Mark 15:18

And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

"He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

Then Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "It is as you say."

And those who passed by hurled insults at him, wagging their heads, and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,

and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself."

Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover, about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

One of the criminals who were hanged there hurled insults at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus.

The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape.