In today’s reading, Matthew stands out to me. Matthew is the only one to mention Pilate’s wife. She warned Pilate to leave Jesus alone because he was innocent. She had suffered a bad dream the night before which is mentioned in Matthew’s narrative. Her name is never given in the scriptures.
After a little digging, I found that Pilate’s wife would have been the granddaughter of Emperor Augustus, making her a Roman Princess. Her name is Claudia Procula. She was believed to be a Gentile and the ONLY person that intervened for Jesus’s life.1
Today’s reading brings in new people worth mentioning, which includes Simon, from Cyrene, who was forced to carry the cross for Jesus to Golgotha (Place of Skulls).
The Roman Officer and soldiers that witnessed the events that day, were fearful and believed right then that Jesus was the Son of God.
Lastly we have Joseph, a man from Arimathea. He was a wealthy follower of Christ that asked Pilate if he could have Jesus’ body in order to bury him. He ended up burying Jesus in his own tomb.
Which narrative stood out to you today? Why?
1 Griffin, A. (2021, March 21). How Was Pontius Pilate’s Wife Connected to Christ. Christianity.com. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/how-was-pontius-pilates-wife-connected-to-christ.html
