1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.
2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”
3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.
4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!”
5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.
Also found in Matthew 27:1-2; 11-14, Luke 22:66-77; 23:1-5 and John 18:28-38.
in the morning (v.1) — perhaps they regathered to make the trial legal.
The delivering of Jesus to Pilate initiated the civil trial. Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea under the legatus of Syria from AD 26 to 36. Normally he resided in Caesarea but came to Jerusalem for the Passover season to ensure order at a time when national feeling ran high. He is represented in secular history as corrupt and cruel, but the Gospels seem to take a less unfavorable view of him. Mark’s account here does not hide the deplorable weakness of the man but, at the same time, seems designed to exonerate him as far as possible and to place the ultimate responsibility for the crucifixion upon the Jews. — Guthrie, page 883.
__________
Are you the king (v.2) — The crafty Sanhedrist put a political construction on the confession of Jesus. The Christ therefore is a pretender to the throne of Israel. This is the only one of the charges which the Jews brought against Jesus which Pilate notices (Luke 23:2). He is forced to deal with this one, since neglect on his part in this case would involved him in a dereliction of duty towards the throne of the Caesars, for Jesus was accused by the Jews of setting Himself up as a king in opposition to Caesar. — Wuest, page 277.
__________