“Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. … Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered Him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous Man, for I have suffered much because of Him today in a dream.’”
(Matthew 27:15, 17b, 18-19 ESV)
I wonder about that dream that Pontius Pilate’s wife had about Jesus. Was it from God? Was it something she dreamed just because Jesus was in the news, and she was thinking about Him?
God certainly can use dreams if He wants to. But then, of course, we run into the problem of knowing whether the dream is truly from God or not. We know if a dream contradicts what we know about God from the Bible, you should not pay attention to it. So a dream that leads us to do something wrong is definitely not from God. If we think we might really have a message from God, the best thing we can do is pray and consult with fellow Christians—especially the wise and experienced ones.
Above all, we put our faith and hope in Jesus Christ, who lay down His life for us and He rose from the dead to make us God’s children. No dream is as important as Him. Jesus is the heart of everything for us; let’s hold on to Him, for He is certainly holding on to us.
We Pray: Lord Jesus, keep my attention fixed on You forever. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Do you find dreams and prophecies exciting or scary?
* Do they draw you closer to Jesus or further away?
* Have you ever had a dream you thought was from God?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 28, 2023
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights