The choice of the Prefect
“A challenge was issued to me by my wife, an accomplished artist to produce more art using the computer that was not inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien. She suggested a Biblical theme. What followed was a series I called “Word Pictures” – the Word referring to both the Bible and to Christ Jesus Himself.”
This is the 6th image in my series of images with a Biblical theme. After his betrayal by Judas Iscariot, Jesus was brought before the Roman Prefect of Jerusalem.
Pilate questioned Jesus but could find no fault with him and offered to release Jesus to the people but instead the people chose to release the prisoner Barabbas. While her husband was sitting on the judgment seat before Jesus, trying to decide which prisoner to release back to the Jews, Pontius’ wife tells him in Matthew 27:19: to “have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him”.
Pilate is faced with a choice, but chooses not to listen to his wife and instead tells the Jews that he washes his hands of the matter, and allows them to condemn and crucify Jesus Christ.
This is the moment I want to capture. Again a woman is featured in the image, but she is on the opposite side to Pilate, from the shadow cast by the condemned Jesus on the curtain behind them. Here is Pontius Pilate and the choice he is faced with.
The framing was important in this image. I suppose it symbolizes a lot of the choices we are faced with in our lives. We often have to choose between that which is right and that which seems right but that we only learn later is wrong, after it is too late