Udluliselwa KumaJuda Abeseqhutshwa Esiyabethelwa

UJesu ubehlukuluzwa kabuhlungu futhi esenziwa inhlekisa njalo uPhilathu ulokhu ezama ukumkhulula. Kodwa abakhokheli benkolo labanye abalabo kabafuni lakuzwa. Bafuna uJesu afe loba sekutheni. Balokhu bememeza besithi: “Kabethelwe esigodweni! Kabethelwe esigodweni!” UPhilathu uthi kubo: “Mthatheni lina liyembulala, mina kangiboni lutho aluphambanisileyo.”​—UJohane 19:6.

AmaJuda abefuna uJesu abulawelwe icala lokwephula umthetho wamaRoma, kodwa uPhilathu kavumelani lakho lokho. Yikho khathesi asebona kungcono ukuthi amangalele uJesu ngendaba yokuthuka uNkulunkulu ebikhulunywe ngesikhathi ethonisiswa phambi kweSanihedrini. Athi: “Thina silomthetho wethu, futhi ngokwalowomthetho kumele afe ngoba ubezenza indodana kaNkulunkulu.” (UJohane 19:7) Asebekutsho sekuyindaba entsha kuPhilathu.

Uyabuyela esigodlweni sakhe azame ukudinga elinye iqhinga lokukhulula indoda le umkakhe aphuphe ngayo futhi ebiqinisela kangaka ihlukuluzwa kabuhlungu. (UMathewu 27:19) Khathesi engabe esecabanga ngalokho amaJuda asemangalela ngakho uJesu esithi ‘uyindodana kaNkulunkulu.’ UPhilathu uyakwazi ukuthi uJesu uvela eGalile. (ULukha 23:5-7) Kodwa ubuza uJesu athi: “Ungowangaphi wena?” (UJohane 19:9) Mhlawumbe uyazibuza ukuthi uJesu wake waphila ezulwini yini lokuthi wake waba ngunkulunkulu.

UPhilathu uzizwele ngezakhe uJesu emtshela ukuthi uyinkosi lokuthi uMbuso wakhe kayisiwo womhlaba lo. UJesu kamphenduli ngoba kasiboni isizatho sokuthi akhulume okunye okunengi. Lokhu kwenza uPhilathu azibone edeleliwe abesecaphuka athi kuye: “Kanti kawufuni ukukhuluma lami? Kawukwazi yini ukuthi ngilamandla okukukhulula njalo ngilamandla okukubulala?”​—UJohane 19:10.

UJesu uthi kuye: “Wena ubungeke ube lamandla phezu kwami ngaphandle kokuthi uwaphiwe evela phezulu. Yikho umuntu ongilethe kuwe elesono esikhulu kakhulu.” (UJohane 19:11) Kungenzeka ukuthi lapha uJesu kakhulumi ngomuntu oyedwa. Engabe esitsho ukuthi uKhayifasi labanye bakhe kanye loJudasi Iskariyothi balecala elikhulu ukwedlula elikaPhilathu.

UPhilathu uyazama futhi ukukhulula uJesu ngoba umangaliswa ngamazwi akhe lokumbona elokhu ezinzile njalo wesaba ukuthi uJesu engabe evela ezulwini. Kodwa amaJuda avusa enye indaba engabe isenza uPhilathu engahlaliseki. Amethusela esithi: “Nxa ungakhulula indoda le, uyabe ungayisuye mngane kaKhesari. Wonke umuntu ozenza inkosi uphikisana loKhesari.”​—UJohane 19:12.

Usibalukhulu uPhilathu uphinda akhuphele uJesu phandle abesehlala esihlalweni sakhe sokwahlulela athi ebantwini: “Khangelani inkosi yenu!” Lanxa kunjalo, amaJuda kawabuyeli emuva. Amemeza athi: “Msuse lapha! Msuse lapha! Kabethelwe esigodweni!” UPhilathu uyawabuza athi: “Ngibulale inkosi yenu yini?” Lanxa sekulesikhathi eside amaJuda engakuthandi ukubuswa ngamaRoma, abaphristi abakhokhelayo baphendula bathi: “Kasila enye inkosi ngaphandle kukaKhesari.”​—UJohane 19:14, 15.

UPhilathu uba ligwala akhulelwe ngamaJuda, abesesithi uJesu ayebulawa. Amasotsha ahlubula uJesu isembatho esiyibubende abesemgqokisa izembatho zakhe zangaphandle. Athi esemqhuba amthwalise isigodo sakhe sokuhlutshwa.

Khathesi sekuyimini yekuseni yangoLwesihlanu ngoNisani 14. UJesu uyalwisa ukusithwala isigodo leso kodwa ucina ephela amandla. Phela ubengakabuquthi ubuthongo kusukela ngoLwesine ekuseni njalo ubelokhu ehlukuluzwa kakhulu. Ngakho enye indoda okuthiwa nguSimoni eyaseKhurene e-Africa ithi izidlulela khonapho amasotsha ayibambe ngamandla ayithwalise isigodo sokuhlutshwa. Abantu abanengi bayalandela betshaya izifuba zabo belila futhi baphakathi kosizi ngenxa yalokho okwenzakalayo.

UJesu utshela abesifazana abalilayo athi: “Madodakazi aseJerusalema, yekelani ukungikhalela. Zikhaleleni lina labantwabenu, ngoba insuku ziyeza lapho abantu abazakuthi, ‘Bayathokoza abesifazana abazinyumba lalabo abangazalanga kanye labalamabele angamunyisanga!’ Bazaqalisa lokuthi ezintabeni, ‘Welani phezu kwethu!’ baphinde bathi emaqaqeni, ‘Simbokotheni!’ Nxa besenza izinto lezi isihlahla siluhlaza, pho kuzakwenzakalani nxa sesiswabile?”​—ULukha 23:28-31.

UJesu ukhuluma ngesizwe samaJuda. Sinjengesihlahla esesizakoma kodwa esisaseluhlaza ngenxa yokuthi uJesu usesekhona njalo lamaJuda amanengi akholwa kuye asesekhona. Nxa uJesu esefile njalo abafundi bakhe sebelutshiyile ukholo lwesiJuda, isizwe lesi sizakuba njengesihlahla esomileyo. Kuzakuba lokulila okukhulu nxa amabutho eRoma esevunyelwe nguNkulunkulu ukuthi atshabalalise isizwe leso.