Matthew Starner

Mark 15:39
And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

This centurion has been stationed here since this whole ordeal began. Patiently waiting, perhaps trying to keep the initial crowd under control. Chances are good he doesn’t know much about this man sent here to die. He’s heard that he’s a criminal and the sign affixed to his cross says something about him being the king of the Jews. He’s stood silently watching the crowd. The followers of this man haven’t tried to rescue him. The crowd has dissipated when the storm hit. And now, this Jesus cries out in a loud voice – almost announcing that he is releasing his life. This is no criminal trying to cling to life, begging for mercy, or slowly slipping away. This is a conscious, deliberate releasing of his life – almost victoriously. It makes enough of an impact on the centurion – who, after witnessing the events of the last few hours says “Surely this man was the son of God.”