What does John 18:29-30 mean?

29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? 30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. (John 18:29-30 KJV)

William Burkitt’s Commentary

Observe here, 1. How Pilate humours these Jews in their superstition.

They scruple to go into the judgment-hall to him; he therefore goes out to them,and demands what accusation they had against Christ.

They charge him here only for being a malefactor, or an evil-doer in the general; but elsewhere ( Luke 23:1) they particularly accuse him,

1. “For perverting the nation.”

2. “For forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar.”

3. “For saying that he himself was Christ a king.”

All which was filthy calumny, yet Christ underwent the reproach of it without opening his mouth; teaching us, when we lie under calumny, and unjust imputation, to imitate him who opened not his mouth, but committed his cause to him that judgeth uprightly.