UJesu Uyanikelwa Futhi Uyobulawa

Naphezu kokuba uJesu ehlukunyezwe ngonya futhi kwahlekiswa ngaye, imizamo kaPilatu yokumkhulula ayibathinti abapristi abakhulu nalabo ababasekelayo. Abafuni lutho ezovimba ukuba uJesu abulawe. Balokhu bememeza bethi: “Mbethele esigxotsheni! Mbethele esigxotsheni!” UPilatu uyabaphendula: “Mthatheni nina nimbethele, ngoba mina angitholi phutha kuye.”—Johane 19:6.

AmaJuda awamenzi uPilatu akholelwe ukuthi uJesu ufanelwe ukufa ngenxa yecala lepolitiki, kodwa kuthiwani ngecala eliphathelene nenkolo? Aphinde asebenzise icala lokuhlambalaza, ayelisebenzise ecaleni likaJesu phambi kweSanhedrini. Athi: “Sinomthetho thina, futhi ngokwalo mthetho kufanele afe, ngoba uzenze indodana kaNkulunkulu.” (Johane 19:7) UPilatu uyaqala ukulizwa leli cala.

Ubuyela esigodlweni sakhe, azame ukuthola indlela yokukhulula le ndoda ehlukunyezwe kakhulu futhi umkakhe aphuphe ngayo. (Mathewu 27:19) Liyini leli cala elisha elibekwa ngamaJuda—lokuthi lesi siboshwa ‘siyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu’? UPilatu uyazi ukuthi uJesu ungowaseGalile. (Luka 23:5-7) Nokho ubuza uJesu: “Ungowaphi wena?” (Johane 19:9) Kungenzeka yini ukuthi uPilatu uyazibuza ukuthi uJesu wake waphila yini ngaphambili nokuthi ngomqondo othile uvela ezulwini?

UPilatu wazizwela mathupha uJesu ethi uyinkosi kodwa uMbuso wakhe awuyona ingxenye yaleli zwe. UJesu uyathula ngoba asikho isidingo sokuba achaze lokho akushilo. Ukuthula kukaJesu kuveza ukungathobeki kukaPilatu, futhi uyacasuka athi kuJesu: “Awufuni ukukhuluma nami? Awazi ukuthi nginegunya lokukukhulula futhi nginegunya lokukubethela?”—Johane 19:10.

UJesu uthi: “Ubungeke neze ube negunya phezu kwami ngaphandle kokuba ulinikezwe phezulu. Yingakho umuntu onginikele kuwe enesono esikhulu kakhulu.” (Johane 19:11) Cishe uJesu akasho umuntu oyedwa. Kunalokho, uqonde ukuthi uKayafase, abamsekelayo noJuda Iskariyothe banecala elikhulu kakhulu kunoPilatu.

Emangazwe yindlela uJesu aziphethe ngayo namazwi akhe, usaba nakakhulu ukuthi kungenzeka uJesu uvela ezulwini, ngakho uPilatu uyazama futhi ukumkhulula. Nokho, amaJuda aveza okunye okwenza uPilatu angenwe amanzi emadolweni. Ayamsabisa: “Uma umkhulula lo muntu, awuyena umngane kaKhesari. Wonke umuntu ozenza inkosi ukhuluma ngokumelene noKhesari.”—Johane 19:12.

Umbusi uphinde akhiphele uJesu ngaphandle, futhi ehleli esihlalweni sokwahlulela, uthi kubantu: “Bhekani! Inkosi yenu!” AmaJuda awavumi ukushintsha umqondo. Ayamemeza athi: “Msuse! Msuse! Mbethele esigxotsheni.” UPilatu uyawancenga: “Ngibethele inkosi yenu?” Sekuyisikhathi eside amaJuda ecindezelwe umbusi wamaRoma; noma kunjalo, abapristi abakhulu ngesibindi bathi: “Asinankosi ngaphandle kukaKhesari.”—Johane 19:14, 15.

Ngenxa yokwesaba ukuphikelela kwamaJuda, uPilatu unikela uJesu ukuba abulawe. Amasosha akhumula uJesu isembatho esibomvu, amgqokise izingubo zakhe zangaphandle. Njengoba uJesu eyobulawa, kumelwe azithwalele isigxobo sakhe sokuhlushwa.

NguLwesihlanu, nguNisani 14 futhi ilanga seliphakeme impela. UJesu akakaze alale kusukela ngoLwesine ekuseni futhi ubelokhu ebhekana nosizi ngemva kolunye. Njengoba esindwa yisigxobo, uJesu uphelelwa amandla. Ngakho amasosha aphoqa umuntu odlulayo, uSimoni waseKhurene e-Afrika, ukuba athwale isigxobo asiyise lapho ezobulalela khona uJesu. Abantu abaningi balandela ngemuva, abanye bayazishaya belusizi futhi bayalila ngenxa yalokhu okwenzekayo.

UJesu uthi kulaba besifazane abalilayo: “Madodakazi aseJerusalema, yekani ukungikhalela. Kunalokho, zikhaleleni nina nabantwana benu; ngoba bhekani! Ziyeza izinsuku abantu abayothi ngazo, ‘Bayajabula abesifazane abayizinyumba, nezibeletho ezingazalanga namabele angancelisanga!’ Bayothi ezintabeni, ‘Welani phezu kwethu!’ bathi emagqumeni, ‘Simbozeni!’ Uma benza lezi zinto lapho isihlahla sisemanzi, kuyokwenzekani lapho sesibunile?”—Luka 23:28-31.

UJesu ukhuluma ngesizwe sakwaJuda. Sinjengesihlahla esibunayo esisemanzi ngoba uJesu usekhona kanye namaJuda ambalwa, akholelwayo kuye. Lapho uJesu efa nabafundi bakhe beshiya inkolo yobuJuda, isizwe siyobuna ngokomoya njengesihlahla esibunile. Kuyoba nesililo esikhulu lapho uNkulunkulu esebenzisa ibutho lamaRoma ukuze akhiphe isigwebo sokufa ngokumelene nalesi sizwe!