Surely He was the Son of God

The words of an almost overlooked witness...the Roman centurion really spoke to me while reading Matthew 27 when he said, "Surely He was the Son of God."   More than likely he saw a lot from the arrest of Jesus...to His many trials...to His crucifixion...and burial.
   This Roman officer probably saw:
Jesus sit silent before His accusers(v12)
Jesus hear the crowd chanting, "Crucify Him" (v22)
Jesus being flogged by fellow soldiers (v26)
Jesus stripped and a crown of thorns struck on His head (v28)
Jesus mocked by the soldiers (v29) and spit upon by the soldiers
Jesus rapidly strung on the head with a staff (v30)
Jesus nailed to the cross
an extremely thirsty Jesus offered a vinegar-type drink/twice(v34,48)
Jesus insulted, mocked...heaped with insults(v 39,41, 44)
Jesus dying on the cross.

After an earthquake...this soldier exclaimed that Jesus must have been the Son of God (v54)

This man was neither one of the Jews nor was he one of Jesus' followers...but yet he was there observing.
What a witness for us.  A man that had probably heard for weeks...both sides of the story...from the
the hatred of the Jewish leadership....to the love and devotion of His followers.  The one common impression...was that both sides were amazed with Jesus.  Then comes along this observer(the Centurion) whose job it is to carry out the orders of the governor....and after enduring the ordeal...He sums up the identity of this crucified man..."He was the Son of God."