John 18:21

Why askest thou me? There seems to be an appeal here to Jewish judicial law. According to the interpretation of Maimonides, a Jewish scholar of the 12th century A.D., the law did not inflict the penalty of death upon a sinner by his own confession. Some have questioned whether this principle was operative in the time of Jesus. The principle seems to be implied in the Mishnah (see, for example, Sanhedrin 6.1,2, Soncino ed. of the Talmud, pp. 275, 281, 283, 284), and there is reason to believe that it was valid earlier (see DA 715). Viewing the matter legally, we might here think of Jesus as appealing for His rights, and as asking the court to secure the proper witnesses.