What we have here is a failure to communicate

This Sunday's Gospel reading is from John 18:33-37 in which Jesus faces Pilate,

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’

 Jesus is speaking in a way that Pilate cannot understand. Pilate's view of the supernatural is very different from Jesus' kingdom. To Pilate, this was not a crime, and he goes on in the rest of the chapter to ask the Jews that since he, Pilate, can set someone free, who would the people want released?

The mob wanted Barabbas.

Mobs are often act wrongly.

If only mobs would listen to Jesus.

This is as true today as it was in Jesus' day.