Isahluko 121
Phambi KweSanhedrin, Kamuva KuPilatu
SEKUYASA. UPetru usephike uJesu okwesithathu, futhi amalungu eSanhedrin aseqedile ukuthetha kwawo icala-mbumbulu futhi asehlakazekile. Nokho, ngokushesha lapho kuba sentathakusa ngoLwesihlanu ekuseni, ayahlangana futhi, kulokhu ehholo lawo leSanhedrin. Cishe injongo yawo iwukwenza ukuba icala elithethwe ebusuku libonakale lingokomthetho. Lapho uJesu elethwa phambi kwawo, njengoba eshilo ebusuku, athi: “Uma unguKristu, sitshele.”
“Uma nginitshela, anisoze nakholwa,” kuphendula uJesu. “Noma ngibuza, anisoze naphendula.” Nokho, uJesu ukhomba ngesibindi ukuthi ungubani, ethi: “Kusukela manje iNdodana yomuntu izakuhlala ngakwesokunene samandla kaNkulunkulu.”
“Kanti uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu na?” bonke bafuna ukwazi.
“Nisho khona, ngokuba ngiyiyo,” kuphendula uJesu.
Kulamadoda azimisele ngokubulala, lempendulo yanele. Ayithatha njengokuhlambalaza. “Pho, sisaswele-bufakazi na?” ebuza. “Ngokuba sesizwile uqobo lwethu ngomlomo wakhe.” Ngakho ayambopha uJesu, ahamba naye, futhi amnikela kumbusi wamaRoma uPontiyu Pilatu.
UJuda, umkhapheli kaJesu, ubekubhekile obekwenzeka. Lapho ebona ukuthi uJesu ulahliwe, uyazisola. Ngakho uya kubapristi abakhulu nakumalunga ukuze abuyisele izinhlamvu ezingu-30 zesiliva, echaza: “Ngonile ukuba ngikhaphele igazi elingenacala.”
“Kuyini lokho kithi na? Zibonele wena,” bephendula ngokhahlo. Ngakho uJuda uphonsa izinhlamvu zesiliva ethe- mpelini futhi ahambe ayozama ukuziphanyeka. Nokho, igatsha uJuda abophela kulo intambo ngokusobala liyaphuka, futhi umzimba wakhe uwela emadwaleni phansi, lapho uphahlazeka khona.
Abapristi abakhulu abaqiniseki ukuthi benzeni ngalezinhlamvu zesiliva. “Akuvunyelwe ukuzifaka emnikelweni,” bephetha, “ngokuba kuyimali yegazi.” Ngakho, ngemva kokubonisana, bathenga ngayo insimu yombumbi ukuze kungcwatshwe khona abafokazi. Ngaleyondlela insimu ibizwa ngokuthi “iNsimu Yegazi.”
Kusesekuseni ngesikhathi uJesu eyiswa esigodlweni sombusi. Kodwa amaJuda abehamba naye ayenqaba ukungena ngoba akholelwa ukuthi ukusondelana okunjalo nabeZizwe kuzowangcolisa. Ngakho ukuze awasize, uPilatu uyaphuma. “Nimthwesa-cala lini lomuntu na?” ebuza.
“Uma lona ebengesiye owenza okubi, nga singamlethanga kuwe,” ephendula.
Efuna ukugwema ukuzihilela, uPilatu uyaphendula: “Mthatheni nina, nimahlulele ngomthetho wakini.”
Embula inhloso yawo yokubulala, amaJuda athi: “Asivunyelwe ukubulala umuntu.” Ngempela, uma ebulala uJesu phakathi noMkhosi wePhasika, cishe kungabangela isiphithiphithi emphakathini, njengoba abaningi bemazisa uJesu. Kodwa uma bengenza ukuba amaRoma ambulale ngecala elingokombangazwe, lokhu kuyosimze kuwakhulule ecaleni phambi kwabantu.
Ngakho abaholi benkolo, bengasayiphathi eyokuqula kwabo icala ngaphambidlana abalahle kukho uJesu ngokuhlambalaza, manje baqamba amacala ahlukile. Bambeka icala elikathathu: “Simfumene lo [1] edukisa isizwe sakithi, [2] enqaba ukuba kuthelwe imali kuKesari, [3] ethi nguye onguKristu inkosi.”
Icala lokuthi uJesu uthi uyinkosi elikhathaza uPilatu. Ngakho-ke, ungena esigodlweni futhi, ubiza uJesu, bese ebuza, “Wena uyinkosi yabaJuda na?” Ngamanye amazwi, ingabe uphule umthetho ngokuthi uyinkosi emelene noKesari?
UJesu ufuna ukwazi ukuthi kungakanani uPilatu asekuzwile kakade ngaye, ngakho uyabuza: “Uzisholo lokhu wena, noma kusho abanye kuwe ngami na?”
UPilatu uzenza ongazi lutho ngaye nofuna ukuthola amaqiniso. “Kanti ngingumJuda yini mina na?” ephendula. “Isizwe sakini nabapristi abakhulu bakunikezele kimi; wenzeni na?”
UJesu akazami nganoma iyiphi indlela ukuyibalekela lendaba, okungeyobukhosi. Impendulo uJesu ayinikezayo manje ngokungangabazeki iyammangalisa uPilatu. Luka 22:66–23:3; Mathewu 27:1-11; Marku 15:1; Johane 18:28-35; IzEnzo 1:16-20.
▪ ISanhedrin ihlanganela yiphi injongo futhi ekuseni?
▪ UJuda ufa kanjani, futhi kwenziwani ngezinhlamvu ezingu-30 zesiliva?
▪ Kunokuba ambulale wona ngokwawo, kungani amaJuda efuna amaRoma abulale uJesu?
▪ AmaJuda ammangalela ngani uJesu?