The name Pilate is detested for what happened in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. Pilate was a rising star in the Roman political juggernaut machine. Like a middle manager in a Fortune 500 company, he was thrown into the shark tank of political intrigue deep in the backcountry of Palestine to test his survivability. This was no ordinary fire-drill; it was a test for the ages.
Pilate was the Roman perfect or governor of Judea (usually referred to as procurator). He was appointed to this position by Tiberius in A.D. 26. He was in charge of the army occupation, keeping the taxes flowing to Rome, appointing high priests, and deciding cases involving capital punishment. He was a capricious, weak governor who allowed personal and political considerations to affect his judgment. Especially: the trial of Jesus. He didn’t want another report sent back to Tiberius that he wasn’t in control.
His headquarters were in Caesarea, the city Herod had built on the Mediterranean in honor of Caesar Augustus. He had a palace in Jerusalem and was in the city at Passover time, hoping that the large crowds wouldn’t stir up any trouble. As it turns out it wasn’t the crowds, it was the Jewish Sanhedrin, the elders and teachers of the nation that wanted a capital sentence carried out, so the case had to be remanded to Pilate.
Pilate had a dilemma on his hands. Pilate also had—a co-pilot—his wife! Her future was inextricably tied to his. Minutes before Pilate made his fateful decision he received a second opinion. “While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.’ ” Matthew 27:19
Think about this for a moment! Pilates wife was a godless idol worshiper and not likely to be concerned with the destiny of some teacher of the Jews. Upon awakening from her dream she was adamant to get word to her husband to have nothing to do with this innocent man. Some would say that God gave her that dream, but, perhaps, it was satanic in nature, in that, it was most likely the devil’s last ditch effort to thwart God’s plan of salvation. You see, Jesus had to go to the cross. Remember when Satan appeared to Jesus as He fasted in the desert, showing Him all the kingdoms that he (Satan) would give to Him (Jesus) if He would only bow down and worship him? Matthew 4:8-9. Satan hates the cross, the symbol of suffering and shame because he knew that God’s redemption would be completed there and he’d be defeated there! Let’s wake up here! This is a pivotal point to Christianity.
Pilate and his wife both knew Jesus was innocent, yet, because she struggled with “some” dream, and he was afraid of the crowds, they crucified our Lord. The pencil above looks like a pencil Pilates wife would have used to write her note. Reminds one of how she must have chewed on her “struggle” and her “dream”. When stress is applied “all around” equally it’s evident.
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