Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 15:39

"And when the centurion, who stood by over against him, saw that he so gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God." — Mark 15:39 (ASV)

The Roman centurion in command of the detachment of soldiers at the cross had witnessed the scourging, mocking, spitting, crucifixion, and wagging of heads, and now he heard Jesus’ last cry and watched him die. The soldier was deeply impressed. He had never seen anything like this before! He was deeply moved and drawn to the person of the Righteous Sufferer on the cross (cf. Lk 23:47). In view of Mark’s opening affirmation of Jesus as “the Son of God” (1:1), the confession of the centurion at the climax of Jesus’ passion takes on added significance. Whether or not the centurion realized the full import of his words, they were for Mark a profoundly true statement of the identity of the Man on the cross.