Matius 27:54

27:54 Now when the centurion ¹  and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified and said, “Truly this one was God’s Son!”

Markus 15:39

15:39 Now when the centurion, ²  who stood in front of him, saw how he died, ³  he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

Lukas 23:47

23:47 Now when the centurion ⁴  saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” ⁵ 

[27:54]  ¹ sn See the note on the word centurion in Matt 8:5.

[15:39]  ² sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like Paul.

[15:39]  ³ tn Grk “the way he breathed his last”; or “the way he expired”; or “that he thus breathed no more.”

[23:47]  ⁴ sn See the note on the word centurion in 7:2.

[23:47]  ⁵ tn Or “righteous.” It is hard to know whether “innocent” or “righteous” is intended, as the Greek term used can mean either, and both make good sense in this context. Luke has been emphasizing Jesus as innocent, so that is slightly more likely here. Of course, one idea entails the other.

[23:47]  sn Here is a fourth figure who said that Jesus was innocent in this chapter (Pilate, Herod, a criminal, and now a centurion).