Matthew 26:5

26:5 But they said, “Not during the feast, so that there won’t be a riot among the people.” ¹ 

Matthew 27:15

27:15 During the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, ²  whomever they wanted.

[26:5]  ¹ sn The suggestion here is that Jesus was too popular to openly arrest him.

[27:15]  ² sn The custom of Pilate to release one prisoner is unknown outside the gospels in Jewish writings, but it was a Roman custom at the time and thus probably used in Palestine as well (cf. Matt 27:15; John 18:39).