The Soldier Who Killed a King

Several years ago my artist-son penned the following: words are letters often shaped in quiet thought that paint a picture, tell a story, recall a memory. As an author and speaker, I cannot tell you how many times I have quoted him, and I am compelled to reference his quote once again. Having just finished reading The Soldier Who Killed a King: A True Retelling of the Passion, the author’s words have painted a picture, told a story, and I am left remembering the death and resurrection of my Saviour in such a way that I can’t help but wonder why anyone would deny or ignore what Christ has done for humankind.

As a Bible dramatist and outreach minister with Foursquare Church in Ottawa, Ontario author David Kitz has reached deep into his giftedness and expertise and given us a credible and compelling read. He created not just a unique characterization of a Roman centurion who oversaw the crucifixion of Jesus, but he gave us a man with a name—Marcus Longinus, a man with a face—strong, sincere and at times troubled, a man with a wife and two young sons whom he cherished, and we walked shoulder to shoulder with a man whose grave responsibility was to defend the Roman Empire.

Readers of The Soldier Who Killed a King will experience a week in the life of this Roman centurion in such a way that his rage at the injustice and brutality he witnesses will permeate a reader’s soul. They will suffer with him in his haunting regrets of past actions that torment his sleep. They will feel his disgust as he witnesses the confrontation between the Jewish high priest, Joseph Caiaphas and the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Yet, at the same time, readers will sympathize with him in the role he must play as a Roman soldier in the crucifixion of an innocent man.

There is no doubt that this is a work of biblical fiction—after all, David did not walk the paths that Marcus walked, nor ride beside him, protecting the ruthless King Herod as he rode into Jerusalem. Nevertheless, drawing on historical data and God’s Holy Word, David paints such a profound picture with words that he has made it possible for us to hear the shouts of abuse and condemnation that came just days after cheers of adoration and love. We cannot help but shudder in horror at the decision to release a brutal terrorist in order to sentence the peaceful Jew to death. We cannot help but cringe at every lash as Christ’s skin is ripped to shreds or quiver at the pounding of nails and the agonizing screams of the thieves on either side of Christ as He hung in silence. It’s impossible not to witness the raw fear on every face as “total darkness descended” when the sun hid “its face from what it saw on the earth.” And as Jesus took His last breath, we cannot help but join those who fell on bended knee as the earth shook in protest at the death of the Son of God. We are left breathless with grief at the heart-wrenching words from Marcus himself: “I caught two huge breaths of air, and then for the whole world to hear, I cried out, ‘He really was the Son of God.’”

In endorsing David’s book, some have stated:

“Story has a way of capturing our attention and enabling truth to move from head to heart. David Kitz creatively unpacks the events of Passion Week as seen through a Roman centurion’s eyes…”  (David Ridings).
“I stepped inside the empty tomb. This book took me there”  (Robert DuBroy).
“Even though I knew the story, I felt compelled to read on…”  (Tami Waring).

And through the words of Marcus Longinus:

This notion of him rising from the dead did not strike me as all that far-fetched. On the surface the Christ’s prediction seemed impossible—utterly impossible—totally preposterous. But then in life he had been a total master of the impossible. The example of the blind Bartimaeus sprang to mind. This Messiah had tossed off miracles like he was tossing off the covers from his bed. Could he now toss off the shroud of death?

There was something far larger at work here. This was more than the raving of a lunatic. Why else would the sun refuse to shine as he hung dying? Why else would the earth shudder with his last breath? No, he was the Son of God. My very own words came back to haunt me. Anything was possible; nothing could be ruled out!

Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us that “there is no new thing under the sun” and that would apply to books and movies that have been written or made that have centred on the Passion Week, so for some, this is just one more book. However, The Soldier Who Killed a King has left a mark on my life unlike anything I have seen or read in a very long time. Emotional. Heart-stirring. Dramatic. Real. So much so that I found myself wishing I had been present to witness the donkey-riding King emerge from the tomb as the King of all kings and LORD of all lords. In truth, it left me in such a state of unworthiness that my gratitude for what Christ did for ME became front and centre for days following the completion of the book. It is for this reason that I believe The Soldier Who Killed a King is a must-read for all who call themselves a follower of Christ.

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The Soldier Who Killed a King: A True Retelling of the Passion
Published by Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI
For more information on how to get this book and a free PDF study, go to: http://davidkitz.ca/centurion.php