Why is the Centurion's Confession Important?

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If you look in Mark 15, you will get to the crucifixion of Jesus. When you look into Mark 15:33-39, you see a very interesting scene where the Roman centurion of all people says that Jesus was the Son of God after witnessing his death. I see where this is included because it's a gentile recognizing the Son of God, but I can't help thinking there is a deeper significance to this that Mark is trying to point out. I have already read God saying for himself that Jesus is his beloved son (Mark 1:11), so why should I care about if the centurion confesses about him or not? Why did Mark find it so necessary to include this man's recognition of Jesus so late in his gospel? What's the significance behind such a small inclusion? That's why I'm here to write this analysis.

Legit or Sarcasm?

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Before I dive into why I believe this proclamation is such a big deal, there is a small theory about this passage I have to object to. Most people of the Christian faith will say that this centurion understood who Jesus was, but there are some people who claim that this was a sarcastic proclamation mocking Jesus. When I look into Mark alone, I can see a fair point possibly to be made. Mark Goodacre's blog is a prime example of a good analysis of Mark alone that can conclude guessing the centurion was sarcastic. Some authors like Earl S. Johnson Jr. even argue that even Mark saw this remark as genuine but he was historically inaccurate in this thought. My objection is to remember that Mark's gospel is very brief and leaves so much out compared to the other gospels so it should be remembered as a brief overview of even the crucifixion. With this briefing, I would caution to be careful to make direct assumptions with this gospel. Yes if I was only reading Mark's gospel in my entire life, I would give more credit to an educated guess at a sarcastic compliment being made. Kelly R. Iverson shows how confusing the lack of communication in literary writing versus the emotional display in oral stories. However, I know where deeper context of why the centurion said what he said can be found; by looking at the other gospels. For example, when I look into Matthew's account of Jesus' last moments, I discover more is going on at his last breath. Matthew adds that people are raised from the dead, the earth is shaking, and rocks are split. If I am a centurion at the site of the crucifixion, and all of that is happening, I'm not be thinking now is a good time to be sarcastic. Luke's gospel even says that the centurion proclaimed Jesus as an innocent man. I do not think these were sarcastic comments because even Pilate said he could find no wrong in Jesus, so why would the centurion question the wisdom of his leader in a very devout military lifestyle like the Romans had. I cannot agree with the claim that this is a sarcastic comment at all due to the contextual evidence given by the other gospels. If anything, Mark was showing that people began to be full of fear when they saw Jesus performing all of these supernatural works in his life and death (Mark 16:1-8).

Comparison of Confessions/Proclamations

The Centurion & Peter

(Credit to yaholo.net)

So if this wasn't a sarcastic comment, what is the true meaning behind why Mark would add this to his gospel? A good place that I began to analyze this is by comparing this confession to other confessions. My beginning with comparison will be with Jesus’ 12 disciples. Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ (Mark 8:27-30) is groundbreaking in Mark’s gospel but Mark also makes it apparent that Peter does not see being the Jewish savior in the way Jesus told them he is meant to fulfill this role (Mark 8:31-33). The centurion on the other hand is not even a follower of Jesus and it appears that he is able to perceive who Jesus truly is through his death on the cross (a part of Jesus' life that Peter tried to rebuke).

The Centurion & Demons

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Another example that I found perfect for comparison would be the demons confessions of him made earlier in Mark (Mark 1:34, 3:11, 5:7). The demons throughout Mark know exactly who Jesus is and they fall before him with fear and trembling hoping that he does not destroy them. There is a reverent fear and awe of Jesus by the demons and it is safe to say that similar feelings are running through the mind of the centurion. Matthew Henry, a famed minister of the 17th century gives a great description of what all could be going through the centurion's head that made him conclude to say Jesus was the "Son of God." One key difference is that when the demons confess who Jesus is, he tells to hush because the things that are meant to take place had not yet happened. For the centurion, the messianic secret comes out after he proclaims Jesus was the Son of God.

After looking at all of this analysis I asked, "what is Mark’s real point in including the Centurion’s confession?" There are three a couple of discovery points of possible reason as to why Mark included this, in my opinion.

Discovery #1: The Messianic Secret Is Out & The Least Likely Are Able to Believe

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The centurion, a guy who would be considered the least likely to believe in a Jewish Messiah, is the first one to understand exactly who Jesus is. If I were to put myself in the place of a Jew who converted to Christianity, this has to be humbling. Mark wrote this gospel well after Jesus’ ascension to heaven and the giving of the great commission. In my opinion, this could have been included to make a point of Jesus’ teaching  that faith can come from even the least likely of people in unexplained ways (Mark 4:26-29), much less the people who were actually there to kill him. The centurion is seeing only the climax of Jesus' life mission happen before his eyes and came to belief. Now people can share the whole gospel and have the reminder that anyone could believe. I can agree with Whitney T. Shiner that Mark is showing the messianic secret (seen all throughout Mark) is out to the public in this very scene. For the first time, someone is proclaiming Jesus as Son of God in Mark's gospel and wasn't told to keep it quiet. Jesus purpose for his death has been fulfilled and now all that remains is the resurrection as proof that he is the way to live beyond the grave.

Discovery #2: An Allusion to the Parable of the Sower

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To follow, I believe Mark could have included this also as an allusion to Jesus’ words being true in the parable of the soils. Jesus’ parable was simple: cast the seed of the word of God and if it lands in the good soil, it will produce. Jesus’ life and sacrifice is the key center of his message on the kingdom of heaven and when the centurion saw it, he came to belief in who Jesus was. This is a life example of Jesus’ word being true so Mark could have included this in his brief writing as a means to verify Jesus’ teachings.

So What's The Point Mark?

The ultimate question I asked in this blog was "Is there a more significant meaning to this section of scripture than what is a given?" With these points, I believe a case can be made that Mark included this confession with much more significance implied to it. My conclusion is that Mark may have possibly used this as one of his primal closing lessons to this book (if it were to end at Mark 16:8). Many had their views of Jesus. Some thought he was nothing short of a blasphemer who was powered by the prince of demons (Mark 3:22). Some thought that he was the Jewish king but when he tried to explain how he was to fulfill his place, they rebuked him (Mark 8:31-33). From what it appears to me, Mark’s grand point at the end of chapter 15 is that only those who truly see Jesus’ life and purpose will truly believe Jesus as the Son of God. In a simple man's terms, "you either get it or you don't!" This is why Mark is such a good writer (in my mind) because in a very brief run through of the life of Jesus, he hits home with the pieces that he thinks matter the most and still manages to put them in a chronological order that it can all lead to the big themes at the end. Mark is not trying to write the greatest literary story on earth, but rather is trying to present the facts as they are and get the reader to say "now what do I believe about Jesus?"

(Caption to memegenerator.net)

That's all that I have for now, please comment anything you want to include that could contribute to this article. In the meantime, here is a fun clip of John Wayne playing the centurion we've been talking about!