Mu gihe intumwa za Yesu zakoreraga umurimo muri Galilaya, uwari waramenyekanishije Yesu we ntiyari afite umudendezo. Yohana Umubatiza yari akiri mu nzu y’imbohe, akaba yari amazemo imyaka igera hafi kuri ibiri.

Yohana yari yaravuze ku mugaragaro ko Umwami Herode Antipa yari yarakoze amakosa ubwo yatwaraga Herodiya wari umugore w’umuvandimwe we Filipo. Herode yari yaratanye n’umugore we wa mbere kugira ngo ashake Herodiya. Dukurikije Amategeko ya Mose Herode yavugaga ko akurikiza, iryo shyingiranwa ntiryari ryemewe kandi ryari ubusambanyi. Herode amaze kumva ibyo Yohana yavugaga, yamushyirishije mu nzu y’imbohe wenda abisabwe na Herodiya.

Herode ntiyari azi icyo azakorera Yohana kuko abantu ‘bemeraga ko ari umuhanuzi’ (Matayo 14:5). Icyakora Herodiya we nta cyo byari bimubwiye. ‘Yarwaye Yohana inzika’ kandi yahoraga ashakisha uko yamwicisha (Mariko 6:19). Amaherezo uburyo bwarabonetse.

Mbere gato y’uko Pasika yo mu mwaka wa 32 iba, Herode yateguye umunsi mukuru wo kwibuka ivuka rye. Abatware be bakomeye bose n’abakuru b’ingabo n’ibikomerezwa byo muri Galilaya, bose baje muri ibyo birori. Mu gihe ibirori byari birimbanyije, Salome, umukobwa Herodiya yari yarabyaranye n’umugabo we wa mbere Filipo, yarasohotse arabyina maze ashimisha abashyitsi. Abagabo bari aho bari batwawe bitewe n’ukuntu yari umuhanga.

Herode yishimiye cyane uwo mukobwa maze aramubwira ati “nsaba icyo ushaka cyose ndakiguha.” Ndetse aranamurahira ati “icyo unsaba cyose ndakiguha, kabone niyo cyaba icya kabiri cy’ubwami bwanjye.” Nuko uwo mukobwa arasohoka abaza nyina ati “nsabe iki?”​—Mariko 6:22-​24.

Ubwo ni uburyo Herodiya yari amaze igihe ashakisha! Yahise amusubiza ati “igihanga cya Yohana Umubatiza.” Salome yahise asubira aho Herode ari, aramubwira ati “ndashaka ko umpa nonaha igihanga cya Yohana Umubatiza ku isahani.”​—Mariko 6:24, 25.

Ibyo byababaje Herode cyane ariko abashyitsi be bari bumvise uko yarahiye Salome. Yagize isoni zo kwivuguruza, nubwo ibyo byasabaga kwica umuntu utari uriho urubanza. Ku bw’ibyo yohereje uwamurindaga mu nzu y’imbohe nyuma yo kumuha amabwiriza ateye ubwoba. Bidatinze yagarutse afite igihanga cya Yohana ku isahani. Agiha Salome na we agishyira nyina.

Abigishwa ba Yohana babyumvise bagiye kwaka umurambo wa Yohana ngo bawuhambe. Hanyuma bajya kubibwira Yesu.

Nyuma yaho igihe Herode yumvaga ibyo Yesu akora akiza abantu kandi akirukana abadayimoni, yagize ubwoba. Yibazaga niba Yesu wakoraga ibyo bintu atari Yohana Umubatiza wari ‘wazuwe mu bapfuye’ (Luka 9:7). Ibyo byatumye Herode Antipa yifuza cyane kubona Yesu. Birumvikana ko atari ashishikajwe no kumva uko Yesu yabwirizaga. Ahubwo Herode yashakaga kubona Yesu kugira ngo amenye ko ibyari bimuhangayikishije byari bifite ishingiro cyangwa ko nta ryo.