JOHN 18:28-30 PILATE THEN WENT OUT TO THEM AND SAID, "WHAT ACCUSATION DO YOU BRING AGAINST THIS MAN?

John 18:28 ¶ Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" 30 They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."

In this section we see the Jews just assume that Pilate will kill this ”Man” Jesus that they want killed because of envy. Pilate lets them know real quick that it isn’t going to be that simple, but asks what is He accused of? They come up with this general if He weren’t an evil doer we would not have delivered Him up to you. In other words, we want Him killed, don’t worry about the charges, just kill Him. The Jews have Pilate right where they want him and they are ultimately going to force Him to kill Jesus. We will see that Pilate has messed up three times in insulting the Jews and their God by some of the things he did. This is ultimately how they force him to do their will, because if he messes up one more time it is means the loss of his political position at the least and most like it will cost him his life.