Khathesi sekusemini yantambama ngoLwesihlanu kaNisani 14. ISabatha likaNisani 15 lizaqalisa ilanga lingatshona. UJesu usefile kodwa izigebenga ezimbili ezimphahlileyo zilokhu zisaphila. UMthetho uthi izidumbu akumelanga ‘zilenge esihlahleni loba esigodweni ubusuku bonke.’ Kumele ‘zingcwatshwe mhlalokho.’​—UDutheronomi 21:22, 23.

ULwesihlanu lo ubizwa ngokuthi liLanga lokuLungiselela ngoba abantu bayabe belungisa ukudla futhi beqedisa eminye imisebenzi okumele ibe isiphelile kungakabi liSabatha. Ekutshoneni kwelanga kuzaqalisa iSabatha “elikhulu.” (UJohane 19:31) Kuthiwa ‘likhulu’ ngoba kuzabe kulamaSabatha amabili ngelanga lelo. UNisani 15 uzabe engoMgqibelo, ngelanga iSabatha eligcinwa ngalo. Kanti njalo uNisani 15 lilanga lokuqala loMkhosi Wesinkwa Esingelamvubelo othatha amalanga ayisikhombisa. UNisani 15 uhlala eliSabatha kungelani lokuthi ube khona ngaliphi ilanga.​—ULevi 23:5, 6.

Yikho amaJuda efuna ukuthi uJesu lezigebenga ezimbili ezimphahlileyo bafe masinyane. Acela kuPhilathu ukuthi inyawo zabo zephulwe. Nxa sezephuliwe, bayabe bengasenelisi ukuzisebenzisa ukuthi ziphakamise imizimba yabo ukuze baphefumule. Ngakho amasotsha afika ephule inyawo zezigebenga ezimbili. Kodwa kukhanya uJesu usefile yikho kawazephuli ezakhe. Lokhu kugcwalisa amazwi akuHubo 34:20 athi:  “Uyawavikela wonke amathambo akhe, kungephuki loba lalinye.”

Elinye isotsha lifuna ukuba leqiniso lokuthi uJesu usefile, yikho limgwaza ngomkhonto emhlubulweni lapho okulenhliziyo khona. ‘Kuhle kuphume igazi kanye lamanzi.’ (UJohane 19:34) Lokhu kugcwalisa okwatshiwo ngomunye umbhalo futhi uJohane 19:37 uyakuveza lokho. Uthi: “Bazamkhangela lowo abamgwazayo.”​—UZekhariya 12:10.

Omunye okhonapho nguJosefa ovela edolobheni lase-Arimathiya. ‘Indoda le inothile’ futhi ililunga elihlonitshwayo leSanihedrini. (UMathewu 27:57) UJosefa uyindoda ‘elomusa futhi elungileyo’ njalo ‘elindele uMbuso kaNkulunkulu.’ Kazange avumelane lesigwebo umthethwandaba owasinika uJesu ngenxa yokuthi ‘ungumfundi wakhe kodwa uyakufihla lokho ngoba wesaba amaJuda.’ (ULukha 23:50; UMakho 15:43; UJohane 19:38) UJosefa uqunga isibindi acele isidumbu sikaJesu kuPhilathu. UPhilathu ubiza umkhokheli webutho ofika amtshele ukuthi uJesu usefile. Yikho uPhilathu uyamvumela uJosefa ukuthi athathe isidumbu sikaJesu.

Josefa uthenga ilineni lohlonzi elihlanzekileyo abesesethula isidumbu sikaJesu esigodweni. Usigoqela ngamalembu esilungiselela ukungcwatshwa. Uncediswa nguNikhodemu ‘owayeke walanda [uJesu] ebusuku.’ (UJohane 19:39) UNikhodemu ubuye lemure edulayo ehlanganiswe lenhlaba, elesisindo esingaba ngamakhilogiramu angu-30. Isidumbu sikaJesu siyagoqelwa ngamalembu alamakha la, kulandelwa umkhuba wamaJuda wokungcwaba.

UJosefa ulethuna eligujwe edwaleni khonapho eduze futhi kalikaze lingcwatshelwe muntu. UJesu ubekwa kulo besekugiqelwa ilitshe elikhulu phambi kwalo. Lokhu bakwenza bejahile ukuze baqede iSabatha lingakaqalisi. Kumele ukuthi uMariya Magadalena loMariya unina kaJakhobe Omncane bebencedisa ekulungiseni isidumbu sikaJesu. Khathesi sebegijimela endlini ‘besiyalungisa amakha lamafutha anukelelayo’ ukuze baqhubeke belungisa isidumbu sikaJesu ngemva kweSabatha.​—ULukha 23:56.

Kuthi sekuliSabatha ngelanga elilandelayo, abaphristi abakhokhelayo labaFarisi baye kuPhilathu bafike bathi: “Siyakhumbula ukuthi iqili leliyana lisaphila lake lathi, ‘Ngemva kwamalanga amathathu ngizavuswa.’ Ngakho-ke wothi ingcwaba lilindwe kuze kube lusuku lwesithathu ukuze abafundi bakhe bangabuyi bazomntshontsha besebesithi ebantwini, ‘Uvusiwe kwabafileyo!’ Ubuqili lobu bungaba bubi kulobakuqala.” UPhilathu uthi kubo: “Thathani abalindi liyelinda, lenze konke elikubona kufanele.”​—UMathewu 27:63-65.

UMariya Magadalena loMariya unina kaJakhobe kanye labanye abesifazana babuya lamakha ethuneni ngeSonto ekuseni kakhulu bezogcoba isidumbu sikaJesu. Babuzana bathi: “Manje ngubani ozasigiqela ilitshe alisuse entubeni yethuna?” (UMakho 16:3) Kodwa kube lokuzamazama komhlaba njalo ingilosi kaNkulunkulu isuse ilitshe ebelifakwe entubeni yethuna. Abalindi labo kabakho futhi kukhanya lasethuneni akuselalutho.