Now Jesus, lifted by the Cross, broke the power of sin. So he declared, “It is finished!” And the Roman centurion responded, “Truly this man was the
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly." Jesus said to him, "Shall I come and heal him?" The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word.
The modern World English Bible translates the passage as: Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God."
Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:45-54).
Biblical references
Just before they did so, they noticed that Jesus was already dead and that there was no reason to break his legs ("and no bone will be broken"). To make sure that he was dead, a Roman soldier (named in extra-Biblical tradition as Longinus) stabbed him in the side.
There was also a man under the cross, a Roman soldier, the one who struck Jesus' side with a spear to make sure He was dead. Tradition has called him Longinus, which derives from 'spear,' and therefore 'lancer.
Pontius Pilate, Latin in full Marcus Pontius Pilatus, (died after 36 ce), Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea (26–36 ce) under the emperor Tiberius who presided at the trial of Jesus and gave the order for his crucifixion.
The Holy Martyr Longinus the Centurion, a Roman soldier, served in Judea under the command of the Governor, Pontius Pilate. When our Savior Jesus Christ was crucified, it was the detachment of soldiers under the command of Longinus which stood watch on Golgotha, at the very foot of the holy Cross.
His worship at times rivaled that of Capitoline Jupiter, and about ad 250 Mars became the most prominent of the di militares (“military gods”) worshiped by the Roman legions.
Stephaton, or Steven, is the name given in medieval Christian traditions to the Roman soldier or bystander, unnamed in the Bible, who offered Jesus a sponge soaked in vinegar wine at the Crucifixion.
"They" crucified Jesus and four soldiers each took a garment, casting lots over the undergarment (this fulfilled a prophecy).
Christian tradition holds that Gestas was on the cross to the left of Jesus and Dismas was on the cross to the right of Jesus.
According to extrabiblical tradition, Longinus is the name of the Roman soldier who stabbed the crucified Christ in the side with a lance to check whether he was dead. Since Christ had already died, water and blood came out of his wound (John 19:34).
Now Jesus, lifted by the Cross, broke the power of sin. So he declared, “It is finished!” And the Roman centurion responded, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” The people had asked a question, “Are you who you say you are?” And the soldier had answered, “Yes, He is!”
The whole assembly rose and took Jesus to Pilate. They accused Jesus of subverting the nation, opposing Roman taxes, and claiming to be Messiah, a king.
Jupiter was the chief deity of Roman state religion throughout the Republican and Imperial eras, until Christianity became the dominant religion of the Empire. In Roman mythology, he negotiates with Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, to establish principles of Roman religion such as offering, or sacrifice.
Many (though not all) Christian leaders spoke negatively of the army and discouraged Christians from serving in the ranks, yet there is abundant evidence that Christians did serve in the army.
The imperial military was arguably the section of Roman society most devoted to Roman paganism, and certainly it was the element of society where paganism survived the longest. In one sense, the devotion to the Empire's deities was another manifestation of a soldier's duty and service to Rome.
One tradition states that Pilate was banished to Vienne where a Roman ruin is associated with his tomb; according to another, Pilate took refuge in a mountain (now called Mount Pilatus) in modern Switzerland, before eventually committing suicide in a lake on its summit.
Jesus asks forgiveness for the Roman soldiers who are crucifying Him. 35 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Meaning the soldiers who crucified him,) and they parted his raiment and cast lots.
He was born of a Jewish mother, in Galilee, a Jewish part of the world. All of his friends, associates, colleagues, disciples, all of them were Jews. He regularly worshipped in Jewish communal worship, what we call synagogues. He preached from Jewish text, from the Bible.
The Roman Empire was a primarily polytheistic civilization, which meant that people recognized and worshiped multiple gods and goddesses. Despite the presence of monotheistic religions within the empire, such as Judaism and early Christianity, Romans honored multiple deities.
It was kept in the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris until 15 April 2019, when it was rescued from a fire and moved to the Louvre Museum. Reproductions of the crown are available to tourists from shops in Jerusalem.
While the Gospels do not mention specific names, tradition tells us the Good Thief was named Saint Dismas, and the Unrepentant Thief, Gestas. While both men were suffering the same gruesome execution and were both in the presence of Christ, their reactions to their situation are quite different.
First Pilate repents and then a voice from heaven proclaims that all nations will bless him, because under his governorship the prophecies about Christ were fulfilled. Finally an angel takes charge of his severed head.