EMVA kweminyaka emithathu enesiqingatha eshumayela yaye efundisa, uYesu wayesazi ukuba sele eza kufa. Iinkokeli zonqulo zamaYuda zazisenza iyelenqe lokumbulala, kodwa zazisoyika abantu ababekholelwa ukuba ungumprofeti. Ngelo xesha, uSathana waphembelela omnye kubapostile bakaYesu abali-12—uYudas Skariyoti—ukuba amngcatshe. Iinkokeli zonqulo zanika uYudas iingqekembe zesilivere ezingama-30.

Kubusuku bakhe bokugqibela, uYesu wahlanganisa abapostile bakhe ukuze bakhumbule iPasika. Emva kokuba egxothe uYudas, wasungula isikhumbuzo esitsha, iSidlo SeNkosi Sangokuhlwa. Wathabatha isonka, wathandaza, waza wanika abapostile bakhe abali-11. Wathi: “Oku kuthetha umzimba wam oza kunikelwa ngenxa yenu. Hlalani nisenza oku nindikhumbula.” Wenza okufanayo nangendebe yewayini, waza wathi: “Le ndebe ithetha umnqophiso omtsha ongegazi lam.”—Luka 22:19,20.

UYesu wabaxelela izinto ezininzi abapostile bakhe ngobo busuku. Wabanika umyalelo omtsha wokuba bathandane. Wathi: “Ngako oko bonke baya kwazi ukuba ningabafundi bam, ukuba ninothando phakathi kwenu.” (Yohane 13:34, 35) Wababongoza ukuba iintliziyo zabo zingakhathazeki ziziganeko ezibuhlungu ezaziza kwenzeka. UYesu wabathandazela. Ngobo busuku bavuma iingoma baza baya kumyezo waseGetsemane.

Kuloo myezo uYesu waguqa waza wathandaza ngokusuk’ entliziyweni. Kungekudala kwafika ihlokondiba elixhobileyo lamajoni, ababingeleli, kunye nabanye abantu beze kumbamba. UYudas wababonisa uYesu ngokumanga. Njengoko amajoni ayebamba uYesu, abapostile babaleka.

Xa wayemi phambi kwenkundla yamatyala yamaYuda, uYesu wazichaza ngokuthi unguNyana kaThixo. Le nkundla yambek’ ityala lokunyelisa yaza yathi ufanelwe kukufa. Emva koko uYesu wasiwa kwiRhuluneli yamaRoma, uPontiyo Pilato. Nangona uPilato wamfumanisa engenatyala, wamnikela kwelo hlokondiba lalililisela ngelithi makabulawe.

Amajoni aseRoma amsa eGolgotha, apho afika ambethelela kwisibonda. Kwasuka kwaba mnyama emini. Ngaloo mvakwemini uYesu wafa, kwaza kwabakho inyikima enkulu. Wangcwatyelwa emqolombeni. Ngosuku olulandelayo ababingeleli balitywina elo ngcwaba baza babeka umlindi esangweni. Ngaba uYesu wayeza kuhlala ekwelo ngcwaba? Akunjalo. Kwakuseza kwenzeka owona mmangaliso mkhulu.

—Oku kusekelwe kuMateyu isahluko 26 nesama-27; kuMarko isahluko 14 nese-15; kuLuka isahluko sama-22 nesama-23; kuYohane isahluko 12 ukusa kwese-19.