Luke 23:14
Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
Pilate's examination of Jesus was public, conducted before His accusers, including the priests, rulers, and people. The charge laid against Him was that He was perverting the people, and the accusers failed to prove it. Upon examination touching those things whereof He was accused, Pilate found no fault in Him and declared Him innocent, declaring three times that He was without fault.
Herod concurred in the verdict of innocence, for after Jesus was brought back from Herod it was noted that Herod had found nothing in Him worthy of death. The condemnation of an innocent man pressed by the Jewish leaders came from malice and envy. Though knowing Jesus was innocent, Pilate compromised justice and exposed weakness by proposing to chastise or scourge Him and release Him, and by giving the innocent One up to be mocked and scourged.
The proceeding was a mock trial and a mockery of justice in which Pilate failed to protect an innocent prisoner. It was witnessed by the heavenly universe, God the Father, Satan and his angels. Despite his own verdict of innocence, Pilate delivered Jesus to the mob and crowd to be crucified, telling them to take Him and crucify Him while washing his hands to declare himself innocent of His blood, so Jesus was condemned and crucified as innocent and the guilt rested on those who chose Barabbas and demanded His death.
The innocent One bore the penalty in behalf of the human race and was delivered to the cruelest death that could be devised. By this the heavenly universe might see the conditions of the covenant of redemption, the throne of justice might be eternally secured, all doubts might be forever settled, and the exalted, unchangeable character of God's government and law might be made known, exalted, and honored. Jesus went to the cross because the Jewish priests and rulers forced the Roman governor to carry out their will, and His ordeal stands as an example of faith facing human power used to support evil. His betrayal and condemnation in the judgment hall, followed by humiliation and the crowd's cry to crucify Him, brought the disciples a severe trial, but He had prepared His faithful followers by letting them see earlier how quickly people who professed to follow Him could turn away, so they would not be surprised or base their faith on the crowd's changing opinions.