Pilate was placed between a rock and w hard place.
One fact, detail many are forgetting is Pilate’s wife Claudia had a dream the night before and told Pilate that this man Jesus was innocent.
I am sure that played on his mind and decision.
However Caeser punishing Pilate for not keeping order and shut down any uprising was also playing on his mind.
No doubt the High Priest stoking up the flames of rioting ( Ferguson MO comes to mind ) didn’t help much.
All in all this was God’s plan of redemption for us.
21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
John 19:
8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; 9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. 12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
I’ve wondered lately whether the tipping point for Caiaphas that sealed his determination to have Jesus executed came when Jesus invaded the Temple grounds & upset the moneychangers’ tables & drove out the livestock merchants while charging, “My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!”
Think of it, Jesus hit Caiaphas where it hurt, in the pocketbook. Those changing money & selling sacrificial animals no doubt had to to pony up some serious dough for the privilege of doing so within the Temple complex & that surely meant that Caiaphas & his cronies got their cut.
Yes, people could buy elsewhere but once inside the Temple environs they were a captive market & besides the high priests had probably forbidden foreign money transactions anywhere else.
So...even in ancient Jerusalem, just follow the money. Thoughts?