Matthew 27 priests had handed Jesus over because they were jealous of his popularity, asks the crowd to choose between freeing a notorious prisoner known as Barabbas, or Jesus. The crowd, persuaded by the chief priests and elders, respond passionately, repeating "Let Him (Christ) be crucified!" Pilate, bewildered by this, asks the crowd for a reason for their choice. Instead, they continue to call ever more loudly for the crucifixion of Jesus. Pilate comes to see that he cannot reason with the crowd. His wife has had a disturbing dream and asks him to have "nothing to do with that just man".
Matthew 27:11 is ambiguous. Various later scholars have interpreted it as an agreement with Pilate, a denial of the charge, and a response that does not commit either way. While others refer to Jesus with a series of titles, nowhere in Matthew does he refer to himself as messiah or king, a direct "yes" in response the question would have been out of character. Narratively the ambiguous reply does nothing to deny Jesus' messianic nature, but also does not have him admit the charges against him are correct, and thus the unjust nature of his execution is also maintained. Matthew 27:11 Matthew