Evangelical Free Church of Embarass

Last week we began a new series called “They Met Jesus.” In this series we’re looking at the accounts of different people’s encounters with Jesus, and how those encounters affected their lives. We began with the story of a gentile woman who asked for crumbs. The disciples had no time for this woman and they didn’t think Jesus needed to minister to her. Yet, she amazed Jesus with her great faith.

Two men – their similarities and their differences

Today, we’ll look at two Roman men. They had a lot in common. Both were powerful men with considerable authority. One was a centurion, a career soldier in the Roman army who, as his title implies, had authority over 100 soldiers. The other man was a governor, a political leader named Pilate. He ruled over the entire land of Israel, representing Rome.

Both men had attributes that could have served as barriers keeping them from following Jesus. These potential barriers included race, pride, self-sufficiency, power and control, loyalty to Caesar, loss of position, and image. They were Romans; Jesus was Jewish. Romans generally considered themselves superior to Jews. The potential for loss of their important positions and damage to their pride could have concerned them. They had each constructed an image of power, authority, and self-sufficiency for themselves, and thus other people’s opinion or view of them could have been an issue. As Romans they had made a choice to work for Caesar and had probably hailed him as god.

They shared these potential barriers to following Christ, but they were also very different in two ways. First, their reputation among the Jewish people was different. We find in Luke 7 that the centurion was liked by the Jews and got along well with them. He treated them well and was interested in them and their faith. He had even helped them build a synagogue in Capernaum, where he was stationed.

Pilate, the governor, did not have a good reputation with Jewish people. They despised him. Pilate was a brutal and tactless governor. He ordered many Jews killed over the years of his rule. The Jews had no appreciation for him. Once Pilate even took money from their temple treasury and used it build an aqueduct to bring water into Jerusalem. If anything would anger Jews, it would be a gentile taking money from their temple and using for his own purposes.

The other thing about them that was different is their response to Jesus. They responded differently to Him. Let’s pray, and then we’ll compare the encounters these two Roman men had with Jesus.

Father, we thank You for the opportunity to come to Your word and be introduced to the two Roman men who met Jesus face to face. Father, as we look at their encounters, I pray that You would minister to us and help us understand how we respond to Your Son Jesus, and how this knowledge could help us in our own lives. I pray that You work through this time in Your word. May Your Holy Spirit do what He needs to do in the hearts of people here. God, I pray especially for the men and boys in this room. Since we’re talking about two men, I pray that you would touch the hearts of men today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The centurion – he broke through barriers

The centurion met Jesus first. We start reading about that encounter in Matthew Chapter 8, verse 5:

“When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with Him, ‘Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and racked with pain.’ Jesus said, ‘I will come and heal him.’ Then the officer said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed! I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this or that,' they do it.’ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel! And I tell you this, that many gentiles will come from all over the world and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites – those for whom the Kingdom was prepared – will be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, ‘Go on home. What you have believed has happened.’ And the young servant was healed that same hour.”

The centurion came to Jesus in Capernaum, and he pleaded for Jesus to help his servant. This Roman soldier cared about his servant. Apparently his servant was very ill, paralyzed, and in great pain, and the centurion pleaded for Jesus to help. Jesus said, “I’ll come, I’ll help you.” But the man responded, “Lord, I’m not worthy that You come to my house.”

Already, we’re learning something about the centurion. First of all, he referred to Jesus as “Lord.” Here is a Roman soldier with all the pride, authority, and power of his position. He recognized something about this Jewish man named Jesus that made him address Him as “Lord.” He was pleading with Him. It took humility for a Roman soldier to plead for help from a Jewish man. He went on to confess that he was not even worthy for Jesus to come into his home. It tells you something about this man’s view of Jesus, compared to his view of himself.

What he said next amazed Jesus: “Just say the word right here. I know it will cause my servant to be healed.” He told Jesus that he understood authority and power. “I have authorities over me, and as a centurion I have authority over many soldiers. If I say ‘Do this,’ they do it. ‘If I say ‘Go there,’ they go.” He believed that Jesus had enough authority and power to heal his servant from where they were.

Jesus turned to the crowd in amazement of the soldier’s faith. He told them that He hadn’t seen faith like that in all the land of Israel. He saw a man willing to humble himself, recognize Jesus as Lord, acknowledge Him as one who had much more power and authority than he had, plead with Him for help, and have enough faith to believe that Jesus could heal his servant by just saying the word.

Jesus hadn’t seen that much faith in His own people, the Jews, not even in His own disciples. He was so impressed with the centurion’s faith that He responded by telling him that what he believed had already happened. The centurion went home, and the servant was healed. Jesus responded to his faith, and met his needs.

Jesus made sure He got in a little teaching to the crowd. After complimenting the man for his faith, He told the crowd that many other gentiles from all over the world would also end up in the Kingdom of Heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, while many Israelites would not. Jews did not have an advantage over gentiles, nor were they guaranteed entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. Faith in Jesus, or the lack of it, would make the difference.

If you think it through, you’ll see that this centurion broke through every one of the potential barriers I listed earlier. He had already broken through the “race” barrier – he had treated the Jews well, but now he took it one step further and came to a Jewish man, asking for help.

He broke through the “pride” and the “self-sufficiency” barriers as seen in the way he humbled himself and pleaded for help. He acknowledged that he couldn’t help his servant; only Jesus could do that. He broke through the “power” and “control” barriers – even though he was a man of power and authority, he gave himself over to Jesus’ power and authority.

He broke through the “loyalty to Caesar” barrier. He had to do that, in order to come pleading to a Jewish man. He broke through the potential “loss of position” barrier – apparently it didn’t matter to him if he lost his job if word got out about what he had done. He broke through the “image” barrier – he pleaded to Jesus before a crowd, and didn’t care what people thought of him.

This Roman man broke through all the barriers that could keep someone from following Jesus. All the criteria for becoming a true disciple of Christ – humility before Jesus, acknowledgement of who Jesus was, confession to Jesus, pleading to Jesus, and faith in Jesus – seemed to be there. Although we never hear about him after this, I want to believe that the centurion not only witnessed his servant’s healing, but that he ended up being a follower of Jesus.

This Roman man proved it could be done. He proved that a Roman soldier, with all that pride, authority, and power, could break through the barriers and follow Christ.

The governor – he broke no barriers

Now, turn to John Chapter 18. We meet the second Roman man, Pilate. He was the governor, the Roman representative in Israel. He was based out of Caesarea along the coast, but he would make trips to various parts of Israel. He often went to Jerusalem, especially when festivals were held there and the city was crowded with people, to help prevent possible riots.

This particular celebration was Passover, specifically the Passover on which Jesus was arrested. Pilate was there. We’re told in verses 28 and 29 that the Jews, after arresting Jesus, brought Him to Pilate to be tried. As Roman governor, Pilate had the power to judge and pass sentence on criminals. His encounter with Jesus is in that context. Pilate was the man in control. He had power and authority to find Jesus guilty or innocent, and then sentence Him as he wished.

My guess is that Pilate expected this man to be like any other accused criminal brought before him. He probably expected Jesus to be either a defiant Jewish rebel or just another defeated and fearful criminal, intimidated by the governor. As we read the account, we learn that neither expectation was true. Jesus was an accused criminal like Pilate had never seen before – calm, confident, speaking boldly, almost in control of the proceedings.

As you read about the encounter, you might conclude that the one who was intimidated was Pilate, not Jesus. He actually seemed uncomfortable with Jesus. It seems to me that throughout the conversation, Pilate was putting on a manly facade, trying to prove that he was still in charge and that he had all the power. He was working very hard to keep up that facade, although Jesus probably intimidated him.

Let’s look at some issues that were important to Pilate as the encounter progressed. First, because he was a judge, he was obviously concerned with the question of guilt or innocence. He addressed that issue several times. For instance, in verse 35, he asked Jesus, “What have You done? What is Your crime?” Three different times, after conversations with Jesus, he went back to the Jewish people saying that he could not find Jesus guilty of anything. Verse 38: “He is not guilty of any crime.” Chapter 19, verse 4: “I’m going to bring Him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find Him not guilty.” He said the same thing in verse 6. Although Pilate determined that there was no guilt in this man, the Jews weren’t willing to accept that verdict.

Another important issue was Jesus’ identity: Who was this man who was raising such a stir, who the Jews so badly wanted to see dead? You see Pilate addressing that question with Jesus. In Chapter 18, verse 33, he asked Jesus point blank, “Are You the King of the Jews?” (One of the accusations the Jews made against Jesus was that He had made that claim.) In verse 37, after Jesus had said He was king of a different kingdom that was not a kingdom of this earth, Pilate asked, “You are a king, then?” Pilate, the man in charge, needed to find out if Jesus really was a king, because if He was, it was a threat to the governor’s powerful position.

Something else about Jesus’ identity that affected Pilate comes up in verses 7 and 8 of Chapter 19. Although he had told the Jews three times that he found no guilt in Jesus, the Jews insisted that by their laws He should die, because He called Himself the Son of God. “When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever.”

Why was he so frightened? If you’re familiar with Greek mythology and Roman stories, you have heard about gods who came to earth to raise havoc. No doubt Pilate had heard the same stories, and if Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, it might have scared him into thinking Jesus was one of those gods. In verse 9, he even asked Jesus where He came from, if He claimed to be a god.

So, the identity of this man – whether a king or a god who came to earth – was important to Pilate. It wasn’t because he was looking for a king to follow or a god to worship. It was because he was threatened. If there was a king or a visiting god in Israel, his position of control and authority would be jeopardized. It was a big issue for Pilate.

A third issue for Pilate was truth. Jesus brought up the subject of truth in John 18:37: “I was born for that purpose, to be a king. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” After Jesus said that, Pilate replied to Him with a question: “What is truth?” It was a good question directed to the right person, but I don’t believe he wanted an answer or that he really cared. Pilate’s reply appeared to be more mocking and indifferent than sincere.

Fourth, Pilate was very concerned with his position and his image. After he had told the Jews for the third time that he found no problem with Jesus, we read in John 19:12: “Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jewish leaders told him, ‘If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.’” Finally, after they continued to insist that Jesus had to die, he caved in and ordered His death on the cross.

Why did Pilate react to the Jews’ “We’re going to tell Caesar” warning by ordering the crucifixion? He responded that way because he didn’t want to offend Caesar and lose his position, nor did he want to make his reputation with the Jews any worse than it already was. He probably saw this as an opportunity to actually improve his image: “If I give the Jews what they want and sentence this man to death, they will change their view of me.”

Power and control, position, image, and self-sufficiency were thus big issues with Pilate. Look at verses 9 and 10 of Chapter 19: “He took Jesus back into the headquarters and asked Him, ‘Where are You from?’ but Jesus gave no answer. ‘You won’t talk to me?’ Pilate demanded. ‘Don’t you realize that I have the power to release You or crucify You?’” It gives us further insight into Pilate’s character: “I have power, you had better talk to me, or else.”

Pilate was unwilling to break through any of the barriers – pride, self-sufficiency, power and control, image, loss of position, loyalty to Caesar, feelings of racial superiority. He wanted to hang on to all of them. He had Jesus beaten, and sentenced Him to death on the cross. His response to Jesus was the opposite of the centurion’s.

Do you ever wonder what happened to Pilate after his Jesus encounter? History tells us that four years later, in 37 A.D., he ordered many Samaritans killed. After he gave that order, the Roman emperor replaced him as governor and banished him to the south of France. Although we don’t know for certain, some historians believe that Pilate committed suicide during his banishment. Pilate refused to break through the barriers in his response to Jesus, and it destroyed him.

Who was the real man?

I want to address a question to the men and the boys here this morning. Of the two men, the centurion and the governor, who was the real man? They were both Romans, they both had important positions of authority and power, and they both encountered Jesus. Which one, centurion or governor, would you say was the real man? Was it the one who recognized Jesus’ authority, humbled himself before Jesus, asked for help, and declared his faith that Jesus could help him? Or was it the man who would not let Jesus get through to him, but instead tried to hang on to his position, pride, self-sufficiency, and all the rest? Which was the real man?

I think everyone is familiar with Sylvester Stallone. He plays many characters in movies. There is something common to all those characters: Whether it’s Rambo, Rocky, or someone else, his characters are always “real men.” Here is something Sylvester Stallone said during an interview with Time Magazine: “If I were watching a home movie of my life, I would shake my head in despair and wonderment. My life is a comedy of errors.” He went on to say that he needed to shift his values and start paying more attention to relationships, and especially to putting others first.

Now, there’s a “real man” who plays “real men”, saying his own life is a mess, and that if he watched a movie about it, he would be embarrassed. The point is this: On the outside, this guy looks like he’s a real man. However, he admits that on the inside, he is not.

You might have heard of W.C. Fields, a comedian many years ago, who would make audiences roar with laughter wherever he went. Yet, he was an unhappy person in his personal life. Maybe you didn’t know that about him.

In 1946, on his deathbed, W.C. Fields began reading the Bible. Prior to that, he had showed no interest at all in religious matters, but as he was dying, his interest grew and he started studying. One day, a visiting friend asked him about his new interest. W.C. Fields said, “I’m looking for loopholes, my friend, looking for loopholes.” Right to his last minutes, he was not willing to do it God’s way.

We need strong men, because strong men make strong families. Strong families make strong churches and communities. Strong churches and communities make strong nations. It all starts with strong men. No man will be strong without Jesus. No matter what impression, image, or facade a man might try to construct, the truth is what Jesus said in John Chapter 15: “Without Me, you can do nothing.” Friend, you cannot be a strong man and have a strong family without Jesus.

Two tough Roman men encountered Jesus. One proved it’s possible to break through the common barriers for men, and follow Jesus. The other did what many weak men throughout history have done. He refused to break through those barriers and rejected Jesus.

God created you and me to be His Kind of Man. He had a certain kind of man in mind when He created us. But our sin, our pride, our need for self-sufficiency, our desire to control, and our desire for a certain kind of image – whatever it might be – separate us from God, keeping us from being the kind of man He created us to be.

Jesus, the Real Man, came to this earth. He went to the cross to die, paying the penalty for our sins, so that we could become God’s Kind of Man.

If we will break through the barriers, humble ourselves, acknowledge Jesus as Lord, place our faith in Him, and plead with Him for His help and salvation, God will begin to work in our lives. He will make us the kind of men He created us to be. But we have to be willing to lay aside the facades we’ve created. Be like the centurion. Go to Jesus, humbly ask for His help, and declare your faith in Him.

I’d like to close by reading James Chapter 4. Listen to this as the final Word. Think about this Scripture in relation to the two Roman men, and in relation to yourselves.

“God sets Himself against the proud, but He shows favor to the humble. So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor.”

Two Roman men encountered Jesus, with two very different results. Which are you – the centurion or the governor?

Let’s pray.

Father, I thank You that Your Holy Spirit has the power and the ability to break through any barrier that would come between us and a relationship with Jesus. You have shown us that it is possible. The centurion was willing to break through the barriers, to declare his faith in Jesus, and to humbly depend on Him. You have shown us what so many other men do in the example of Pilate, the governor, who was unwilling to break through those barriers. He wanted to hang on to the things that kept him from Jesus, and he did so until his dying day. Father, I pray that You would speak to the hearts of men here today. Help them to understand what a real man is, the kind of man You created them to be. Help them to understand that they can’t be that kind of man without Jesus. In His name we pray, Amen.