The death of Jesus and confessions of faith.
Reflection on a reading from today's Church of England Lectionary. 6 October 2021. Mark 15: 33 - 41.
In Mark's account of the death of Jesus you could be forgiven for thinking that he died in total despair, anguish and agony, having had no exchange with anyone and utterly alone. Jesus was nailed to the cross at the “first hour”, six in the morning. At midday darkness descended across the scene until three in the afternoon when Jesus cried out to God “Why have you forsaken me?” Shortly after that Mark says that Jesus died whilst exclaiming a loud cry. There is little sign here of words from God or anyone, quite the opposite.
But there are three signs that God was intervening and in action. Firstly, when Jesus cried his plea to God, the darkness lifted. God had not disappeared but light had come again to the world. Secondly, Mark reports that the curtain in the Temple separating the outer precinct from the inner part, the most sacred, was torn in two. This is taken to indicate that people can now communicate directly with God, they are no longer separated. The third sign is that the centurion in charge of the execution party, a hardened veteran of the occupation, made his confession saying “Surely this man was the Son of God”. Why would he say this if he only observed the anguish of Jesus? Would not every executed person be in anguish? There must have been something further that Mark hasn't reported.
Matthew's Gospel isn't helpful, it having an almost identical account to Mark. Thankfully, Luke’s Gospel says that one of the thieves crucified with Jesus makes a confession of belief and Jesus tells him that he will be with him in Heaven. Luke also says that the loud cry that he made as he died was Jesus saying “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”. Could these be the things which the centurion saw and heard which enabled him to make his own confession?
Through the death of Jesus we, too, can make our confession of faith. Maybe we aren't criminals like the thief or a grizzled executioner like the centurion but, if they can receive forgiveness, why can't we? Can we follow their example?