“Truly This Was the Son of God”
Matthew 27:54
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said:
“Because He must ultimately tread this winepress of redemption unaided, can He endure the darkest moment of them all, the shock of the greatest pain? This comes not with thorns and with nails, but with the terror of feeling utterly alone: ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? . . . My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Mark 15:34). Can He bear all of our sins and our fear and loneliness too? He did and He does and He will.
“We do not know how such great sorrow can be borne, but it is no wonder the sun hid its face in shame. No wonder the veil of the temple was rent. No wonder the very earth convulsed at the plight of this perfect child. And at least one Roman centurion who saw all of this sensed something of what it had meant. In awe, he uttered the declaration for all eternity, ‘Truly this was the Son of God’ (Matt. 27:54).”
(“He Loved Them unto the End,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 26.)
