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 the trial before Pilate. The following exchange between Jesus and Pilate is a rare item found in all four Gospels. With variations it is also at , , and -. This second interrogation closely parallels that of the first trial before the Sanhedrin in Matthew 26. The text implies that the Jewish leaders have briefed Pilate on the accusations they have against Jesus, and here he test them himself. This is the second time in Matthew a Gentile has referred to Jesus as "King of the Jews." The previous time was the Magi from the East doing so at .