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I think that the most incredible part, and most often overlooked part of that entire story is the fact that - that very day, the Jews took to the streets, and tore their clothes, because they had lost the right to execute capital punishment.

The reason for their protest, is hidden in Genesis 49, when Jacob pronounced the blessing on his children.

When he gets to Judah, he says something quite interesting:

Genesis 49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

The Jews believed that the most basic principal of government, was the ability to execute capitol punishment. When they lost that right, the knew that the sceptre had departed, yet the Messiah had not come.

Little did they know, that the same day, Jesus was sitting in the temple, confounding the scholars.