UYesu akazami ukuyifihla kuPilato into yokuba ungukumkani. Kodwa ke, uBukumkani bakhe abunanto ibudibanisa nobamaRoma. Uthi: “UBukumkani bam ayibubo obeli hlabathi. Ukuba uBukumkani bam bebubobeli hlabathi, abalandeli bam bebeza kundilwela ukuze ndinganikelwa kumaYuda. Kodwa ke uBukumkani bam abusuki kweli hlabathi.” (Yohane 18:36) UYesu unabo uBukumkani kodwa ayibubo obeli hlabathi.

UPilato usafuna ukwazi, ngoko uyambuza athi: “Khawutsho ke, unguye na ukumkani?” UYesu uchazela uPilato ukuba unyanisile, uthi: “Nawe utsho ukuba ndingukumkani. Ndazalelwa loo nto, ibe ndize ehlabathini ukuze ndinikele ubungqina ngenyaniso. Wonke umntu ongakwicala lenyaniso uyazimamela izinto endizithethayo.”​—Yohane 18:37.

Ngaphambilana ebethe kuTomas: “Ndim indlela nenyaniso nobomi.” Ngoku noPilato uyeva ukuba eyona nto ayizeleyo apha emhlabeni kukungqinela ‘inyaniso’ ngoBukumkani bakhe. UYesu uzimisele ukuyimela le nyaniso, noba loo nto ithetha ukuba uza kubulawa. UPilato uyabuza athi: “Yintoni inyaniso?” Kodwa akayilindi nokuyilinda impendulo yombuzo wakhe. Ucinga ukuba izinto azivileyo zanele ibe ngoku uza kukwazi ukwenza isigqibo.​—Yohane 14:6; 18:38.

Ubuyela kubantu abalinde ngaphandle. UYesu usecaleni kwakhe xa exelela ababingeleli abaziintloko nabanye abantu athi: “Akanatyala lo mntu.” Iyabacaphukisa le nto abantu baze bathi: “Uqhwaya udushe ngezinto azifundisa abantu kulo lonke ilizwe lakwaYuda, ukususela eGalili ukuza kutsho apha.”​—Luka 23:4, 5.

Inoba iyamothusa uPilato indlela amaYuda azimisele ngayo ukumela isizathu sawo esingavakaliyo. Njengoko ababingeleli abaziintloko namadoda amakhulu beqhubeka bekhwaza, uPilato uyambuza uYesu athi: “Awuziva na ezi zinto zininzi kangaka bakumangalela ngazo?” (Mateyu 27:13) UYesu akazami nozama ukumphendula. Indlela azole ngayo kodwa uyatyholwa iyamothusa uPilato.

AmaYuda asandokuthi uYesu ‘usuka eGalili.’ Esebenzisa loo nto uPilato ufumanisa ukuba nyhani ngowaseGalili. Le nto imnceda afumane indlela yokuzikhulula ekumgwebeni. UHerode Antipas (unyana kaHerode Omkhulu) ngumlawuli waseGalili, ibe ngoku useYerusalem kuba sele lisondele ixesha lePasika. Ngenxa yaloo nto uPilato uthumela uYesu kuHerode. NguHerode Antipas owathi uYohane umBhaptizi makanqunyulwe intloko. Emva koko wathi akuva ukuba uYesu wenza imimangaliso wanexhala lokuba mhlawumbi unguYohane ovusiweyo.​—Luka 9:7-9.

Ngoku uHerode uyavuya kuba eza kude ambone uYesu. Akavuyiswa kuba efuna ukunceda uYesu okanye ukubona ukuba unetyala na. Unomdla nje wokumbona ibe ‘ufuna ukumbona esenza ummangaliso.’ (Luka 23:8) Kodwa uYesu akayenzi yonke loo nto. Xa uHerode embuza imibuzo, akakhuphi nelimdaka. Ngenxa yokuba bephoxekile uHerode namajoni akhe ‘bayamgezela.’ (Luka 23:11) Bamnxibisa isambatho esinombala ogqamileyo baze bahlekise ngaye. Emva koko uHerode uphinda amthumele kuPilato. UHerode noPilato bebeziintshaba kodwa ngoku baba ngabahlobo.

Xa uYesu ebuya, uPilato ubiza ababingeleli abaziintloko, abalawuli abangamaYuda, nabanye abantu aze athi: “Ndiye ndambuza imibuzo phambi kwenu, kodwa andimboni enetyala. NoHerode akafumananga tyala kuye, kuba naku embuyisele kuthi; niyabona nani, akenzanga nto ifunisa ukuba abulawe. Ngoko ke ndiza kumohlwaya, ndimkhulule.”​—Luka 23:14-16.

 UPilato ufuna ukumkhulula uYesu kuba uyabona ukuba ababingeleli bamzise apha kuba benomona. Kukho enye into eyenzekayo eyenza uPilato afune nyhani ukumkhulula. Uthi ehleli kwisitulo sakhe sokugweba umfazi wakhe amthumelele umyalezo othi: “Sukuba nanto yakwenza nalo mntu ulilungisa, kuba namhlanje ndiphuphe [mhlawumbi iphupha elivela kuThixo] kakubi gqitha ngenxa yakhe.”​—Mateyu 27:19.

Uza kuqala ngaphi uPilato ukuyikhulula le ndoda ingenatyala njengokuba emele enze njalo?