The Centurion and the Crown of Thorns

by Chuck Antone, Jr

  Marcus still did not say anything. He just nodded, and a little smile appeared on his lips. She went in to get her warm covering and he waited for her to return, hoping she hadn’t noticed how he had been staring.

  After he had been made welcome by Antony, and told what had been happening in the army that day, Marcus and Rae-dona strolled alone down the cobblestone street not saying much to each other. He wondered what Rae-dona would do if he reached out and took her hand. Not that he would … but he wanted to.

  They entered a garden of olive trees and Marcus heard Rae-dona say something about the garden being owned by a friend, and that it would be all right if they went in. He had a feeling she had been there before by the way she maneuvered herself around the small trees. The sun had gone down some time ago, but there was enough brilliant starlight to help her find her way.

  She pointed to a stone bench. 'Marcus, let’s sit here. This is one of my favorite places when I want to be alone. Just me and God.'

  Marcus felt strange, as though he couldn’t focus. His heart beat fast and he was thankful he was sitting down, for he thought for sure his knees would have given way and he would have fallen to the ground. He looked at Rae-dona. Finally finding his composure, he said, 'You look very beautiful tonight.' Those were not the words he had planned on saying.

  She smiled, but said nothing.

  'I mean…' He stammered over his words. 'Please … tell me … of the things you’ve heard. Jerusalem is full of rumors of Jesus being seen alive, but I’ve not seen Him.'

  He couldn’t look at her. Instead, he pretended to be looking at the beautiful olive grove lit by the mass of stars overhead. He felt embarrassed but very happy that she had made no comment about his outburst.

  'As you know by now, Jesus promised He would rise from the grave.' Rae-dona paused for a moment, then continued. 'Matthew, who is one of Jesus’ disciples, has been to our village many times and shared the words of Jesus. Four times I’ve heard him share that promise with the believers.

  'I remember one time while I was up in Galilee visiting our old home, and Jesus was speaking to us. He said He was going to be delivered into the hands of men, that they would kill Him, but He would be raised on the third day. At that time I didn’t understand His words. Then I remembered the time when I was outside the Temple in Jerusalem, and Jesus became angry because some men were selling oxen, sheep and doves. He turned over their tables. What a sight that was, Marcus. You should have been there. They should have known better. When they asked Him, ‘What sign do You show us as Your authority for doing these things?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.’ I didn’t understand Him then, but now I know He was speaking about the temple of His body.'

  Marcus frowned. 'You’ll need to explain it a bit more.'

  Rae-dona moved a little closer. 'Isaiah the prophet said, ‘The Lord God will swallow up death for all time.’ The thought then went around to many believers and nonbelievers that on the third day after His death Jesus would rise up from the dead. In fact, when He was on trial He made this same statement about Himself.'

  'Yes,' Marcus said, 'when Jesus was on the cross, many people who were passing by shouted at Him, ‘If you are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. If You are the Son of God come down from the cross.’ I wondered at the time what they meant by that.'

  'But now do you understand, Marcus?'

  'I think so. What you’re saying is that Jesus prophesied that He would die, but would also rise up from the dead. And you really believe that the women were right, and this is what’s happened, just like the rumor that’s going round?'

  'Yes, of course. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead just as He said He would. And I can’t wait to see Him!'

  Chapter 17

  'Marcus, not only do I believe it,' Rae-dona continued with excitement in her voice, 'but I know it has truly happened. Think about the two ladies we saw by the tomb telling us, ‘He has risen, just as He promised.’ When you were checking on the empty tomb, and trying to roll the stone by yourself, they told us that when they arrived there, an earthquake had occurred. They said they saw an angel who had descended from heaven roll away the stone. He was actually sitting on it. Marcus, can you imagine that one of God’s angels was here on earth? The two women said that the angel’s clothing was as white as snow. The soldiers who were guarding the tomb had become like dead men. I guess they must have fainted.

  'The women themselves became afraid, but the angel told them not to be afraid, for Jesus was no longer in the tomb. The angel invited them to look in the place where Jesus had been lying. He told them that Jesus had risen from the dead just as He said He would, and that He would be in Galilee, and for them to go there and they would see Jesus.

  'The two ladies said that they had a mixture of joy and fear in them, but they ran to report this to His disciples.

  'One of the women was Mary Magdalene. She says she knows for sure that Jesus is alive. She was crying and wondering where they’d taken Jesus’ body. A man came up to her and questioned her, asking, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ She said she thought he was the gardener. So she said that if he’d carried Jesus’ body away, to please tell her where he’d taken Him. The man then called out her name and in an instant she knew it was our Lord.

  'So now, Marcus, He has proven that He truly is our Messiah and Lord, for He’s shown the world that He has power over death. Let’s shout out together, ‘He has risen, He has risen! He is alive, He is alive, just as He said.’'

  They shouted out those words together with great joy in their hearts. They remained sitting on the stone bench in the garden for a long time, neither one saying a word, deep in their own thoughts.

  As they stood up to leave, Marcus had a fleeting impulse to take Rae-dona’s hand, but again he didn’t. After all, he was a Gentile and she was a Jew. And yet they shared a common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So did race bar them from close friendship? Were man-made customs more important than sharing the love of God?

  The only words that broke the silence between the two of them was every time one of them said, 'He is alive, He is alive.' Then they looked at each other and broke out in big smiles.

  Chapter 18

  Marcus needed to get back on duty with the army. He kept wondering whether he should resign or not. How was he going to support Antony without a regular income? He was hated by the Jews because he was part of the occupying force, and surely no Jew would employ a Roman who had been part of the occupying force.

  News of Jesus rising from the dead was spreading everywhere, to every town and village. There were reports that Jesus had been seen by many people, although most people said such a thing was impossible. The army was on full alert for fear of trouble between the followers of Jesus Christ and the religious leaders who had wanted Jesus crucified. The Romans were already looking closely at groups of followers of Jesus in case they were planning an uprising.

  Marcus had no doubts that Jesus had died on the cross, and no doubts now that the man he had helped crucify was risen from the dead. Now that they had spoken to the two women by the empty tomb, he knew that Rae-dona and her family also had no doubts about Jesus being alive, although none of them had yet seen the risen Lord.

  *

  Ten days after the excitement in Jerusalem, Marcus excused himself from duty. He rode his horse to Rae-dona’s village to call at her home, with a strange feeling inside.

  He had always thought that Ramona -- his wife, and Antony’s mother -- would send the boy away somewhere if they divorced, and that Antony would feel abandoned. But this feeling was different. He told himself he enjoyed it when his heartbeat felt like it was racing, and at times it even seemed to jump out of his body.

  He knew that when he came face to face with Rae-dona it would settle down to a quiet beat. He loved those feelings. In this short time he realized he was falling in love with Rae-dona. He could only hope th
at she would have the same feeling towards him. But he knew it was only in his dreams.

  Giving her a brief kiss on the hand, copying the way he had seen Jews greeting each other, he said, 'I shouldn’t really be here. I’ve not yet resigned from the army.' He held up his hands and sighed. 'Please don’t ask me about it. As a Roman I’m already hated by most of the Jewish people, and if I resign I’m going to be hated by the soldiers I was in charge of. But enough of that. What about the prophecies? Where do we go next?'

  Rae-dona smiled in understanding. 'I think our next visit should be with Mary, the mother of Jesus. She’s staying with the disciple John.'

  'That’s very kind of John,' Marcus said. 'Do they know each other well?'

  'You were at the cross,' Rae-dona said. 'You must have heard what Jesus said to John and His mother.'

  Marcus thought for a moment. 'You’re right. I was too shaken by the crucifixion of an innocent man to take it in. I remember Jesus calling down to John, ‘Behold your mother,’ and to Mary He said, ‘Behold your son.’ I can see now what He meant.'

  Rae-dona nodded. 'I wasn’t there, but I heard about it. Anyway, Mary Magdalene and others went to Galilee after the resurrection, as Jesus told them to, but they’re back here now to be near Jerusalem. You must come with us and meet them soon.'

  'I’m free to go with you tomorrow if you like.'

  'As long as Antony won’t mind. I know he’ll want to spend time with you alone. He’s not seen you for ten days.'

  'I’m worried for his safety at these difficult times. He’s certainly not going back to Jerusalem. I’ve arranged for Antony to go away with Ametrius and his family. They’re visiting his wife Diana’s family. It’s about a half day’s journey to their village from here, and they’ll collect Antony in the morning.'

  Rae-dona nodded in agreement. 'A wise decision. Tomorrow you will visit Mary, the mother of our Savior. She’s staying with the disciple John and some other relatives. Mary is a wonderful woman, Marcus. You have a great day ahead of you. Listen carefully to what she has to say as you hear another prophecy that has been fulfilled by our Lord.'

  'That sounds good, but I’d appreciate it very much if you’d come with me. I’m not sure any Jew would trust me completely. They know I’m a centurion in Caesar’s army. How far is it, and will it be all right for you to go with me?'

  Rae-dona seemed to think for a moment. Then, 'Yes, I’m sure it will be all right. The disciple John will have heard about you. He’ll probably recognize you from the crucifixion. We’ll go on your horse.'

  Chapter 19

  Ametrius, with his wife and daughter, arrived not long after dawn to collect Antony. After a brief time together, Marcus reluctantly said his goodbyes to his friends and his son. Antony had mixed emotions. He said he wanted to be with his father, but he was also looking forward to exploring a new area where he had never been. With Justina, the daughter of Ametrius and Diana, they always had fun together and were excited to go and see her grandparents.

  Justina had told Antony that although it was always such fun visiting her grandparents, the time always passed too quickly. She assured Antony that he too would enjoy his time there. It would be fun together. So with reluctance Antony said goodbye to his father, wishing he could be in two places at the same time. Father and son continued to wave to each other until everyone was out of sight.

  Marcus held the bag containing the crown of thorns. He had not wanted to leave it at his house in Jerusalem, since no one would be there to watch over it. Besides, he thought it was time to tell Rae-dona what the bag contained. He could see she was curious about it by the way she’d looked at it earlier, but being the lady that she was, of course she had said nothing. She was probably waiting for him to tell her about the bag that he never seemed to let out of his sight.

  Going back inside, he went to where the family now sat at a table eating lentil soup, cheese, eggs, fresh baked bread, honey and dried fruit. Jairus looked up at him, and with a big smile on his face, said, 'I hear you’re off to the disciple John’s house to see Mary the mother of Jesus this morning. When we’re through eating, Rae-dona will recount from our Scriptures what Isaiah has prophesied about Mary given birth to Jesus. But first, join us for food while we have fellowship with each other.'

  This was the first opportunity for Marcus to experience such a loving time with other believers. He enjoyed every minute of it, not wanting the time to end. They shared and laughed about many things of how God and His Son Jesus had provided for them and kept them safe from danger from the Roman army.

  Even though he had been part of the Roman army that hassled the Jewish people, Marcus just listened, unable to share yet about the crown of thorns. Besides, he wanted to tell Rae-dona the story while they were alone, so he just sat and savored every moment.

  Rae-dona got up from the table and returned with a heavy scroll. When she sat down across from Marcus, silence fell over Jairus’ family and the other guests. Then Rae-dona opened up the scroll.

  'Marcus, this scroll belongs to Uncle Jairus. It has been passed down through his family for six generations. It contains accurate copies of some of the Scriptures of long ago, many of them written by Moses and other prophets of the time. Since we’re going to visit Mary, our Lord’s mother, I want to read from the words of Isaiah, the prophet. He wrote this seven hundred years ago, about how Jesus’ birth would take place. Let me read it to you and our friends … here are his words.

  She placed a finger by the first word. '‘Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son and she will call His name Emmanuel.’'

  Jairus commented, 'Marcus, Mary was the chosen virgin to give birth to this child that Isaiah calls Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.'

  Marcus looked closely at Rae-dona as she said, 'Keep those thoughts in your mind today as we visit the mother of our Lord. We’ll be hearing her tell the story of how an angel came and appeared to her, fulfilling this prophecy of Isaiah.'

  Chapter 20

  They left riding together on the horse, with Marcus at the front, holding the reins. On the way, Marcus told Rae-dona all about the special bag and what it contained. He told her about the death of his wife Ramona, and the healing power that saved Diana, the wife of his best friend Ametrius.

  All the while as he was talking and relating the story, Rae-dona listened closely, taking in every detail and enjoying every moment as if another miracle had been given just to her from her Savior. She never interrupted, just listened and on occasion a tear fell from her eyes. She never seemed embarrassed by her emotions. She just wiped the tears away each time they came, smiled, and nodded her head in agreement at all the things Marcus was telling her.

  When he was through, she said, 'This is yet another proof of how powerful and real our God is.'

  Marcus turned around. 'Yes, I believe now that He is real and has shown me and my son and friends that He has something special for all of us -- if we stay strong and believe in Him.'

  To himself he was wondering if somehow Rae-dona would fit into these special plans with his new Lord. When he asked Rae-dona how far they still had to go to the village, she said they were about halfway there.

  To their right, a small stream ran among the trees. The cool fresh water looked welcoming, and Marcus suggested they stop to let the horse drink, and have a rest for themselves while they ate some of the food Jairus’ wife had given them for the journey.

  Marcus smiled to himself when he heard Rae-dona accept the suggestion with enthusiasm. The more time he could spend with her alone, the better.

  Chapter 21

  They arrived at the disciple John’s home where they were welcomed by John’s mother, Salome. Salome explained that John was out, but they would see him later.

  The home was large and looked well cared for. When Marcus asked Salome about the accommodation in the house for Mary the mother of Jesus, he remembered that Rae-dona had told him th
at John came from a fairly well-to-do family, having this house near Jerusalem, and a share in the family home in Capernaum where he had been a fisherman with his brother James before they became followers of Jesus. There would obviously be plenty of room here, since it was Jesus who had asked John to take care of His mother when He was on the cross.

  Now that he had seen the house, Marcus was sure Jesus had been well aware that His mother would be content to spend her time here. He realized that even while Jesus was dying and in agony on the cross, He was thinking of His mother’s welfare. He could see that Jesus must have loved His mother very much.

  Salome gave Rae-dona a welcoming hug and reached her hand to Marcus as she greeted them into the house, then motioned for them to take a seat.

  Marcus recognized Salome as one of the two women they had seen in Jerusalem by the empty tomb, and also as one of the women who had been standing at the cross that terrible Friday.

  Salome and Rae-dona chatted for a while about the Lord and the things that had taken place over the last couple of weeks. Although they knew of each other, Marcus could see that this was the first time they had been introduced properly face to face, which explained why they had not recognized each other at the tomb.

  The two women suddenly stood up and interrupted his thoughts. He automatically did the same. Following their gaze he saw another woman entering the room.

  The woman walked over to Rae-dona, and said, 'What a wonderful surprise. It’s nice to see you again, Rae-dona.'

  'And you too, Mary,' Rae-dona said. 'I’ve brought a friend with me. He’s a new believer and is studying the prophecies that have been, and will be, fulfilled by our Lord. His conversion is another miracle that happens so often when someone confesses Jesus as their Lord and Savior. His name is Marcus. He was one of the two centurions at the cross the day your Son was crucified.'

  'Welcome, Marcus. I remember you quite vividly, as many of the believers do who were there that day. You’ve been the topic of several of our conversations. I’m sure many would like to meet you and listen to your testimony of why you announced that my Son was surely the Son of God. They will be so happy to hear that you have become a believer. But tell me, why have you come to see me?'