Gospel Reflections #91: A Heartfelt Encounter with Jesus

Mark 15:39 The centurion turned to Jesus and stood by him. And when he saw that Jesus had breathed his last in this way, he said, "Truly, this man was the Son of God."

What did the centurion who was overseeing Jesus' crucifixion see and feel that made him say this? I believe that the centurion was the closest to seeing that Jesus did not just lose his life on the cross because he could not endure the suffering, but that he gave his own life to save us to the very end.

I believe that the centurion saw in Jesus on the cross the love that only God can give. How do we receive Jesus? Because the Bible says so and so, or because we were taught this way in church? Certainly, that way was not wrong.

However, have we been so moved by it that our hearts are shaken, or have we made a discovery with a sharp insight? I feel that we are reading the Bible and praying to find and encounter Jesus without realizing that He is already with us. Are we trying to know (see) Jesus without encountering Him in our personal experience?

The centurion saw Jesus up close and personal. The centurion saw Jesus up close and personal, and it was there that he encountered and touched Jesus' love.

I believe that is why the centurion was able to recognize Jesus as the Son of God. By throwing away the stereotypes we unknowingly have about Jesus and establishing a new image of Jesus that we experience in our own lives, our hearts will be renewed and we will be able to see clearly what we have not been able to see before. Jesus is with us.

When we become people who see clearly what Jesus is doing, we will truly know that Jesus is the Son of God, our Savior, our Redeemer, and our brother!

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This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, a devoted student of the Bible who passionately embraces the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on the Gospels as a way to reach out to others and spread the message of Jesus. We're sharing her message here so that you too can experience the joy that comes from the Gospel that has filled her heart.