathen idolaters watching did not whisper but said aloud as witnesses that the crucified one was truly the Son of God, and their words stand as fresh witness to his divinity and as fulfillment of prophecy. What enlightened and convinced them so they could not refrain was the sermon given in every action and in silence under cruel abuse, when men vied to make humiliation as degrading as possible yet silence was eloquence, so that in the lacerated, bruised and broken body the centurion recognized the form of the Son of God. The confession came as the cry It is finished was uttered and the cloud of blackness rolled back from the cross with brighter light in contrast with the darkness, and many others believed as they saw the terrible sights and remembered the voice heard amid noise and confusion at the foot of the cross. Their confession gave evidence that the Redeemer would soon see of the travail of his soul, and on the day he died he was one of three men who openly declared faith in him.

The same overpowering conviction was forced upon many who had scoffed and jeered and taunted, building on conviction already pressed at the trial, during the three hours of supernatural darkness with no natural cause, and by the last words, the piercing cry, the sudden death, the mighty earthquake, the rent and trembling rocks, the opened graves, the commotion of all nature in sympathy with her dying Author, and the mysterious rending of the temple veil. Terrified lest the shaking earth open and swallow them and the trembling rocks end their lives, they confessed him righteous and the Son of God, silenced their mocking, smote and beat their breasts, and hastened away stumbling and falling in awful terror. That conviction was seed sown that ripened into harvest after the ascension when the disciples boldly proclaimed the gospel. It changed religious ideas so that many Jewish priests and a large company became obedient to the faith after Pentecost, and their searching of the prophecies had not been in vain.

An earthquake marked the hour when life was laid down, just as another earthquake signaled the moment when it was taken up again in triumph. The darkness and the rending of the rocks accompanied the resurrection of a company of saints. Those risen ones represent people who will rise from their graves after the future time of trouble and testify to their believing relatives.

The confession first made at the cross will be forced again from the condemners at the return in glory. The priests and rulers who mocked at Calvary will recall those events with awful distinctness and shuddering horror, and will see in the sin and punishment of the unfaithful husbandmen their own course and their own just doom. In mortal agony, louder than their shout for crucifixion, they will cry that he is the Son of God and the true Messiah. They will seek to flee from the presence of the King of kings and vainly attempt to hide in the deep caverns of the earth rent asunder by the warring of the elements.