Minister Aaron Hill, in his ongoing series on the gospel of John, points out that in John 19, Pilate tries over and over to get the Jews to abandon their pursuit of Jesus' death. Pilate doesn't believe that Jesus is guilty or deserving of death, but he is more concerned about protecting himself than in seeing that justice is served.  He says he finds no guilt in Jesus. He offers the Jews a chance to back out by offering to free someone in accordance with tradition. He tells them to crucify Jesus themselves. The Jews, however, have no pity. They insist Jesus has blasphemed their Law. They say they can't put Jesus to death themselves because the Romans have taken away that right. They say that Jesus is a threat to Caesar's throne. They demand Jesus' crucifixion.

The Jews believe they have the authority to make their demand. Pilate believes that he has the authority to free or to kill Jesus. They are both wrong. Jesus is in control. He is the only one who has the authority to make that decision. "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:18). Jesus' authority came from His Father, not from man.