Matthew 27:19, commentary and pictures

While Pilate sat on the judgment seat in conflict and hesitation over Jesus, his wife, who was not Jewish, sent word through the crowd telling him to have nothing to do with that just and righteous man, because she had suffered many distressing things that day in a dream because of him. He was already convinced by evidence and testimony that the charges were false and that Jesus was innocent and no common man, knowing He was delivered for envy and recognizing His power as the power of God even while He stood bound and accused. The dream was light from heaven sent by God through an angel, so that Pilate would not condemn Christ in darkness but would be given further light and another opportunity to recognize His innocence. In it she was shown His pure life and holy character and His identity and mission as the divine Son of God, and she witnessed His mistreatment and trial and scourging and condemnation and crucifixion, and His future glory with a vast multitude believing in Him and His return to judge the living and the dead. The warning was meant to keep Pilate from the terrible crime of delivering the Son of God to death by taking no part in His blood, and he at first resolved to labor to deliver Him, but he was too weak to obey the light and failed to do justice.

The Dream Warning

Pilate had taken his place on the judgment seat in terrible conflict and hesitation, already convinced by evidence and testimony that the charges against Jesus were false and that He was innocent and true and no common man but of excellent character, knowing He had been delivered for envy, feeling sympathy and compassion for Him, with his wife's earlier account of His wonderful deeds returning to his mind, and recognizing that even while bound and accused His power was the power of God. While he sat judging, his wife, who was not a Jew, sent a message to him through the crowd, telling him to have nothing to do with that just and righteous and holy man, because she had suffered many distressing things that day in a dream because of Him. He was alarmed and trembled and turned pale at the message, yet the crowd pressed more urgently as it saw his indecision.

The dream was light from heaven sent by God through an angel to Pilate's wife, so that Pilate was not left in darkness before condemning Christ but was given further light and another opportunity to recognize His innocence. It was sent in answer to Christ's prayer while Pilate hesitated, to save Pilate from the awful act of delivering Jesus to be crucified. In the dream she was shown His pure life and holy character and His identity and mission as the divine Son of God and innocent sufferer. She witnessed His mistreatment and trial and suffering and His being handed over to be scourged and condemned and crucified, and she saw His future glory with a vast multitude believing in Him and His return to judge the living and the dead.

The warning was meant to keep Pilate from the terrible crime of delivering the divine Son of God to death and to let him avoid guilt by refusing to hand Jesus to the religious leaders and taking no part in His blood. He at first resolved to have no influence toward it and to take no part in the matter and to labor to deliver Him. But he was too weak to obey the light and did not heed the heaven-sent message and failed to do justice. He received it at the moment when Jesus had collapsed from exhaustion in the court.

Her declaration that Jesus is just joins the Father's declaration of approval, Judas's confession of betraying innocent blood, and Pilate's own declaration of finding no fault, proving that no offense and none of the false charges were ever proved. It testifies to His innocence and to the spotless character that stood in contrast to the pious pretensions of the Pharisees. Though He was condemned for declaring Himself the Son of God, He suffered one of the cruelest deaths.

Christ Or Barabbas

In the judgment hall the innocent, pure and holy Prince of Heaven, who made the world and all things therein, was pronounced innocent yet condemned and scourged and placed side by side with Barabbas, a notable prisoner, a base thief and robber and murderer. Pilate asked whom to release, declared he found no fault in Jesus, and asked shall I crucify your king, to which the priests and rulers answered we have no king but Caesar, and he washed his hands as innocent of His blood before delivering Christ to be scourged and crucified, while Jesus stood against powerful opposition. Pilate in terrible conflict dared not give Him up to the maddened power yet sought to save Him, turning to the pagan invention without justice of setting at liberty one condemned prisoner at the great national festival, hoping to present Jesus of Nazareth side by side with the notable Barabbas so that the contrast between innocence and guilt would convince the people to choose Jesus.

Led by Satan and inspired and directed by the priests and rulers and the powers of darkness, the mingled voices of those present with the rabble rejected Christ and chose Barabbas and cried for his release rather than the Son of God. When Pilate asked what to do with Jesus called Christ they cried crucify Him, crucify Him, and answered His blood be on us and on our children, though Pilate declared he found no fault in Him. The crowd's choice was led by Satan, while Jesus though innocent was delivered up to be scourged and crucified and the people chose Barabbas, a robber and murderer, instead of Him. The chief priests and elders acted from envy and jealousy lest He draw the people away from themselves and become King of the Jews, knowing He did greater works than they could do and fearing He would gain higher authority, and they agreed together to prevent this by seizing Him privately and hiring false witnesses to testify falsely that they might condemn Him and put Him to death, refusing Him as King.

Barabbas represents Satan personified, so the roaring demand to release Barabbas is choosing Satan before Christ the Son of God and gives exaltation to Satan. As Joseph's brethren purposed to kill him and then sold him to prevent his dominion and his dreams, yet God overruled their course to bring about his dominion over them and his becoming saviour to his father's family, so the Jews thought by taking Christ's life to prevent His becoming King, but by murdering the Son of God they brought about the very thing they sought to prevent. By that murder they made Him Redeemer of mankind, Saviour of the fallen race, and Ruler over the whole world, while the guilt of His enemies remains just as heinous though God's providential hand controlled events for His own glory and the good of man.

Satan was at the head of those who reviled and crucified Him and led the cruel mob in its abuse of the Saviour, aiming to provoke Him to retaliation or to drive Him to perform a miracle to release Himself and break up the plan of salvation. One stain upon His human life and one failure to endure the test would have made the Lamb of God an imperfect offering and the redemption of man a failure. Christ, who by a command could have brought the heavenly hosts to His aid or driven the mob in terror by the flashing forth of His divine majesty, submitted with perfect calmness to the coarsest insults and outrage. By His cruel death of shame on the cross of Calvary He proved false Satan's charges against God and vindicated God in the sight of the angels as One willing to make the greatest sacrifice for man.

His condemnation and humiliation as one doomed to the cross, while the multitude who had hailed Him as king hissed at Him and reviled Him and the cruel jeering crowd cried crucify Him, and while professed followers turned in His trouble, was a most trying ordeal and great trial bringing fear, disappointment, grief, and ruin of fondest hopes. Jesus foresaw this hour of horror and deliberately brought about an earlier sifting crisis while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen, so the unbelieving, weak, undecided, and faint-hearted would leave beforehand and their apostasy then would not overwhelm the twelve or carry the rest away.

The priests and rulers present kept abiding hatred with hands not cleansed from the blood shed in crucifying the world's Redeemer. Yet those same people who took active part in His death later heard the disciples proclaim by the Holy Spirit that the humiliated, spit-upon, thorn-crowned, crucified Man is the Prince of Life at the right hand of God, and trembled with conviction and anguish.

Choice Confronting Today

The judgment-hall scene to which this verse belongs stands as a symbol of the closing scenes of earth's history, when every person will choose between Christ the Truth and Satan and his falsehoods. That final choice includes accepting or rejecting the message of mercy concerning God's commandments and the faith of Jesus, and it will repeat the ancient choice when people deceived by Satan again reject Christ and cry for His crucifixion. To reject the light of heaven in that history of Christ's rejection is to reject Christ Himself, the only provision for cleansing from sin. Those who reject Him turn from the Son of God and join those disloyal to Him, and they will answer for casting Him out.

In the trial Christ was placed side by side with Barabbas, a thief and robber, so that two parties stood distinctly outlined as Pilate asked whom to release. Though Pilate declared he found no fault in Him and asked if he should crucify their king, the mob inspired by the priests and rulers cried for Barabbas and answered what should be done with Jesus called Christ with crucify Him, while the priests and rulers answered they had no king but Caesar. Barabbas represents Satan personified, so the roaring demand to release Barabbas was choosing Satan before Christ the Son of God and gave exaltation to Satan. That same division confronts people today and forces the question whose side each is on, whether the side of the rabble or of those gathered for the sacred ordinance of baptism, whether the side of Christ or the side of the apostate.

The cry is still in effect in the world today for Barabbas to be released and for Christ to be crucified, and every person individually demonstrates by his own choice whom he is choosing. The choice made in that scene is shown by a person's course of action, for choosing Christ means living according to Him. This brings responsibility to give account to God if by example transgression is encouraged, with the call to employ time and talents not to uplift self but to advance His cause and promote His glory. What happened there shows what is the spirit of man and what humanity will do when not under the control of the Spirit of God but standing under the black banner of the powers of darkness, with men inspired of Satan crying crucify Him. It reveals what such ones will do in the great crisis before us, which will require greater faith to stand the test and trial to come.