Lessons from Dying
Part Two


Speaking of learning lessons from dying, (see Part One) there’s a story in the Bible about learning some valuable lessons from watching someone go through the dying process.

The person learning the lessons is a Roman guard and the person dying is Jesus.

Jesus’ whole life was about teaching us lessons. Lessons we would learn from his words, his actions, and just simply from his life itself. So it goes almost without saying (but then why would I be writing this) that we could also find lessons for our life from his death.

At least the Roman guard seemed to learn from it.

I am guessing this unnamed centurion had no idea what the day would hold when he clocked in for work that day. I am sure he had heard of Jesus but we have no idea if their paths had ever cross before this day of death rolled around. The crowds were probably bigger and a little noisier than usual but for him and his men it was just another day at work.

But for this centurion it didn’t turn out to be just another day.

The Roman guard had experienced the act of a crucifixion many times over the years and he no doubt had seen first hand the horrible dying process that crucifying someone can bring about. He knew all he needed to know about how to kill a man in this manner and how the crucified reacted. But today was different. Well, not the day but the man being crucified certainly was.

So the centurion was about to see something new. He was about to learn some very valuable lessons.

As Jesus hung on the cross the centurion watched, and listened and learned.

Forgiveness

After being wrongfully arrested, beaten, mocked, spit on, kicked, and thorns pushed into his scalp. Jesus was then nailed to a cross to die. And after all that he looks to the sky and says, “Father, forgive them for they do not don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) I would bet the centurion never heard those words come of the mouth of one of his customers. If they called out to God at all they probably called down curses rather than forgiveness. But this man was different. This man taught the centurion about forgivenss.

Family

Peering through thorns and blood dripping from his brow Jesus was able to make out the faces of those standing near the cross. Although most of his friends and family had left him alone there were still a few that had stayed. And in that group was his mother. A good mother would never leave her dying son and Mary was a good mother. And Jesus was a good son. And as he looked at Mary he said, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” (John 19:26-27) In the midst of his own pain and suffering Jesus took time to take care of his mother. And with this single act the centurion learned the lesson of how important family is.

Forever

This day of death and destruction was not only for Jesus but for two other men as well. On each side of Jesus hung two thieves. As the three men hung there waiting for death to arrive, a conversation broke out between them. And as they spoke the centurion listened. One of the thieves cursed and mocked Jesus but the other one saw something in Jesus that caused him to ask Jesus to remember him in his kingdom. To which Jesus replied, “..today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Quite the lesson learned here. The lesson of how to live with Jesus forever was taught and learned that day. Before his very eyes this centurion pupil learned how you can go from the agony of the cross to the comfort of the kingdom all in a matter of hours. No doubt this lesson stuck in the centurion’s mind. And surely it stuck in his heart too.

Father

As the hours passed and the cross did its work the now much wiser centurion must have sensed that his new found teacher was not long for this world. He had seen so many men die before that he surely knew when death was close by. But there was one more lesson for him to learn. As the sky darkened and the earth began to rumble Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46) Earlier the centurion heard Jesus speak to his mother but now it was time to speak to his father. What a lesson to learn. To live a life in a way that as death creeps in we are found talking to our heavenly father. We start the conversation on this side of heaven, death interrupts but just for a moment and then we complete the conversation it on the other side.

This mighty man started the day as a Roman guard and he ended the day as a Roman guard. On the outside that is. But I believe he ended the day’s work a different man on the inside. After learning about forgiveness and the importance of the family, and how to spend forever in God’s kingdom. He then learned who’s name he should be calling when his life comes to a close. And after learning these things there was only one conclusion this now much wiser centurion could come up with, “Surely this man was the Son of God.”

And it is my prayer that we will all learn the same lessons. And as we look at the life and the death of Jesus we will come to the same conclusion.