The Wife of Pontius Pilate
“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.” This single sentence is all we know about the wife of Pontius Pilate. It speaks volumes as to her character. She was the last advocate for Jesus Christ before His crucifixion. Matthew 27:19
The chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole council of the Sanhedrin had decided to put Jesus to death. They had Jesus brought before Pilate the governor to pronounce the death sentence. (Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; 23:1)
There is not much known about the wife of Pilate. We can assume she was a well-educated wealthy Roman. She was the last advocate for Jesus before His crucifixion. She remains unnamed because her act is more important than a name. She is an example for all of us to follow.
Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of the southern half of Palestine. He was “governor” in the sense of being procurator, which is a title an officer of the Roman empire entrusted with management of the financial affairs of a province and often having administrative powers as ruling over an imperial province, and as such directly responsible to the emperor. Although he had been given power over the civil, criminal, and military jurisdiction, he was under the authority of the Emperor Tiberius. (Hendriksen, 1953-2001).
When the wife of Pilate appealed to her husband’s decision, regarding Jesus she told him she had a terrible dream she had the previous night. This dream must have frightened her because it compelled her to go to her husband and tell him to have nothing to do with the matter of Jesus.
Dreams held great significance during this time. It could be a warning of dangerous times or gave a particular course of action that must be taken. Matthew 2:12 tells us about the warning the Magi received in a dream not to return to Herod. Joseph of Nazareth also was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt to save the infant Jesus from Herod. (Matthew 2:13). Then again in Matthew 2:19-22 Joseph was told in a dream it was safe to return from Egypt and settle in Galilee.
The wife of Pilate tried to warn her husband not to get involved in the affairs of the trial of Jesus. He did not heed her warning dream. The wife of Pilate called Jesus ‘this innocent man”. The LORD God permitted Pilate one more chance to do the right thing concerning Jesus. He did not heed the warning of the LORD and even though Pilate washed his hands of the matter he is still blamed for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It was the wife of Pontius Pilate who was the last advocate for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Isn’t it interesting that the unnamed wife of Pontius Pilate was the advocate for Jesus and Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father? 1 John 2:1-2 reminds us: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Then again in 1 Timothy 2:5-6 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
The wife of Pontius Pilate teaches us to have the strength to be advocates in our faith in Jesus Christ” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (1 Peter 3:15).
Reference:
Hendriksen, W. & Kistenmaker, S. (1953-2001) vol. 9, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew, New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, pp.940-43.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “The Wife of Pontius Pilate:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Feb 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2230,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, February) “The Wife of Pontius Pilate:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2230,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “The Wife of Pontius Pilate:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (February), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2230, (accessed).
