Surely He Was the Son of God

Ever been late?
Not the type of late that is the “coming in to class or worship a couple of minutes after it started” type of late. Ever been the type of late that you want to kick yourself for? Like having the realization of the exact words that would have calmed a situation or comforted someone who was hurting – thirty minutes after you said something stupid? Or maybe you were wrapped up in your own little world and didn’t realize that you could have helped someone – until they had turned away and gone down a dangerous path and wouldn’t listen to you anymore?

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!” Matthew 27:54

Of all the people gathered near the cross of Jesus, perhaps the most unlikeliest group we would expect to confess would be the soldiers guarding Jesus. Remember this calloused group of professionals whose job it is to make sure that the condemned die in an efficient, yet brutal manner? They were not looking for anything spectacular. They had no idea who Jesus was. They didn’t know of the rumors or the claims that were being made about Jesus. But the events of the day – the earthquake, the way the rocks split open, the darkness that had enveloped them when the sun should have been shining its brightest – all these things told this brazen group that Jesus was not just a criminal hanging on a cross.
In unison they cry out their cry of worship: “Surely he was the Son of God!”
If only they had realized earlier… perhaps they could have cried out a different song: “Surely he IS the Son of God!”

This morning we gather at this table like we do every week. As a result of its frequency, it can become something that we merely go through with a glazed look and a mind racing toward the afternoon and all the things we have to do today. Before this moment passes us by and we race off to do all the unimportant things we have scheduled for today, stop and take a look around. Listen to the voice of Jesus as he breaks the bread with us. Hear his compassion as he explains the cup of the new covenant.

This morning, let us focus our thoughts and fix our eyes on Jesus. In the few moments that it takes us to eat this bread and drink this cup, let us concentrate our efforts on what this meal means. Let us break the body of Christ and drink the blood of the new covenant with reverent thanksgiving. Let us mourn our sinfulness and stand in awe of God’s grace. Let us confess our specific sins to the Father and feel the warm embrace as he welcomes us to this table and fellowships with us.
We gather around this table to celebrate God’s love shown through Jesus Christ. We gather to remember his death and the life that it brings. We gather to cry out with the soldiers, “Surely he IS the Son of God!”
Don’t let this moment pass without recognizing God’s presence with us.