Pirato adauza wanthu omwe akhafuna kuti Jezu aphedwe kuti: ‘Inepano . . . ndiribe kugumana kwa iye mulandu na ubodziyo, ndipo Herode alibe kumugumanambo na mulandu.’ (Luka 23:14, 15) Pakuti Pirato akhafuna kumutsudzula, iye adaphatisira basa njira inango. Iye adauza wanthuwo kuti: ‘Imwepo muna cizolowezi cakuti ndimbakutsudzulireni munthu m’bodzi, pa Paskwa. Mun’funa kuti ndikutsudzulireni Mambo wa Ajudayu?’—Juwau 18:39.

Pirato akhadziwa kuti m’kawoko mukhana munthu munango omwe adamangidwa thangwe ra kuba, kuphindukira boma na kupha wanthu. Tenepo adabvunza wanthuwo kuti: ‘Kodi mbani omwe mun’funa kuti ndikutsudzulireni, Baraba ayai Jezu, omwe ambacemeredwambo kuti Kristu?’ Wanthuwo adakumbira kuti awatsudzulire Baraba. Iwo adalewa tenepo thangwe adacita kuuzidwa na akulu-akulu wa ansembe. Ndipo Pirato adawabvunza pomwe kuti: ‘Pa awiriwa, mbani omwe mun’funa kuti ndikutsudzulireni?’ Wanthuwo adatawira kuti: ‘Baraba’!—Mateu 27:17, 21.

Pirato adasunama na mtawiro wa wanthuwo, tenepo adawabvunza kuti: ‘Ndicite naye ciyani Jezu, omwe ambacemeredwambo kuti Kristu?’ Wanthuwo adatawira kuti: ‘M’khomereni pa Muti!’ (Mateu 27:22) Mpsakubvesa nsisi kuti wanthu akhafuna kuti munthu wakusaya kuphonya aphedwe. Tenepo Pirato adabvunza pomwe kuti: ‘Thangwe ranyi? Kodi umweyu aphonya ciyani? Inepano ndinkuwona lini cinthu na cibodzico cakumuphera; tenepo ndinim’pfumbula, ndicimutsudzula.’—Luka 23:22.

Pirato adayezera kutsudzula Jezu, koma wanthuwo adakalipa aciti: ‘M’khomereni pa muti!’ (Mateu 27:23) Wanthuwo akhacita kuuzidwa na atsogoleri wa cipembedzo kuti Jezu aphedwe, napo kuti akhali munthu wakusaya mulandu. Kumbukirani kuti nsiku zixanu m’mbuyomo, akhali Jezu m’bodzi-bodziyo omwe adapita mu Jeruzalemu ninga Mambo ndipo wanthuwo adamutambira na manja mawiri. Penu anyakupfunza wa Jezu akhalipombo pa nthaweyi, mwakusaya kupenukira alibe kutawira ciri-cense, ndipo akhafuna lini kuti adziwike.

Pirato adazindikira kuti angadakwanisa lini kutsudzula Jezu, ndipo wanthuwo adayamba kucita phiringu. Tsono Pirato adatenga madzi acisamba manja mwace wanthuwo akuwona, ndipo adawauza kuti: ‘Inepano ndiribe mulandu pa infa ya munthu wakulungamayu. Bzimwebzi mpsanu mwekha.’ Tsono wanthuwo alibe kucinja cakusankhula cawoco, ndipo adalewa kuti: ‘Mulopa wace ukhale pa ifepano, na pa wana wathu.’—Mateu 27:24, 25.

Pakufuna kukondwesa wanthuwo, Pirato adacita bzinthu bzomwe akhadziwa kuti bzikhali bzakuphonyeka. Iye adatsudzula Baraba mwakubverana na mkumbiro wa wanthuwo, ndipo adakhundula Jezu bzakubvala, aciyamba kumupfumbula.

Pomwe acikunda adamaliza kupfumbula Jezuyo, iwo adapita naye m’nyumba mwa Pirato. Gulu la acikunda lidakonkhana ndipo lidapitiriza kumuboneresa. Acikundawo adakonza nsinga-msolo ya minga, aciibvazika mu msolo wa Jezu. Adamuphatisa mtete ku boko lace ladidi ndipo adamubvazika cinguwo cifuira comwe kawiri-kawiri cikhabvalidwa na wanthu wakulemekezeka. Patsogolo pace adayamba kumbamulewa mafala yakumunyoza, acimbati: ‘Mtendere ukhale namwe, imwe Mambo wa Ajuda!’ (Mateu 27:28, 29) Acikundawo akhamupsipira mata ku nkhope, acimbamukwansa. Adamutengera mtete ule acimumenya naye mu msolo. Bzimwebzi bzidacitisa kuti minga ya ‘nsinga-msolo’ ire ipite kwene-kwene mu msolo mwace.

Pirato adadabwa na kuderekha pabodzi na kukhwimika kwa Jezu pa nthawe yense yomwe wanthu akhamuboneresa. Tenepo Pirato adayezera pomwe kutsudzula Jezu. Iye adati: ‘Onani, ndinkubula naye panja pano kuna imwepo, kuti mudziwe kuti ndinkuwona lini mulandu wa munthuyu.’ Pomwe Pirato adacoka na Jezuyo, pinango iye akhakumbuka kuti wanthuwo angadacinja cakusankhula cawoco, pakuwona bzironda pabodzi na mulopa omwe Jezu akhacoka. Jezu adaima patsogolo pa wanthu wakukakala mitimawo, ndipo Pirato adalewa kuti: ‘Onani! Mwamuna ule uyu!’—Juwau 19:4, 5.

Napo kuti Jezu akhadamenyedwa na kupwetekedwa, iye adapitiriza kukhala wakuderekha. Pirato adawona bzimwebzo, tenepo adalewalewa naye mwaulemu ndipo adamubvera nsisi.