Nangona uYesu eye waphathwa kakubi waza wagezelwa, ababingeleli abaziintloko nabantu ababancedisayo ababi nosizi tu xa uPilato ezama ukumkhulula. Abafuni kwanto eza kwenza uYesu angabulawa. Bayakhwaza bathi: “Makaye esibondeni! Makaye esibondeni!” UPilato uthi: “Mthatheni, nimse ngokwenu, kuba mna andifumani tyala kuye.”​—Yohane 19:6.

AmaYuda ayabona ukuba ukutyhola uYesu ngezinto zepolitiki akusebenzi ngoko azama umtyhola ngento edibene nenkonzo. Abuyela kwisityholo ebetyholwe ngaso kwiNkundla Ephakamileyo YamaYuda sokuba udelela uThixo. Athi: “Sinomthetho, ibe ngokwaloo mthetho ufanele afe, kuba uzenze unyana kaThixo.” (Yohane 19:7) Uyaqala ukusiva esi isityholo uPilato.

Ubuyela endlini yakhe ukuze akhangele indlela aza kuyikhulula ngayo le ndoda iye yanyamezela ukuphathwa kakubi, naye waphupha ngayo umfazi wakhe. (Mateyu 27:19) Esi sityholo sitsha samaYuda sokuba eli banjwa ‘nguNyana KaThixo’ siyambhida uPilato. Uyayazi ukuba uYesu ngowaseGalili. (Luka 23:5-7) Kodwa uyambuza athi: “Uvela phi?” (Yohane 19:9) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uPilato uyazibuza ukuba uYesu wakhe waphila na ezulwini ngaphambili, mhlawumbi esisithixo.

UPilato ebeve uYesu esithi unguKumkani ibe uBukumkani bakhe ayibubo obeli hlabathi. UYesu uthi cwaka kuba into ebeyithethile ngaphambili ayifuni kucaciswa. Ukungaphenduli kwakhe kuyamcaphukisa uPilato, ibe uthi kuYesu: “Awufuni kundiphendula? Awazi na ukuba ndinegunya lokukukhulula nelokuthi mawubethelelwe?”​—Yohane 19:10.

UYesu uthi: “Awunagunya lakundenza nto ngaphandle kokuba uvunyelwe nguThixo. Yiloo nto umntu ondinikele kuwe enetyala ukogqitha wena.” (Yohane 19:11) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba xa uYesu ethetha la mazwi, akacingi nje ngomntu omnye. Kodwa uthetha ukuba uKayafa, abantu ebebemncedisa noYudas Skariyoti banetyala ngaphezu koPilato.

Amazwi kaYesu ayammangalisa uPilato kuba usacinga nokuba uYesu kusenokwenza ukuba usuka ezulwini, ngoko uPilato uphinda azame ukumkhulula. Kodwa amaYuda aphinda athethe enye into ukuze amoyikise. Athi: “Ukuba uyamkhulula lo mntu, awungomhlobo kaKesare. Nabani na ozenza ukumkani, uzenza utshaba lukaKesare.”​—Yohane 19:12.

UPilato uphinda aphume phandle noYesu, ahlale kwisitulo sakhe sokugweba aze athi ebantwini: “Jongani! Nanku ukumkani wenu!” AmaYuda awafuni nova. Athi: “Msuse! Msuse! Makaye esibondeni!” UPilato uthi: “Nifuna ndibulale ukumkani wenu?” AmaYuda kudala engakuthandi ukulawulwa ngamaRoma kodwa ababingeleli abaziintloko ngesibindi bathi: “Mnye ukumkani wethu, nguKesare.”​—Yohane 19:14, 15.

UPilato uyanikezela kule nto kudala amaYuda eyifuna, unikeza ngoYesu ukuze abulawe esibondeni. AmaYuda amkhulula isambatho sasebukhosini aze amnxibise izambatho zakhe zangaphezulu. Njengoko uYesu eyokubethelelwa, usithwele ngokwakhe isibonda sakhe sokungcungcutheka.

Ngoku sekuza kuba semva kwemini ngoLwesihlanu ngoNisan 14. Oko uYesu ehleli ukususela ngoLwesine ekuseni ibe oko engcungcuthekiswa. Usindwa sesi sibonda asithweleyo, aze aphelelwe ngamandla. Ngenxa yaloo nto amajoni anyanzela umntu ogqithayo, uSimon waseKirene eAfrika, ukuba asithwale ngokwakhe isibonda. Abantu abaninzi bayalandela abanye bazibetha esifubeni ibe basentlungwini yile nto yenzekayo.

 UYesu uthi kwaba bafazi basentlungwini: “Sanukundililela zintombi zaseYerusalem. Zilileleni nina nabantwana benu; kuba, jongani! kuza imihla ekuza kuthiwa ngayo, ‘Bonwabile abafazi abangakwazi kuba nabantwana, abafazi abangazalanga nabangazange bancancisa! Abantu baza kuthi ezintabeni, ‘Siweleni!’ bathi kwiinduli, ‘Sigqumeleleni!’ Ukuba benza ezi zinto kumthi ofumileyo, kobeka phi ke xa womile?”​—Luka 23:28-31.

Apha uYesu uthetha ngesizwe sakwaYuda. Sifana nomthi ofayo kodwa ngenxa yokuba uYesu esephakathi kwaso ibe kusekho namanye amaYuda abonisa ukholo kuYesu, lo mthi usafumile. Kodwa xa ukufuma kungasekho kwesi sizwe, lo mthi uza kufa. Loo nto ithetha ukuba isizwe sakwaYuda asizokuba nanto isidibanisa noThixo. Siza kukhala kakhulu xa uThixo esebenzisa umkhosi wamaRoma ukuba asitshabalalise!