The Soldiers

The Soldiers
Scripture: Mark 15:16–25 (CEB)
Part of the Witness at the Cross Lenten series

What happens when people simply follow orders within a powerful system? In this week’s sermon, we stand at the cross alongside the Roman soldiers who carried out Jesus’ crucifixion and reflect on what their story reveals about obedience, responsibility, and witnessing to truth.

Drawing on insights from Amy-Jill Levine’s Witness at the Cross: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Friday, we explore how Mark’s Gospel presents these soldiers not simply as villains, but as ordinary people participating in the machinery of empire. Their actions invite us to wrestle with difficult questions about the systems we live within and the choices we make every day.

Yet even in the midst of this difficult reflection, the Gospel offers hope. At the foot of the cross, a Roman centurion witnesses Jesus’ death and declares, “Truly this man was God’s Son.” In that moment, someone who had been part of the system becomes a witness to the truth.

This story invites us to consider how Christ calls us to move from passive participation toward courageous witness—speaking truth, seeking justice, and living as citizens of a different kind of kingdom.

🌀 Reflection Questions

• The soldiers were following orders when they crucified Jesus. When is it okay to follow rules, and when should we question them?
 • When have you found yourself “just going along” with something you knew wasn’t right? What made it hard to speak up or step out of line?
 • The centurion saw Jesus die and declared, “Truly this man was God’s Son.” What would it take for us to become witnesses to the truth rather than just participants in the system?

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