AGAINST THE TRUTH

03 THEY ALL MET HIM AT THE CROSS 

Against the truth

The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man." Luke 23:47NIV

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Mark 15:39 NIV

This centurion also met Jesus Christ at the cross. A centurion is a senior army officer who has a hundred other officers directly under his command. He is the equivalent of a Captain in the Nigeria army. Take note of the clause Matthew applied in his own account, “who stood there in front of Jesus…” That is a professional term. He was standing there as a call to duty. If he was such a high-ranking military officer, then it was his underlines who molested the Lord Jesus Christ; it was his boys who beat Jesus; it was his boys who tore His cloths; it was his boys who put the crown of thorns on His head; it was his boys who blindfolded Him, struck Him and asked Him. “Prophet, tell me who struck you?”

Finally, it was soldiers under him who nailed the Lord to the cross and pushed the cross to a standing position. He stood there that day as a seal of the government’s approval for the gruesome murder of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the senior army officer who was in charge of the killing of a righteous man from whose blood, even the governor, Pilate, had washed his hands. (Matt. 27:19). It is even safe to say he watched the governor wash his hands and the righteous man was handed directly to him as the head of that squad.

We can go further to say that he was the one who pointed at Simon of Cyrene and shouted, “Hey, you bloody civilian, “Come and carry this cross with Him!” (Mark. 15:21)

If you do not know, let me tell you, when one of the condemned criminals rebuked his colleague in crime, “Don’t you fear God?”, he heard it. It is even safe to say that it was at that point that his conscience began to prick him and it was his search for the answer to that general question that forced him to acknowledge that Jesus Christ was the son of God. Even though Luke said, a righteous man. Whichever one he used, it is not a light thing for corrupt men to recognize godly virtues in others and to publicly attest to it.

His conviction did not come because the Lord Jesus jumped down from the cross but because of the manner in which He died. It is not true that the people of the world will quickly repent when they see plenty of money around the believers. It is what we do in the times of difficulty that will tell them the quality of goodness in us. This is a talk for another day but don’t forget that it was the manner Jesus Christ died that convinced him.

Let us go further to the resurrection morning; we cannot say for sure whether he was there but they were soldiers who were under his command who witnessed when a mighty angel from heaven came down and rolled away the rock that covered the tomb of Jesus Christ. we are told that in fear they fell like dead men. (Matt. 28:1-8). It is most likely that he was the one they called first to report this strange but holy occurrence, and he in turn reported to the religious leaders.

When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. Matt 28:12-15NIV

If they gave the soldiers under him a large sum of money, it is safe to say that the money was handed to him in a bulk and the instruction on what they should tell the public was passed directly to him. He was the one who received the bribe in bulk and distributed to every soldier their portion.

When he got home that day, his wife obviously asked him how it went at his duty post, he lied to his family; he lied to his sons and daughters, he lied to his neighbors and to everyone he met. He knew the truth but he chose to spread a lie. He spread the lie because he was bribed.

Times have come and passed; we have it on record that he knew the truth but chose to spread the lie. He did not believe the lie but he spread the lie.

Here again we witness how two principal groups of people who the society look up to as the custodians of the truth, gang up to keep the people in darkness. It is not because they did not know the truth but the lie protected their interest. Some church leaders still do this today; they speak against some other churches and preachers because they fear that if their congregation hear the truth, they would lose the money they get from them. So, they continue to enforce lies.

Hmmm!

There are people who join to spread lies on the social media against some Christian leaders, not because they do bot know the truth but they wanted to sustain the narrative that suits their ego. They do not pay tithe and have never paid but they keep spreading the lie that all pastors do is to collect other people’s money. Once they hear something negative about someone they dislike, they spread it, not because they believe it but because the information feeds their wish for that person.

Till date, there are men and women in authority who receive money or any other kind of compensation to spread lies. Medical workers give those who come to seek medical attention wrong medical testimony because that is how they make their money. some ignorant patient is still receiving injection for days for a sickness he does not have because the Christian doctor have told lies. Someone is still in detention because a Christian police officer will not testify to his innocence. In our offices and homes, we speak lies in words and the character we exhibit and the onlookers believe that our character is the way the followers of Jesus Christ behave.

Knowledge is not Power; It is what you do with the knowledge that brings the power. No amount of education can transform the life of a person who has refused to apply what he has learned. Our society is not in lack of men and women of character because of the lack of information. The moral decline in our society is not because the pastors are not teaching the truth. Every other Sunday service, people gather in churches to hear the word of God but when they walk away, they still act against the truth they know.

We do not see the bribe they received, but we are left with the pack of lies they leave behind years after they have died. Like the centurion in our bible account, we have moved from the days we acted in ignorance and by continuing to stay around the Church and other believers, we have come to know the truth about the Church and the gospel she preaches. Unfortunately, we continue to spread the lies.

Jesus Christ is risen and you know the truth.

Will you now open your mouth and declare the truth to your circle of influence?

Let it be said about you, “He too met Jesus Christ at the cross in 2026 and all things changed”.

To be continued.

SIMON: FOUND BY GRACE

N8

 Simon: Found by grace

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. Mark 15:21NIV

Just one verse and one mention but it changed the course of the entire story. A great number of has people has claimed they found their purpose in life and peace with God when they went before the Cross. But here is a man to whom the Cross went. Some went in search of Calvary because they have lost everything but here is a man who was not even interested in the Cross but the grace found him.

I want to let you know that this story was documented some years after the actual event. Simon of Cyrene was not a believer before this time. It is even possible that his entire family had no interest in all this talk about a Jew who claimed to have been sent by God for the salvation of the whole world.

It is possible that he heard rumors of the birth of the messiah but he was not interested. He probably heard about the killing of some children by Herod but he was too occupied with his private life.

Then, all the stories about many miracles of healing, casting out of demons, multiplication of bread and walking on the water all performed by the one they called the messiah but Simon was not interested.

A time came when the discussions in his city revolved around the man called Jesus of Nazareth, some spoke for him while others spoke against him, but Simon did not want to be distracted..

It is possible someone came to tell his family that the man Jesus of Nazareth has been arrested and they were about to crucify him but Simon picked up his back sack and went to work.

While Pilate battled to make the crowd to change their minds but failed; then they took Jesus Christ to be tortured, His cloths ripped off and beaten like a criminal, Simon was not interested. They placed a crown of thorns on His head and struck his head with mock royal staff, Simon was busy with his life.

Then they dragged Him out and placed a heavy cross on His shoulder and instructed Him to carry it to the place He would later be crucified.

Every moment made the sufferings of Jesus heavier; most people were sorry but no one offered to help.

It was in this moment that Simon came by; he did not come to observe; he did not come in scrutiny and he did come to understand why all this suffering by the son of God.

As was his habit, he wanted to walk past and continue with his old life.

That was when divine providence moved the heart of the soldiers; God had to employ the soldiers who will then apply force. Our main text said that they forced him to carry the cross for Jesus. The account indicates that once he took the cross, he never dropped until they got to where Jesus was crucified. That one time he took the cross, he never walked away again. He stood there to observe the crucifixion.

I strongly believe that the impression of that one encounter remained with him. When he later got home and shared the account with his family, the glory he brought home overshadowed them too.

The result was that his entire family surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ and two of his son eventually reputed force in the Church, so that the writer of that story did not need to explain them. Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander.

How can we be sure of this?

Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. Rom 16:13NIV

That was Apostle Paul talking about this well known Rufus again. Then, Simon’s wife was like a mother to Paul.

While he lived his selfish life no one knew about him. But when he put his hands to help the Lord with the cross, he found purpose. Years after, his name was enshrined in God’s book. His family found relevance.

Hear me today child of God; if you are like those who think that you can make it without Jesus.

Are you among those who think it boring to talk about Christian service?

Are you like those who will not accept the :Lord’s call to serve in the mission field?

Are you among those who fear suffering and so want to focus on becoming rich in this world’s wealth?

Let me suggest something for you; pick up the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be shocked how your life will begin to make a meaning.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 1 Cor 1:26-30NIV

Before I let you go for now, let me sound a warning; not everyone was as fortunate as Simon. Some died before they could bow. There are those who come to carry the cross when they have wasted all of their energy chasing vanity.

Now they seem too heavy for them because their body strength has sagged.

If you are still a youth, take up the cross now.

It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Lam 3:27NIV

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"— before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain. Eccl 12:1-2 NIV