Daily Lectionary: Exodus 5:1-6:1; St. Mark 15:33-47
“And when the centurion who stood by Him, saw that He had breathed His last, He said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God.’” (St. Mark 15:39)
Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen. The Gospel of Mark begins with, “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” With that kind of bold proclamation, you’d expect Jesus to be called the “Son of God” in every chapter.
He isn’t! In fact, the only ones who identify Jesus as the Son of God in St. Mark’s Gospel are the unclean spirits. And He silences them! So no one really calls Him the Son of God in Mark’s Gospel.
Why? He has been too busy headed to the Cross the whole book. He has moved so fast that the word “immediately” is one of the most-used words in Mark’s Gospel. Immediately, Jesus did this. Immediately, He did that. He’s moving to the Cross so fast that He doesn’t have time to be delayed by the distraction of being called and adored as the Son of God.
Nothing can distract Him from the Cross—His work. It consumes Him. It’s why He came. He came to die.
And as He hangs there on the Cross, He suffers the full weight of His Father’s anger toward our sins. For every sin we’ve done, every little sin, every big sin, every sin we were caught doing, every sin we thought we got away with...for all of them, He suffers. He suffers the wrath of the Holy God against sin.
Then Jesus breathes His last. The Son of God dies the horrible death due us. And a centurion, a Gentile soldier, upon seeing the sight of Jesus answering for the sins of the world exclaims, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” Jesus cannot silence this proclamation. He’s dead, having done what the Son of God was sent to do.
A Gentile proclaimed of Him what the demons couldn’t get away with in Mark’s Gospel. One who is outside the Faith sees it all and realizes, “This is the Son of God” as he beat his breast in sadness.
You are also a son of God in Christ. You were proclaimed as such in your Baptism. You were marked, adopted, and sealed. God is your Father. Jesus is your brother.
And after three days, the Son of God rose from the dead. All baptized sons of God will rise with Him. Because the Son of God lives, you will live, too. It’s as certain as your Baptism!
As Judicaweek comes to a close, we hear about a Gentile, one outside the faith of Jesus, who judged Jesus to be the Son of God. And Jesus, He doesn’t stop Him. He’s finished His work for you.
“This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen.