After His trial, the Jewish leaders bring Jesus bound before Pilate, the Roman governor in Jerusalem. Rome ruled much of the world at that time and the Jewish people were subjects of Rome. The Jews were not allowed to put someone to death unless the Roman governor looked into the matter and gave His consent. So they bring Jesus before Pilate to get him to approve their plan to have Jesus executed.
While being accused by the chief priests and elders, Jesus remains silent. Pilate asks Jesus why He is silent in the face of the charges. Pilate is amazed that Jesus remains silent.
Pilate asks Jesus if He is the king of the Jews since Jesus was being charged by some of the Jews as seeking to be a king. Jesus told Pilate that yes it was just as he said. However, He tells Pilate His kingdom is not of this world otherwise His servants would fight to have Him released. Pilate then again asks Jesus if He is a king. Jesus tells Pilate that it was for that reason He was born and came into the world so that He could bear witness to the truth. He said that everyone who knew the truth would hear His message. Pilate asked Him what was truth? Pilate was not listening to Jesus because Jesus was telling him the truth. Jesus is the truth and the very essence of truth in human form was standing before Pilate and talking to him and Pilate didn’t understand the Truth.
However, Pilate did know that Jesus had done nothing deserving of death. He also knew the reason these Jews wanted Jesus dead was because of envy. Pilate tried several times to get Jesus released. He told the people he found no fault in Jesus. Pilate received a message from his wife to not have anything to do with this just man as she had suffered through the night with nightmares about the situation.
There was a custom of releasing one of those who was imprisoned. Pilate hoped the people would choose Jesus to be released. However, the Jews worked up the people to get them to cry out to have a man called Barabbas released instead of Jesus. Barabbas was a hardened criminal. Yet the people’s voice overcame those who asked for Jesus to be released, so Barabbas was given his freedom in place of Christ.
In frustration, Pilate washes his hands in front of the people and says that he was innocent of the blood of this just man. The people yelled back that His blood would be upon them and their children. Pilate had the soldiers flog Jesus and then turned Him over to the Jews to crucify Him according to the people’s desire.