LEARNING FROM MRS. PILATE

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

APRIL 18, 2021

TOPIC: LEARNING FROM MRS. PILATE

BY T. O. BANSO          

“While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him’” (Matthew 27:19 New King James Version).

The Bible does not tell us the name of Pontius Pilate’s wife, but early Christian tradition gave her name as Claudia Procula. She is mentioned only once in the Bible and for a good reason.

Her husband was the Roman governor of Judea at the time of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus was arrested and brought to him for trial, with the intention to crucify Him. But Pilate found Him innocent and wanted to release Him (Luke 23:13-16; John 18:38-40; 19:12) but lacked the courage to do so.

Responding to Pilate’s question, the crowd asked him to release to them Barabbas, a notorious prisoner, and crucify Jesus.  “But Pilate answered them, saying, ‘Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to them again, ‘What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?’ So they cried out again, ‘Crucify Him!’ Then Pilate said to them, ‘Why, what evil has He done?’ But they cried out all the more, ‘Crucify Him!’” (Mark 15:9-14 New King James Version).

Luke’s account says, “Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, ‘Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!’ (Barabbas was in prison for murder and for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government.) Pilate argued with them because he wanted to release Jesus. But they shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ For the third time he demanded, ‘Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. I will therefore flog him and let him go.’ But the crowd shouted louder and louder for Jesus’ death, and their voices prevailed” (Luke 23:18-23 New Living Translation).

Did you take note in that scripture the description of Barabbas who the people wanted to be released and Jesus killed instead? He is described as a murderer and one who took part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government. Did you see the kind of choice that the people made? But Matthew 27:20 tells us that the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

This points out clearly to us how confused the religious leaders were, and the height of their insincerity. They had accused Jesus of leading a revolt, which meant they didn’t support it but in the same breath, they wanted someone who was imprisoned for a similar allegation and murder to be released. They were supporting what they claimed they were against. They were hypocrites. Hear Pilate: “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent.” (Luke 23:14 New Living Translation).

In Matthew’s account, while Pilate was conducting Jesus’ trial, his wife intervened and persuaded her husband not to sentence Him to death. “While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him’” (Matthew 27:19 New King James Version).

Pilate’s wife is one of the good female characters in the Bible. Though the Bible tells us nothing more about her, by her action, she was unlike the wives who supported or encouraged their husbands to do evil. She was unlike Jezebel, who got an innocent man, Naboth, killed just to make her husband, Ahab, possess his vineyard (1 Kings 21:1-16). Verse 25 says there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.

Mrs. Pilate was not like Herodias who got a righteous man, John the Baptist, killed because he had said it was not lawful for Herod to take Herodias, the wife of his brother, Philip (Matthew 14:3-12). Mrs. Pilate opposed the killing of a just man, but Herodias perpetrated the killing of a just man.

Mrs. Pilate persuaded her husband to do the right thing. She was unlike Eve, who disobeyed God and caused her husband, Adam, to do the same (Genesis 3:1-6). Neither was Pilate’s wife like Sapphira, who agreed together with her husband, Ananias, to test the Spirit of the Lord by lying. They both died the same day – the husband first (Acts 5:1-10).

Unfortunately, Mrs. Pilate’s intervention couldn’t make her husband summon the courage to set Jesus free, having found Him innocent. He wanted to be politically correct.

Matthew 27:24 says when Pilate saw that the crowd was adamant and a riot was developing, he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd. He said he was innocent of the blood of Jesus and it was their responsibility, which they accepted. But Pilate wasn’t innocent, as he had claimed.

Mark’s account says, “So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus after he had scourged Him, to be crucified” (Mark 15:15 New King James Version). Jesus was eventually crucified. He died instead of Barabbas. He died for him and died for all.

Be a positive influence on your spouse. Encourage your spouse to obey God. Stand for what is right. Don’t pressure your spouse to do what is wrong. In addition, take your spouse’s wise counsel.

2 Kings 4:8-10 talks about how the woman of Shunem suggested to her husband that they should show hospitality to the servant of God, Elisha. The husband didn’t object to it.  “Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. And she said to her husband, ‘Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there’” (New King James Version).

This woman and her husband soon reaped the fruit of their generous kindness to the prophet of God. This family which had no child got the miracle of a son.  Suppose the woman’s husband had objected to her suggestion and they didn’t sow the seed they sowed into the prophet’s life. Later, when the son died, Elisha brought him back to life. Learn from Mrs. Pilate. Learn from other good women in the Bible. Also, learn from the godly spouses in the Scriptures.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, I repent of any negative influence that I am on my spouse. Forgive me, Lord. Holy Spirit, help me to be a godly wife/husband. I shall be a godly influence on my spouse in Jesus’ name. Father, strengthen my spouse to be courageous to do what is right always in Jesus’ name.

(For about 600 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit: www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org