Matthew 27:54

54 When the army officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus saw this earthquake and everything else that happened, they were very frightened and said, "He really was the Son of God!"

Matthew 27:54 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 27:54

Now, when the centurion
That was over the band of soldiers, that mocked Christ in Pilate's hall, and who was particularly over the guard of soldiers, set about the cross of Christ:

and they that were with him, watching Jesus:
the soldiers that were with him, who were set to watch the cross of Christ, lest he should come down, or any should take him down from thence; (See Gill on Matthew 27:36).

Saw the earthquake, and those things that were done;
as besides that, the darkening of the sun, the rending of the rocks, and particularly heard with what a loud voice Christ spoke, and then at once expired:

they feared greatly;
not with a true godly fear, but with a fear of punishment; lest divine vengeance should light on them, for their concern in this matter:

saying, truly this was the Son of God;
which they concluded, not from any mediatorial performances, which they were utter strangers to, but from effects of divine power; and which to them showed him to be a divine person, what he said he was, and the Jews charged him with blasphemy, on account of, and condemned him for, as these soldiers might have seen and heard.

Matthew 27:54 In-Context

52 The graves opened, and many of God's people who had died were raised from the dead.

53 They came out of the graves after Jesus was raised from the dead and went into the holy city, where they appeared to many people.

54 When the army officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus saw this earthquake and everything else that happened, they were very frightened and said, "He really was the Son of God!"

55 Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee to help him were standing at a distance from the cross, watching.

56 Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John were there.