When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. Matthew 27:19
It is always extremely difficult to properly evaluate or even understand the sufferings of the Man of Sorrows. With His perfect, sinless, and spiritually sensitive soul He lived in this sinful world. With Him there were only pure affections and desires and sinless thoughts. His soul was always thirsting for God.
How well our Lord understood Psalm 42, which speaks of the chased deer panting for water. This was Christ’s daily experience. Because of His sinlessness He was the stranger of Galilee. He “sensed” sin in everything. For this reason He was also keenly sensitive of the wrath of God. All these things we must remember if we will even begin to understand something of the sufferings and passion of our Savior.
Pilate’s wife has become well known in history. In the records of secular history she is given the name, Claudia. She made impressions in history. The Greek church canonized her, considering her to have become a Christian and a saint later. We hope so. Also, according to the Greek Orthodox Church, she became prominent and had an honorable position in the church. They tell us that later she became favorably disposed towards the Jews, and that in the latter part of her life she did much for them in the way of building schools. But what we can know of her reliably is only that which is recorded in the Scriptures.
We meet Pilate’s wife in a crucial hour. The nomination of Barabbas and Jesus had been made in the trial proceedings. Soon the ballot would be cast. Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, with the court in session. It was a tense moment in history! Who would want to be bothered at a time like this with anything else? What a time for a wife to demand the attention of her husband, least of all about a “mere” dream. But it is exactly at this time that the voice of a woman has a tremendous effect upon the governor’s emotions.
It perhaps was an early morning dream. It was a bad dream, one of those scary and awful dreams. It really bothered her, in fact it plagued her. Matthew says that she suffered many things in the dream because of Jesus. Can this mean perhaps that she feared judgment of the heathen gods if Jesus of Nazareth would be put to death? Possibly so. At any rate her husband must know about it before it is too late.
How must we explain t his dream? First of all we may say, I think, that the dream itself in some way was a very natural incident. This woman surely had heard much of Jesus, of His work, miracles, the royal entry of a few days ago, and surely of the ever ongoing conflict between Him and the Jews. And now the air was filled with rumors and expectations. Is it any wonder that this affected the wife of the governor, knowing that her husband would have to play a very important role in the trials of this Jesus of Nazareth? And so she dreamed about Him.
But this may also have been the work of the devil. Surely be can influence people in t heir dreams. Possibly also today. Even as the devil addressed the first woman in the garden to bring death into the world, he also “addresses” this woman to keep death in this world by having Pilate release Jesus at this time. But of course we also believe that all of this was controlled by God’s providence. God also controlled this dream and by this “special revelation” He warned Pilate. He must hear this voice from the “gods,” not from God Himself. Jesus is innocent and must be released. This, no doubt, is the first purpose of the dream.
It must and does, however, mean more. In some way it must add to Jesus’ suffering. Otherwise it would not have found a place in the sacred writings. Actually this woman humiliates Christ. Pilate, her husband, must have nothing to do with this just man.
Can or may anybody ever say that we should have nothing to do with the Son of God? Nothing to do with Him, the very Savior of sinners, who is the Way and the Truth and the Life in this world of sin and death?! Nothing to do with Him who is the embodiment of the “Good News”? Nothing to do with Him who will also be the Judge of all men? Isn’t He the one for whom the church has waited for centuries? Isn’t He the one in whom even the angels have been keenly interested throughout the ages? But Pilate’s wife says, “Have nothing to do with Him. Don’t bother with Him, forget about Him, let Him go and practice a hands-off policy.”
And all this is said in connection with a dream. Don’t think it to be so strange that God comes to this woman in a dream, and through her to Pilate, and finally to Christ. Dreams have often been a means of revelation in the Bible. Sometimes God came in visions, then with prophets, then with appearances called theophanies, then with direct inspiration, but also often through dreams. Dreams often were considered to have been the “lowest” form of revelation. Remember also that God came with dreams to unbelieving people like Abimelech, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, all for the benefit of His people.
No doubt Jesus hears about this message, this dream of Pilate’s wife. To Him surely this was a message from the “other words,” the world of His Father. And with His sensitive but also suffering soul, that is always thirsting for God, He will grasp every little straw that in some way will give him contact with heaven. What is the dream, what does it mean? Such questions possibly entered Jesus’ mind. And the answer? Have nothing to do with this just man!
The writer to the book of Hebrews tells us that in the Old Testament God spoke through prophets and in other ways, but in the last days He spoke through His Son. And this was by all means the highest form of revelation. But He who came in this highest form of revelation is rejected and negated through the lowest form, that of a dream. No doubt here too again, many swords pierced the sensitive soul of Jesus. He saw meaning in everything. And because His way was the one of bearing the wrath of God He suffered in everything.
But our Lord remains obedient. He is willing to be negated, rejected, humiliated, and become completely emptied. Before God, man, sinful man, must become as nothing. That is our penalty which He bore for us. Later, however, we see the cross, then the open tomb and then Pentecost. Then young men and women will receive visions and dream dreams. What does that mean? This: in the Old Testament dreams and visions were given generally only to some special people, to give them knowledge of the Lord. But when the Spirit has come all people, even young people, will know Him through the Word, and the Spirit.
Finally, what is the message of all the Scriptures? Have everything to do with Him, who is the very Son of God and in whom alone there is life forevermore. Have everything to do with Him, who as the righteous .One died that sinners who are worthy of the complete rejection of hell may have the blessed knowledge of everlasting life. And when we know Him we confess that He is our only comfort in life and death. And those who know Him begin to sing, “Whom have I in heaven but Thee?” and “Jesus is all the world to me.”
