Pontius Pilate’s Fatal Flaw – Part 2

PONTIUS PILATE

(This is the second in a four-part series. To read Part 1, click here.)

I want to continue to talk to you about a Roman procurator (governor) of Judea at the time of Christ (A.D. 26-36).

His name is Pontius Pilate.

And we’re back now and turning away from Jesus confronting Pilate on the issue of absolutes – and it’ll come into play later – but for now we’re back to how Pilate is the object of the Lord’s affection and reaching out.

And we’ve seen it, first of all, in the fact that Jesus Himself appears before Pilate.

And now we see it in a second way.

PILATE’S WIFE HAS A DREAM

There’s this dream that Pilate’s wife has. It’s a significant part of the story not mentioned in John’s Gospel.

But it’s in Matthew’s.

And as it’s another example of the Lord’s affection for Pilate that I’m emphasizing and His reaching out to Pilate that he might be saved, it is seen in that Pilate’s wife has a dream. God tries to reach Pilate a second time via his wife’s dream.

Matthew 27:19 reads…

And while he [Pilate] was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”

And so we have the words of Pilate’s wife.

And as her husband is the object of the Lord’s affection and reaching out, here we see God trying to reach him a second time. He is trying ever so hard to get Pilate off the course he’s on and on to the right course.

And He does it with all of us, too.

And we are off course as unbelievers (apart from God and under the control of the devil).

And sometimes we can get off course even as believers (if we’re honest we’ll admit it’s true).

And I don’t know how God would have worked it out if Pilate decided to heed his wife’s counsel and the message of her dream.

I don’t know how Jesus would have gotten to the cross if Pilate didn’t release Barabbas instead and condemn Him.

But I do know this.

God would have worked it out and some other way.

PILATE STILL HAD A CHOICE

And God – He hoped to do it with Pilate being saved in the process.

I quoted it once already…

The Lord is … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9; KJV)

We’re not victims of fate despite what some might say. God hasn’t determined beforehand, “Pilate is going to do thus and so and that’s just the way it is,” so that Pilate had no choice in the matter.

Sure, God does know what we’re going to do prior to us doing it. God can’t help but know. He’s God. He knows everything.

And yet He doesn’t control our decision-making.

Some people think, “Well, if God already knows I’m going to hell, then what does it matter how I live?”

Well, it does matter how you live. Because that’s the determining factor. Not God.

And how do we know if we’re on our way to hell?

Frankly, I’m doing all I can in my power to make sure I don’t end up there. How about you?

I’m holding tight to Jesus!

Pilate still had a choice.

I guess that’s really the bottom line of what I’m trying to say here.

And even though we know the way things turned out. God was still working towards that they might turn out a different way in Pilate’s case.

And as he’s the object of the Lord’s affection and reaching out – we’ve been considering it across two blog posts – seen in that Jesus Himself appears before Pilate and his wife has a dream.

God would have had it that Pilate got saved, but Pilate chose not to cooperate.

I want to move on now to talk about something else as regards Pilate.

(To read Part 3, click here.)

(The Message of Pilate’s Wife picture file in the public domain: click here.)

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