re he that delivered Me unto thee hath greater sin.
Upon this Pilate sought to release Him: but the Jews cried out,
saying, If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend: every
one that maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate
therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on
the judgment-seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew,
Gabbatha. Now it was the preparation of the Passover: it was about
the sixth hour. And he saith unto the Jews, Behold, your King! They
therefore cried out, Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him.
Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests
answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then therefore he delivered Him
unto them to be crucified."--JOHN xviii. 28-xix. 16.

John tells us very little of the examination of Jesus by Annas and
Caiaphas, but he dwells at considerable length on His trial by Pilate.
The reason of this different treatment is probably to be found in the
fact that the trial before the Sanhedrim was ineffective until the
decision had been ratified by Pilate, as well as in the circumstance
noted by John that the decision of Caiaphas was a foregone conclusion.
Caiaphas was an unscrupulous politician who allowed nothing to stand
between him and his objects. To the weak councillors who had expressed a
fear that it might be difficult to convict a person so innocent as Jesus
he said with supreme contempt: "Ye know nothing at all. Do you not see
the opportunity we have of showing our zeal for the Roman Government by
sacrificing this man who claims to be King of the Jews? Innocent of
course He is, and all the better so, for the Romans cannot think He dies
for robbery or wrong-doing. He is a Galilean of no consequence,
connected with no good family who might revenge His death." This was the
scheme of Caiaphas. He saw that the Romans were within a very little of
terminating the incessant troubles of this Judaean province by enslaving
the whole population and devastating the land; this catastrophe might
be staved off a few years by such an exhibition of zeal for Rome as
could be made in the public execution of Jesus.

So far as Caiaphas and his party were concerned, then, Jesus was
prejudged. His trial was not an examination to discover whether He was
guilty or innocent, but a cross-questioning which aimed at betraying Him
into some acknowledgment which might give colou