4. So Pilate asked Jesus another question. He said, “You can see that these people are accusing you of many things. Why don’t you answer?”
5. But Jesus still did not answer, and this really surprised Pilate.
6. Every year at the Passover time the governor would free one prisoner—whichever one the people wanted.
7. There was a man in prison at that time named Barabbas. He and the rebels with him had been put in prison for committing murder during a riot.
8. The people came to Pilate and asked him to free a prisoner as he always did.
9. Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?”
10. Pilate knew that the leading priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous of him.
11. But the leading priests persuaded the people to ask Pilate to free Barabbas, not Jesus.