Pilate the governor questioned Jesus.

John 18:28-40

28 Then the Jewish leaders [SYN] led Jesus from the home of Caiaphas to the headquarters of Pilate, the Roman governor. It was before dawn. Pilate was a non-Jew, and they thought that if they entered his headquarters, they would become unacceptable to God {God would reject them}, and as a result they would not be able to eat the food during the Passover celebration. Because of that, they did not want to enter Pilate’s headquarters. 29 So Pilate came out to talk to them. He said, “What law do you say that this man has disobeyed?” 30 They knew that Jesus had not disobeyed any Roman law, so they did not want to answer him. Instead, they said, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have brought him to you!” 31 Then Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your own laws!” Then the Jewish leaders [SYN] said, “No! We want him executed, but we want you Romans to execute him, because we Jews have no right to execute anyone!” 32 The Romans executed people by nailing them to a cross. So, as a result of what the Jewish leaders said, it was fulfilled {the Romans would fulfill} what Jesus had said previously about the way he was going to die.

33 Pilate then went back inside his headquarters. He summoned Jesus. Because the Jewish leaders had said that Jesus claimed to be a king, Pilate said to Jesus scornfully, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Jesus replied, “Are you asking that because you yourself want to know if I claim to be a king, or because ◄someone else/Caiaphas► said that I claim to be their king?” 35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, so ◄I cannot understand these matters!/how can I understand these matters?► [RHQ] It was your fellow Jews and your chief priests who brought you to me! What have you done to make them want to execute you?” 36 Jesus replied, “It is not people in [MTY] this world who are making me king. If it was people in this world who were making me a king, my disciples would have fought in order that the Jewish leaders [SYN] would be prevented {to prevent the Jewish leaders [SYN]} from seizing me. But it is not someone here in this world who is making me a king.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So are you saying that you are a king?” Jesus replied, “Yes, what you have said about my being a king is correct. I was born to become a king, and I came into this world to tell people the truth about God. Everyone who believes the truth pays attention to what I say.” 38 Pilate said to him, “How can anyone know what the truth is?”

After he said that, he went outside and talked to the Jewish leaders [SYN] again. He said to them, “I do not find that he has done anything at all for which I should punish him. 39 But you Jews customarily, every year during the Passover celebration, ask me to release for you someone who is in prison. So would you like for me to release for you the man who you Jews say is your king?” 40 They shouted again, “No, do not release this man! Instead, release Barrabas!” But Barrabas was in prison because he was a revolutionist!