ISAHLUKO 129
UPilatu uthi: “Bhekani Le Ndoda!”
MATHEWU 27:15-17, 20-30 MARKU 15:6-19 LUKA 23:18-25 JOHANE 18:39–19:5
UPILATU UZAMA UKUKHULULA UJESU
AMAJUDA ACELA UBHARABA
KUHLEKISWA NGOJESU FUTHI UPHATHWA KABI
UPilatu utshele isixuku esifuna uJesu abulawe ukuthi: “Angitholanga sisekelo samacala enimmangalela ngawo lo muntu. Eqinisweni, noHerode akasitholanga.” (Luka 23:14, 15) Manje, uPilatu uzama enye indlela yokukhulula uJesu, uthi kubantu: “Ninenqubo yokuthi nginikhululele umuntu ngePhasika. Manje niyafuna yini ukuba nginikhululele iNkosi yamaJuda?”—Johane 18:39.
UPilatu uyazi ukuthi kunesiboshwa okuthiwa uBharaba, esiwumphangi, ivukela-mbuso nombulali. Ngakho uPilatu uyabuza: “Ubani enifuna nginikhululele yena, uBharaba noma uJesu okuthiwa uKristu?” Behlohlwe abapristi abakhulu, abantu bacela kukhululwe uBharaba, hhayi uJesu. UPilatu uyabuza futhi: “Yimuphi kulaba ababili enifuna ukuba nginikhululele yena?” Isixuku siyamemeza sithi: “UBharaba”!—Mathewu 27:17, 21.
Ekhathazekile, uPilatu uyabuza: “Manje ngenzeni ngoJesu okuthiwa uKristu?” Abantu bamemeza kakhulu bathi: “Makabethelwe esigxotsheni!” (Mathewu 27:22) Banehlazo, bafuna kubulawe umuntu ongenacala! UPilatu uyancenga: “Ngasizathu sini? Yini embi lo muntu ayenzile? Angitholanga lutho kuye olumenza afanelwe ukufa; ngakho ngizomjezisa bese ngiyamkhulula.”—Luka 23:22.
Nakuba uPilatu esezame kaningi ukumkhulula, isixuku esithukuthele simemeza kanye kanye, sithi: “Makabethelwe esigxotsheni!” (Mathewu 27:23) Abaholi benkolo benze isixuku sangafuna kuzwa lutho kangangokuba sifuna igazi! Akulona nje igazi lesigebengu noma lombulali. Kodwa yigazi lendoda engenacala eyamukelwa njengeNkosi eJerusalema ezinsukwini ezinhlanu ezedlule. Uma abafundi bakaJesu bekhona lapho, abasho lutho futhi bacashile.
UPilatu uyabona ukuthi ukumncengela akusizi ngalutho. Isiphithiphithi siba namandla kakhulu, ngakho uthatha amanzi ageze izandla zakhe phambi kwesixuku. Uthi kuso: “Ngimsulwa egazini lalo muntu. Ziboneleni nina.” Ngisho nalokho akubashintshi umqondo laba bantu. Kunalokho, bathi: “Igazi lakhe malehlele phezu kwethu naphezu kwabantwana bethu.”—Mathewu 27:24, 25.
Umbusi ufisa ukwanelisa bona kunokwenza lokho aziyo ukuthi kulungile. Ngakho uPilatu ukhululela isixuku uBharaba, ngokuvumelana nezifiso zaso. Wenza ukuba uJesu akhunyulwe futhi abhaxabulwe kabuhlungu.
Ngemva kokubhaxabulwa kabuhlungu ngale ndlela, amasosha athatha uJesu amyise esigodlweni sombusi. Ibutho lamasosha liyabuthana bese limhlukumeza nakakhulu. Lakha umqhele wameva bese liwufaka ngenkani ekhanda lakhe. Amasosha aphathisa uJesu umhlanga esandleni sakhe sokudla bese emgqokisa isembatho esinjengaleso esigqokwa ebukhosini. Ayameyisa athi: “Sawubona Nkosi yamaJuda!” (Mathewu 27:28, 29) Ngaphezu kwalokho, athimisela uJesu ngamathe futhi alokhu emshaya ngezimpama. Athatha umhlanga oqinile abemnike wona, amshaye ngawo ekhanda, okwenza ukuthi ameva ‘omqhele’ wakhe ohlazisayo angene ajule.
Isizotha namandla kaJesu kuyammangaza uPilatu, futhi uyaphinda azame ukuzikhipha kuyo yonke le nto ethi: “Bhekani! Ngimkhiphela ngaphandle kini ukuze nazi ukuthi angitholi phutha kuye.” Ingabe uPilatu ucabanga ukuthi ukukhipha uJesu manje, elimele futhi opha, kungashintsha umqondo wesixuku? Njengoba uJesu emi phambi kwalesi sixuku esingenaluzwela, uPilatu uthi: “Bhekani le ndoda!”—Johane 19:4, 5.
Naphezu kokushaywa nokulinyazwa, uJesu uyaqhubeka ebonisa isizotha esikhulu nokuzola kangangokuba uPilatu uyakubona lokho ngoba amazwi akhe ezwakala enenhlonipho nozwela.