The Romans had absolute mastery over Palestine and all the Mediterranean at the time of Jesus. They obtained the right from the kings and the high council to condemn to death, lest the Jews destroy the Romans’ friends in their rulings and free the enemies of colonization. Pilate was cautious from the first moment, when the leaders of the people came to him with their complaint against Jesus, and depicted him as one disaffected to the Roman government. By this indictment they intended to destroy him, also to ingratiate themselves with Pilate. They called Jesus a rebel, corrupter, and opposer who stirred up the people not to give tribute to Caesar. This statement was a false accusation, for Jesus commanded with great prudence to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s (Luke 20:25). At last, the high council pointed up that the young man of Nazareth called himself a King coming from God to set up a worldly kingdom centered in Jerusalem.
Pilate knew that the Jews awaited eagerly a Christ. He had frequently condemned rebels claiming to be the expected Christ. The procurator becoming fed up with the Jews’ chatter turned and addressed Jesus directly. He asked him not about his Christian title, but: "Are you the King of the Jews?" And Jesus answered this brief question saying, "Yes, it is as you say." His Father had sent him to reconcile the lost nation, but it did not reconcile and remained corrupt and hardhearted that it refused its King and designed to kill him violently.
Christ wanted to set up the kingdom of love and truth without a sword, army, or tax. Then the Roman procurator thought that he quickly knew who Jesus was. He smiled to the meek King, knowing that such a King would not harm Rome, but he was not aware that after thirty years all the Roman state would submit to the King Jesus Christ and worship to him. Pilate confirmed openly at the first session that Jesus of Nazareth was innocent, for he had not disturbed the public peace through his preaching. His problem was religious, and not political.
But those who complained against him and the mobs insisted on their claim that Jesus stirred up all the people, and filled the north first and then the south with his teaching. Jesus’ adversaries proved with this complaint that Jesus was not satisfied only with the stately cities, but also went to the villages, and preached the poor in the deserts.