John 18:35

‘Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the Chief Priests delivered you to me. What have you done?” '

‘Am I a Jew?' Pilate's reply indicated his real disinterest. This was an internal matter in which he was not really interested. Why then should he have made such a suggestion? It was the prisoner's own nation, and his own leaders, who had made the claim.

Jesus' reply had awakened Pilate to the fact that his informers must have an ulterior motive in what they had done, and Pilate did not like it. He was puzzled. Jesus had been handed over by the leaders of the Jews, and it appeared that the Chief Priests had been prominent in this. Yet this man was making no ranting claims. Pilate has been used to fanatics shouting at him in defiance while he judged them. He had been used to surly hatred. But this man revealed neither. So he made another attempt. “What have you done?” Perhaps this could be established.