Summary of the Poem “Golgotha’s Truth: The Centurion Proclaims the Son of God”

The poem narrates the transformative experience of a Roman centurion at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Golgotha. Amidst a darkened, storm-laden sky, the centurion, a hardened soldier loyal to Rome, witnesses Jesus’ death. Unlike other executions, Jesus’ calm demeanor, lack of curses, and serene authority unsettle him. As the earth quakes, the sky blackens, and the temple veil tears, the centurion’s stoic heart shifts. Moved by divine truth, he declares, “This truly is the Son of God,” recognizing Jesus’ divinity. The poem captures his shift from duty-bound soldier to a man touched by faith, leaving Golgotha with a changed soul.

Biblical Reference and Verses
The poem draws from the crucifixion accounts in the Gospels, specifically the centurion’s declaration. Key verses include:

• Matthew 27:54 (ESV): “When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’”
• Mark 15:39 (ESV): “And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’”
• Luke 23:47 (ESV): “Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, ‘Certainly this man was innocent!’”
  These verses anchor the centurion’s epiphany, with slight variations across the Gospels, emphasizing his awe and recognition of Jesus’ divine identity.

Beneath a sky where storm clouds choked the light,
Golgotha groaned with sorrow’s heavy weight.
The centurion, his heart a stone of might,
Stood firm where death and destiny held state.
The cross arose, its shadow carved in gloom,
A man hung there, his silence vast, profound.
No curse escaped, no plea to flee his doom,
Yet peace he bore where pain should scream unbound.

He’d seen men fall, their lives like ash blown free,
Yet this one’s gaze held royalty serene.
The earth did quake, the spear fulfilled its decree,
And darkness cloaked the world in mournful sheen.
His blade, still warm from war’s unyielding call,
Felt cold as truth awoke within his thrall.
No rebel’s cry, no guilt within his frame,
This man was more than mortals could proclaim.

The heavens split, the temple’s veil was rent,
A soldier’s soul by wonder was unshackled.
Through blood and dust, his hardened spirit bent,
As light divine through death’s grim shadow tackled.
“This truly is the Son of God,” he cried,
His voice a spark where faith and fate collide.
No altar taught, no priest could show the way,
Yet truth burned fierce beneath that shattered day.

His men grew still, their jests and jeers now done,
The cross’s weight had silenced every tongue.
A Roman sworn to Caesar’s iron creed,
Now knelt to one whose love fulfilled all need.
The hill stood hushed, the Savior’s breath was gone,
Yet grace like fire through time would carry on.
The centurion left, his soul no longer blind,
God’s Son etched deep within his heart and mind.