During the middle of the day when Jesus was crucified it became very dark, almost like evening. It was very foreboding. When Jesus said it was “finished” and He gave up His Spirit and died, a number of events happened. The Bible says the veil of the temple was torn into two from top to bottom. This symbolized that now, through our High Priest Jesus Christ, we have open access to the Father and have no further need to have a human priest or earthly tabernacle. There was also a great earthquake. Many graves were opened. After Jesus’ resurrection, many of those departed saints in those open graves came back to life and appeared to others in Jerusalem.
There at the bottom of the cross was a Roman centurion who was there to guard those being crucified and make sure their sentences were carried out. A centurion was a military commander of 100 soldiers. This military leader was completely changed after his encounter with Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He hears Jesus ask the Father to forgive His tormentors. He hears Jesus declaring that the one thief would be with Him in Paradise that day. He sees the darkness and witnesses the earthquake right when Jesus dies. He and the others were fearful. Yet he makes a wonderful confession about Jesus. The centurion says that Jesus is truly the Son of God! I believe salvation came to him that day, and he was forever changed because of his experience with Jesus.