UPhetro uphike uJesu okwesithathu sekuzakuba semadabukakusa. Amalunga eSanihedrini aseqedile ukuthonisisa uJesu njalo asechithekile. Kuthi sekusemathathakusa ngoLwesihlanu, baphinde bahlangane ukuze kukhanye angani benze okusemthethweni ngesikhathi bemthonisisa ebusuku. UJesu uyalethwa phambi kwabo.

Umthethwandaba uphinda uthi kuJesu: “Nxa unguKhristu sitshele.” UJesu yena uphendula athi: “Ngingaze ngilitshele, kalisoze lakholwa loba sekutheni, futhi nxa ngingalibuza ngeke liphendule.” Lanxa kunjalo, uJesu kesabi ukubavezela ukuthi nguye okwakukhulunywa ngaye kuDanyeli 7:13. Uthi: “Kusukela khathesi iNdodana yomuntu izahlala esandleni sikaNkulunkulu sokudla esilamandla.”​—ULukha 22:67-69; UMathewu 26:63.

Baqhubeka bebuza besithi: “Manje uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu yini?” UJesu ubaphendula athi: “Lina ngokwenu lithi ngiyiyo.” Lokhu kukhanya kuyisizatho esihle sokuthi uJesu abulawelwe icala lokuthuka uNkulunkulu. Bathi: “Sisabufunelani obunye ubufakazi? (ULukha 22:70, 71; UMakho 14:64) Yikho-ke bayambopha uJesu besebemusa kuSibalukhulu waseRoma, uPhontiyu Philathu.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uJudasi Iskariyothi uyambona uJesu esehanjiswa kuPhilathu. Uthi esenanzelela ukuthi sebemahlulele uJesu, azisole futhi akhathazeke. Lanxa kunjalo, kaphenduki abuyele kuNkulunkulu. Uthatha inhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-30 azame ukuzibuyisela, athi kubaphristi abakhokhelayo: “Ngonile ngokuthengisa igazi elingelacala.” Kodwa kibo akuthi thiki, bamphendula bathi: “Kulani lathi lokho? Zibonele ukuthi uzakwenzani!”​—UMathewu 27:4.

UJudasi uphosela inhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-30 ethempelini abesesengeza izono zakhe ngokuzama ukuzibulala. Kodwa kukhanya angani esazama ukuzibophela esihlahleni, ugatsha lwaso luyaqamuka. Uyawa atshayeke ematsheni aphansi, isisu sakhe besesidubuka.​—ImiSebenzi 1:17, 18.

 UJesu uhanjiswa kuPhontiyu Philathu kulokhu kusekuseni kakhulu. Kodwa amaJuda ahamba laye kawafiki angene esigodlweni sikaPhilathu ngoba acabanga ukuthi kuzawangcolisa ukuba phakathi kwabantu beZizweni. Lokhu kuyabe kuzakwenza ukuthi engafaneli ukudla isidlo ngoNisani 15, ilanga lokuqala loMkhosi Wesinkwa Esingelamvubelo alibona njengengxenye yePhasika.

UPhilathu uyaphuma abuze amaJuda athi: “Liyimangalela ngani indoda le?” Wona amphendula athi: “Ngabe indoda le ibingayisiso sigangi, besingasoze siyilethe kuwe.” UPhilathu engabe ebona angani bafuna ukumbamba ngamandla ukuthi enze abakufunayo, yikho uthi kubo: “Mthatheni lina limahlulele ngomthetho wenu.” AmaJuda atshengisa ukuthi afuna uJesu abulawe ngokuphendula esithi: “Akukho emthethweni ukuthi sibulale umuntu.”​—UJohane 18:29-31.

Nxa amaJuda la engabulala uJesu ngesikhathi sePhasika, kuzavusa umsindo. Kodwa amaRoma wona ayavunyelwa ukubulala umuntu owephula umthetho wawo. Ngakho amaJuda afuna amaRoma abulale uJesu ngokuwenza akholwe ukuthi ulecala lokwephula umthetho wamaRoma. AmaJuda acabanga ukuthi angenza njalo azasala emsulwa phambi kwabantu.

Abakhokheli benkolo kabamtsheli uPhilathu ukuthi bebethese uJesu icala lokuthuka uNkulunkulu. Khathesi sebekhuluma amanye amanga besithi: “Sithole indoda le [1] idukisa isizwe sethu, [2] isithi abantu bangabhadali imithelo kuKhesari futhi [3] isithi yona inguKhristu inkosi.”​—ULukha 23:2.

UPhilathu uyisiphathamandla seRoma, yikho kuyamkhathaza ukuthi abantu laba bathi uJesu uzenza inkosi. Uyabuyela esigodlweni sakhe abize uJesu abesembuza athi: “UyiNkosi yamaJuda yini?” Ngamanye amazwi uthi kuJesu, ‘Wephule umthetho wombuso yini ngokuphikisana loKhesari uzithi uyinkosi?’ Mhlawumbe uJesu ufuna ukwazi ukuthi kuyini uPhilathu asekuzwile ngaye yikho embuza esithi: “Lokhu okubuzayo uzicabangele kumbe kulabanye abakutshele ngami?”​—UJohane 18:33, 34.

UPhilathu kaphiki ukuthi kakwazi lutho ngoJesu njalo utshengisa ukuthi uyafuna ukwazi, uthi: “NgingumJuda yini mina?” Uphinda athi: “Isizwe sakini labaphristi abakhokhelayo yibo abakulethe kimi. Kanti wenzeni?”​—UJohane 18:35.

UJesu kayibalekeli indaba yobukhosi amangalelwa ngayo. Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi impendulo yakhe itshiya uSibalukhulu uPhilathu ebambe owangaphansi.