Imagine the story of Easter being told by the centurion who led the Roman soldiers. Indeed, that army officer played an important role during one of the most significant events in Jesus’ life.
You may remember: Jesus Christ was arrested by the Jewish leaders and brought to the palace of Pilate, the Governor and Prefect of Judea Province. They accused Jesus of usurping the throne the Jews believed belonged to their true king. From time-to-time different Jewish freedom fighters appeared, claiming to be the so-called saviour-king of the Jews. Such events would have caused quite a stir, and the Romans legions would have needed to quash any uprising very fast. Pilate had already upset the Senate and Caesar when one of these freedom fighters called Barabbas rebelled and committed murder in the capital, Jerusalem.
Pastor Robin J. Lewis wrote the story as through the eyes of the Roman centurion, imagining how the officer who would have told it to his friends. It starts with a recollection of a crisis situation: the great feast of Passover in Jerusalem, the risk of rebellion from some freedom fighters, a religious-political conflict and more.
The author takes the reader through the entire series of events on that extraordinary weekend: from the arrest of Jesus to his crucifixion, and then to his resurrection, with different reflections and original perspectives from such a surprising observer and eyewitness.
This 16-page booklet is our newest seasonal resource for sharing the story of Jesus with others in the non-threatening and non-invasive way of a story. Furthermore, on the back cover the reader will find a QR code and our website for a follow up to discovering Jesus’ entire story — our ‘Try Jesus!’ Bible study.
Robin J. Lewis is a Pastor in the British Union Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
The booklet is available in print and online (pdf and issuu). The story is published as an article on www.ReflectingHope.org.
