The journey from the Mount of Transfiguration to Mount Calvary now goes to Pilate, the governor. For the Sanhedrin to have its sentence carried out, the journey had to go there. They could only carry out the death sentence in the case of a foreigner who invaded the sacred places of the temple. Pilate would have to carry out the sentence on behalf of the Roman government.
Positions of leadership call for integrity, doing the right thing without prejudice, doing the right thing even in the face of public opinion, and doing the right thing even though it is not politically expedient. Positions of leadership require great courage and moral fortitude.
Pilate tried. He asked Jesus good questions and listened to His accusers. He provided an option in the person of Barabbas. He even received the message from his wife urging him not to get involved, and tried to pass Jesus off to Herod.
But in the end, Pilate failed as a leader in almost every way. Failed leadership almost always means the innocent suffer. For Jesus, this failed leadership would mean the journey would be completed at Calvary.
THE PRAYER: O Jesus, bless all those charged with leadership responsibilities to "do the right thing." Amen.
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