Mark is determined to make sure we know who Jesus is. He is the Son of God. But in Mark's Gospel, up to this point, only God and the demons have ever acknowledged that fact. God declares it twice: first at Jesus' baptism, "You are my Son" (Mk 1:11), and then again at his transfiguration, "This is my Son" (Mk 9:7). The demons called Legion that possessed the Gerasene man declared it after Jesus confronted them, crying out, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (Mk 5:7)

But in Mark's Gospel, no ordinary human being acknowledges Jesus to be the Son of God-until this moment. I think it's quite deliberate. I think Mark wants us to observe that it was as he witnessed the death of Jesus ("when [he] ... saw how he died," [Mk 15:39]) that this Roman centurion recognised the truth about the man on the central cross. Mark's point is that if we want to truly understand who the Son of God is, we have to see him on the cross. He is the Son who came to give his life. The servant Son. The Son who, willingly doing the will of his Father, chose to bear the cost of our salvation. And in that sense, Mark's purpose is exactly the same as John's. John says at the end of his Gospel: "These [things] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (Jn 20:31). And Jesus himself says, "whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life" (Jn 5:24). From death to life, from darkness to light.

Extract from:

(UK) Let the Gospels Preach the Gospel: Sermons Around the Cross, by Christopher JH Wright (Langham Preaching Resources, 2017)
(US) To the cross: proclaiming the gospel from the Upper Room to Calvary, by Christopher JH Wright (IVP, 2017)

PRAYER:

Lord, help us to truly recognise and understand who Jesus is and why He came – help us to move from darkness to light. Amen.