At Free Radical, neither did I say your explanation was not good to some extent. First, why did they go to Pilate, why did they not kill Him themselves? It was due to the time they were able to catch Jesus without causing unnecessary commotion. Had they caught Jesus a week before there would not have been need to consult with Pilate. The time they caught Jesus was HOLY to the Jews but not to Pilate and his people. The Romans had trampled on so many Laws that held the Jewish nation. That is, their hands (Jews) would still be clean after killing a person on the holy week because it was not the Jews that killed Him but the unclean, uncircumcised Romans. But He had to die at all cost for His numerous 'blasphemies.'
The scriptures had to be fulfilled. Going off topic, why was it on the Feast of Passover, what happened on the original day of Passover at Egypt? The introduction of salvation on a global scale. So it was not because they were trying to see if He was going to come down from the cross, for they had seen enough from His last hours to see that He would not do so. God's plan and the timing of His plan...

whatofyou: The Jews of that time did with Jesus what they did to God's former prophets of old. If the message was good, we would listen; but if the message was to make us feel guilty, we ... Jesus came to give a law that was kind of different from what they had been taught: the mosaic law. For example, when Jesus healed a leper in a synagogue on a sabbath day majority of the worshippers wanted to push him down the cliff! To make matters worst, He said: "Before Abraham I was." The climax was when He said He was God's son, or was it when He said He would be seated at the right hand side of God? These were all 'blasphemies', punishable by death.
Times without number some of the Jews asked Him if he was the Messiah. Even the great John the Baptist had a time he lost it on Jesus' Lordship. Sometimes most believed, sometimes they doubted, but they knew there was something, 'something' about this Man. It got to an extent that some said His source of power was from Beelzebuub.
Yes, most of the crowd he pulled did not come to listen to his teachings. They were either concerned with their belly, His numerous miracles, or to try and use His words against Him. Not that few did not believe in what He was preaching. The opportunity finally presented itself and they chose Barabass. It was a custom for a law breaker to be released, and they thought they were doing God a favor over an unrepentant blasphemer, so they wanted to free Barabass.

Jesus is not the only man to perform miracles.

Merlin is still the greatest miracle worker of all time

Jesus wasnt the messiah, miracles is not wat u do u prove ur messiahship, the jews have their criterias and jesus failed woefully

Why Did the People Choose Barabbas over Jesus?
Because because everything what Barabbas did was work of the flesh
and everything what Jesus did was work of the spirit. That`s why people choose even today Barabbas( work of our flesh )