“Nineveh repented because of the preaching of Jonah, and there is something greater than Jonah here.” (Luke 11:32)

 There was a great difference in comparing the connotation of Jesus’ preaching and Jonah’s. Jesus used a short parable of how Jonah remained inside a whale’s belly for three days and three nights to illustrate that he would resurrect at the third day after his death, “Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.” (Matthew 12:40)

Nineveh repented because of the preaching of Jonah!
  
Jesus was upset by mankind’s insensitive heart. They focused on appearance only and could not hear the calling of the Holy Spirit, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'” (Matthew 11:18-19)

After all, Jesus was unable to meet people’s expectation as an ideal Messiah at the time: one who excelled at political leadership.
However, in front of Pilate, Jesus did not abstain from identifying himself as the king, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:37)
  
It is interesting that Pilate asked Jesus out of curiosity, “What is truth?”
However Pilate seemed to be unable to conquer his own conscience and did not have the courage to listen. Therefore he left before Jesus could finish.

Indeed, if we do not live in the truth, the closest we can possibly get to Jesus is nothing more than a brief encounter! That is due to our lack of repentance.