Crucifixion was a very barbaric form of death invented by the Romans for slaves and those who rebelled against the Roman authorities. Thousands of criminals were crucified on the cross, and this sight would have been familiar to many in the first century. When Jesus invited His disciples to take up their crosses and follow Him, the imagery must have been shocking to them. Apart from the gruesome imagery, many Jews would have been offended by the cross. According to Deuteronomy 21:23, anyone put to death on a tree was under God’s curse. In addition, it would have been an abhorrent notion to die hanging naked on the cross, for many viewed public nakedness to be shameful.

It was therefore unsurprising that many mocked Jesus when He was dying on the cross. Those who passed by, the religious leaders, and the thieves next to Jesus threw sarcastic comments at Him (Mark 15:29–32). The religious leaders even went to the extent of declaring that they had no other king but Caesar (John 19:15). Who would have believed that this was God’s only Son, so helpless and powerless on the cross, dying for the sins of the world? Yet, there was an unlikely person who witnessed all the mocking and suffering of Jesus. Ironically, it was a Gentile centurion at the foot of the cross who grasped the significance of the crucifixion of Jesus and uttered, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39). This Gentile had found salvation in Jesus.

The cross remains repulsive today. In many parts of Asia where Christianity is a minority religion, believers are persecuted and churches are attacked. Some churches cannot even erect a cross on their buildings. What about us? What do we see when we look at the cross? May we be like the Gentile centurion, who saw Jesus, the Son of God, and believed in Him.