Matthew 27:19
This blog post is an excerpt from the booklet entitled, "Women of the Bible" - Volume 1.
It is written as if Pilate's Wife is sharing her heart directly with the reader.
Thank you for allowing the author to use poetic license throughout this article
while seeking to stay true to the Biblical account of Pilate's Wife's life.
When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
Matthew 27:19
My name is not recorded in Scripture, but I come from a long line of rulers. My grandfather was the Emperor Augustus. I am the wife of the governor of Judaea. We lived in Caesarea Philippi while serving under Emperor Tiberius. My husband is Pontius Pilate. The Bible describes him as an “unjust and unscrupulous ruler of the Jews.” He was the very man who sentenced Jesus to death by way of crucifixion. This was extremely disheartening because of the circumstances surrounding the trial of Jesus. It was our custom to release a prisoner around this time of year. Pilate quizzed the crowd so they could share in the accountability. He asked, “Will it be Barabbas or Jesus?” To make matters worse, Christ had already stood before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin the night before. Not wanting to make a final decision, the chief priests and elders delivered him to our court for yet another trial. This time he would stand before the Romans and my husband, Pontius Pilate.
Now I understand the nightmares. I dreamed of an innocent man being tried in my husband's courtroom and there He is...it's the man they call, "Jesus Christ!" All of the sudden, the crowd cries out, “Crucify Jesus!” When I heard this, I mustered all the courage I had and spoke to my husband in the hopes of being an intercessor. I begged him, “Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him." But my husband did not heed this warning that I believed had come from God. Instead, I heard Pilate asking the crowd for an answer. I knew with all my heart that they would not answer him correctly. This time when Pilate called to the crowd, he said, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called the Christ?” They answered back, "Let him be crucified." Once again I heard him question them as if he did not want my nightmares to haunt us both. It was as if he cried out even louder, "Why, what evil hath he done?" The crowd gave no answer. They only insisted Jesus be crucified. I cringed when Pilate finally gave in. What he did next broke my heart. He began washing his hands as he gave this statement recorded in the Bible, “I find no fault in this man. I am innocent of the blood of this just person.” My husband said this as if doing so would clear us from any wrongdoing. I then heard him repeat my description of Jesus being just. How very sad that he knew about God’s attributes, but He did not know God’s Son, the Saviour of the world.
Yet even sadder was what I heard from the mob. The Bible records it like this in Matthew 27:25,
"Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and our children." Wow! How could this be? How could people reject Jesus even after hearing the truth? Then as if that wasn't bad enough, they justified having His blood on their hands and willingly passed down the consequences of their actions onto their own children. The sorrow of my life was to see Jesus crucified knowing He was innocent. This was especially hard for me because I leaned towards Judaism and was rumored to be a secret follower of Christ. As far as I know, I am the only person recorded in Scripture who appealed the decision to condemn Jesus. After the death of Christ, my husband’s administration ended abruptly. History reports that he was banished to the south of France and ultimately committed suicide. I cannot help but think how differently our story could have been.
Here are some truths we can learn from Pilate’s wife:
Just like in Bible days, God gives every person a choice of whether or not they will believe on Jesus Christ. It is still our job as Christians to ask the same question today that Pilate asked those many years ago: "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called the Christ?" May we never cease from praying for the lost to accept Jesus Christ as personal Saviour. May we always share the Gospel with others which is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Click and copy this link to share the Gospel with others: https://www.sbcdaughters.com/salvation. As women, we have a unique opportunity to share with others the wisdom, insight and discernment that comes from the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must do so in humility and right motives in our life roles whether they be helpmeet, mother or friend. Then we must leave the choice to those we love. Ultimately in marriage, the husband is to have the final decision. God has instituted the home in this way and will hold the head of the house responsible for those decisions. That is why it is so important that a man not relinquish his position in the home to a domineering woman and that every woman knows and takes her rightful biblical position knowing that she is of equal importance to God. Even though Pilate's wife was right, he did not listen to her. Unfortunately, Pilate chose to reject his wife’s warning and never believed on Christ. I am glad that Pilate’s wife was said to be a believer even though her husband was not. If this is true, she was not held responsible for his actions.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. - Romans 14:12
I wonder though how Pilate could look into the very face of God’s Son and reject Him? I have heard it said there are many people who will die without Christ and go to Hell, but they will never go there unloved by God. A pastor once said that it is possible that even now in Hell, Pilate is still wringing his hands as if to wash the blood of Jesus from them. Just like Pilate, there will be people in our lives who will not listen, but we must not give up on them. We must continue to pray for their salvation. Just like Pilate’s wife told her husband, we too, should warn people of the cost of rejecting God’s Son. How often are we telling others about Jesus? It is our responsibility to give the Gospel. Those we tell must decide for themselves whether they will receive or reject God’s love.
May this be our prayer as we witness to the lost: “Lord, give us the courage to tell the lost world of You and what You have done to save them. Please send the Holy Spirit to go before us and soften their hearts so they will receive the Gospel. But even if they reject, may we stand up for You in faith, continue to tell others what Your Word says about Heaven, and do so in the right spirit because You have given us the wonderful position of being “Daughters of the King!”