Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
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Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Matthew 27:54 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.
Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
he gave glory to God
The centurion's response is one of reverence and acknowledgment of divine intervention. In a culture where Roman soldiers were often polytheistic, his act of giving glory to the God of Israel is profound. This mirrors the biblical theme of God's sovereignty being recognized by all nations (Psalm 86:9). His declaration is a testament to the power of Jesus' death to transcend cultural and religious barriers, pointing to the universal scope of the Gospel.
saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
The centurion's statement affirms Jesus' innocence, contrasting with the accusations that led to His crucifixion. The term "righteous" indicates moral integrity and fulfillment of God's law, aligning with Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah as the Righteous One (Jeremiah 23:5-6). This acknowledgment by a Roman officer highlights the injustice of Jesus' death and foreshadows the recognition of His righteousness by future believers. It also connects to the theme of Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice, the spotless Lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19), whose righteousness is imputed to believers.
• The officer had watched the entire crucifixion scene unfold:
– Darkness covered the land for three hours (Luke 23:44–45; cf. Matthew 27:45).
– The temple veil tore in two at Jesus’ final cry (Luke 23:45; Matthew 27:51).
– Jesus “called out in a loud voice, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ And when He had said this, He breathed His last” (Luke 23:46).
– Matthew notes an earthquake and split rocks (Matthew 27:51–54).
• These public, supernatural signs confronted a hardened Roman with undeniable evidence that the death he had just supervised was like no other.
• Similar eyewitness responses appear whenever Jesus’ divine authority breaks through—see Luke 7:16 (“They were all filled with awe and glorified God”).
• The centurion’s immediate instinct was worship, not mere admiration.
• “Giving glory” in Scripture always acknowledges God’s character and work (Luke 17:15–18; Acts 11:18).
• His response shows:
– Recognition that the events he saw were acts of God, not chance.
– Submission of a Gentile soldier’s heart to Israel’s God, echoing the magi in Matthew 2:11 and foreshadowing Cornelius in Acts 10:1–4.
– A public confession, contrasting the mockery of other soldiers (Luke 23:36–37).
• The centurion declares Jesus innocent and morally flawless—“righteous” (cf. Luke 23:4, 14, 22 where Pilate finds no fault).
• Matthew records the fuller confession, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54), indicating both Jesus’ divinity and righteousness.
• Scripture consistently affirms Christ’s sinlessness:
– “He committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22).
– “The Righteous One, whom you have betrayed and murdered” (Acts 3:14).
– “My righteous Servant will justify many” (Isaiah 53:11).
• At the cross, God used even a Roman executioner to bear witness that His Son is the flawless Lamb (John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
The centurion watched the darkness, the earthquake, and Jesus’ composed surrender of His spirit. Overwhelmed, he glorified God and proclaimed Jesus’ innocence. In doing so, this Gentile soldier joined the chorus of Scripture affirming that the One who died on the cross is perfectly righteous, the sinless Son sent to redeem sinners.
(47-49) Now when the centurion saw what was done . . .--See Notes on Matthew 27:54-55; Mark 15:40-41. The phrase "glorified God" is, as has been noticed already (Luke 5:25), specially characteristic of St. Luke. The substitution of "this was a righteous man," for "this was the Son of God," may, perhaps, have originated in a wish to express the exact measure, and not more, of the sense in which the centurion had used the seemingly higher words.Verse 47. - Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous Man. This was the Roman officer who was in command of the detachment on guard at the three crosses. St. Paul - who, if he did not absolutely put together the Third Gospel and the Acts, had much to do with the compilation and arrangement of these writings - on his many journeys and frequent changes of residence in different parts of the empire, had many opportunities of judging the temper and spirit of the Roman army, and on several occasions speaks favourably of these officers (Luke 7:2; Luke 23:47; Acts 10:1; Acts 22:26; Acts 27:43). Certainly this was a righteous Man. The noble generosity, the brave patience, and the strange majesty of the Sufferer; the awful portents which for three hours had accompanied this scene - portents which the centurion and many of the bystanders could not help associating with the crucifixion of him men called "the King of the Jews;" then the death, in which appeared no terror; - all this drew forth the exclamation of the Roman. In St. Matthew, the words of the centurion which are reported are "the Son of God." Twice in those solemn hours had the centurion heard the Crucified pray to his Father. This may have suggested the words, "Son of God;" but this change in the later Gospel of St. Luke to "a righteous Man" seems to point to the sense in which the Roman used the lofty appellation.