UMatewu.
26.
UJesu eseqedile ukukhuluma zonke lezi izinto, wathi kubafundi bakhe, 
“Njengoba lisazi, sekusele insuku ezimbili ukuba iPhasika lifike, njalo iNdodana yoMuntu izanikelwa ukuba ibethelwe.” 
Abaphristi abakhulu labadala babantu basebeqoqana egumeni lomphristi omkhulu owayethiwa nguKhayifasi, 
baceba ukubopha uJesu ngasese bambulale. 
Bathi, “Kakungabi ngesikhathi somkhosi funa kube lesiphithiphithi ebantwini.” 
Kwathi uJesu eseBhethani endlini yendoda eyayithiwa nguSimoni owayelobulephero, 
kweza kuye owesifazane ephethe imbodlela yamakha adula kakhulu wawathela ekhanda likaJesu owayeyeme etafuleni. 
Abafundi bathi bekubona lokho bacasuka. Basebebuza bathi, “Adlaliselwani kanje na? 
Amakha la abengathengiswa ngemali ephezulu leyomali iphiwe abampofu.” 
UJesu esekunanzelele lokhu wathi kubo, “Limkhathazelani owesifazane lo na? Wenze into enhle kimi. 
Abampofu lizahlala lilabo kokuphela, kodwa kalisoze libe lami kokuphela. 
Uthe ethululela amakha la emzimbeni wami ubesenzela ukungilungiselela ukungcwatshwa. 
Ngilitshela iqiniso ukuthi langaphi lapho okuzatshunyayelwa ivangeli leli emhlabeni wonke, lokhu akwenzileyo kuzakhulunywa, kube yisikhumbuzo ngaye.” 
Kwathi omunye wabalitshumi lambili, lowo owayethiwa nguJudasi Iskariyothi, waya kubaphristi abakhulu 
wabuza wathi, “Lizangiphani nxa ngimnikela kini?” Base bembalela inhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu. 
Kusukela khonapho uJudasi wadinga ithuba lokuba amnikele. 
Ngosuku lokuqala loMkhosi weSinkwa esingelaMvubelo abafundi beza kuJesu bambuza bathi, “Ufuna senzele ngaphi amalungiselelo okuthi udle iPhasika na?” 
Waphendula wathi, “Ngenani edolobheni komunye umuntu limtshele lithi, ‘UMfundisi uthi: Isikhathi sami esimisiweyo sesiseduze. Ngizakudla iPhasika labafundi bami endlini yakho.’ ” 
Ngakho abafundi benza njengokulayelwa kwabo nguJesu balungisa iPhasika. 
Kwathi kusihlwa, uJesu wayehlezi eyeme etafuleni elabalitshumi lambili. 
Kwathi besidla wathi, “Ngilitshela iqiniso ukuthi omunye wenu uzanginikela.” 
Badana kakhulu basebesithi kuye ngamunye, “Pho kawutsho mina Nkosi?” 
UJesu waphendula wathi, “Lowo odle kanye lami emganwini uzanginikela. 
INdodana yoMuntu kwenzakala kuyo njengoba kulotshiwe ngayo. Kodwa maye kulowomuntu ozanikela iNdodana yoMuntu! Bekungaba ngcono kuye ngabe wayengazalwanga.” 
Wasesithi uJudasi, lowo owayezamnikela, “Pho kawutsho mina, Rabi?” UJesu waphendula wathi, “Yebo, nguwe okutshoyo.” 
Bathi besadla uJesu wathatha isinkwa wabonga, wasihlephula wasipha abafundi bakhe esithi, “Thathani lidle; lokhu kungumzimba wami.” 
Wasethatha inkezo, esebongile, wabanika esithi, “Nathani kuyo, lonke. 
Leli ligazi lami lesivumelwano, elichithelwe abanengi ekuthethelelweni kwezono. 
Ngiyalitshela, angisayikuphinda nginathe okwesithelo sevini, kusukela manje kuze kube yilolosuku lapho engizakunatha khona kabutsha lani embusweni kaBaba.” 
Bathi sebehlabele ihubo baphuma baya eNtabeni yama-Oliva. 
UJesu wasebatshela wathi, “Ngabona lobubusuku lizakwenyela ngami, ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: ‘Ngizatshaya umelusi izimvu zomhlambi zizahlakazeka.’ 
Kodwa ngemva kokuba sengivukile kwabafileyo, ngizalandulela ukuya eGalile.” 
UPhethro waphendula wathi, “Loba bonke bangaze benyele ngenxa yakho, mina kimi ngezake kwenzeke.” 
UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngikutshela iqiniso ukuthi ngabona lobubusuku, iqhude lingakakhali uzangiphika kathathu.” 
Kodwa uPhethro wala wagomela wathi, “Loba kungenzeka ukuba ngife lawe, ngeke lanini ngikuphike.” Abanye abafundi labo batsho njalo. 
UJesu wasehamba labafundi bakhe endaweni eyayithiwa yiGetsemane, wasesithi kubo, “Hlalani lapha, mina ngisaya laphayana ukuyakhuleka.” 
Wathatha uPhethro lamadodana kaZebhediya womabili wahamba labo, waseqala ukuhlulukelwa lokukhathazeka. 
Wasesithi kubo, “Umphefumulo wami ugajelwa lusizi kuze kuthi ngife. Hlalani lapha lilinde lami.” 
Wahamba ibanganyana, wazilahla phansi wathi mbo ngobuso wakhuleka wathi, “Baba, nxa kungenzeka, sengathi inkezo le ingasuswa kimi. Kodwa akungabi yintando yami, kodwa kube yintando yakho.” 
Wasephenduka kubafundi bakhe wabafica belele. Wabuza uPhethro wathi, “Lina madoda kambe kulehlule ukulinda kanye lami okwehola elilodwa nje? 
Lindani likhuleke ukuze lingaweli ekulingweni. Umoya uyathanda kodwa umzimba ubuthakathaka.” 
Wahamba njalo okwesibili wakhuleka wathi, “Baba wami, nxa kungenzeki ukuthi linkezo isuswe ngaphandle kokuthi ngiyinathe, intando yakho mayenziwe.” 
Wathi esebuya wabafica njalo sebelele, ngoba amehlo abo ayenzima. 
Ngakho wasebatshiya waphinda wahamba njalo wayakhuleka okwesithathu ephinda into yinye. 
Wasebuyela kubafundi wathi kubo, “Lilele, liyaphumula na? Khangelani, isikhathi sesisondele, iNdodana yoMuntu isizanikelwa ezandleni zezoni. 
Phakamani! Kasihambeni! Nangu usesiza onginikelayo.” 
Wathi esakhuluma, uJudasi, omunye wabalitshumi lambili wafika. Wayehamba lexuku elikhulu lihlomile ngezinkemba lezinduku lithunywe ngabaphristi abakhulu labadala babantu. 
Omnikelayo wayelungisile labo isiboniso wathi: “Lowo engizamanga nguye; mbopheni.” 
UJudasi wahle waqonda kuJesu wathi, “Sabona, Rabi!” wamanga. 
UJesu waphendula wathi, “Mfowethu, yenza lokho okulandileyo.” Asesondela amadoda, amdumela uJesu ambopha. 
Khonapho omunye wabaphelekezeli bakaJesu wakhokha inkemba yakhe wagadla encekwini yomphristi omkhulu, wayiquma indlebe. 
UJesu wathi kuye, “Buyisela inkemba yakho endaweni yayo, ngoba bonke abakhokha inkemba bazakufa ngenkemba. 
Ucabanga ukuthi ngingaze ngacela kuBaba, masinyane nje angiphe amaviyo alitshumi lambili ezingilosi? 
Kodwa phela ibingagcwaliseka kanjani imibhalo ethi kumele kwenzeke ngale indlela na?” 
Khonapho uJesu wathi exukwini labantu, “Kanti ngikhokhela umvukela yini lize lihlome ngezinkemba lezinduku ukuzangibamba na? Insuku zonke ngangihlala emagumeni ethempeli ngifundisa, kodwa kalingibophanga. 
Kodwa lokhu kwenzeke ukuze kugcwaliseke imibhalo yabaphrofethi.” Khonapho abafundi bonke bamtshiya babaleka. 
Labo abambophayo uJesu bamusa kuKhayifasi, umphristi omkhulu, lapho okwasekubuthene khona abafundisi bomthetho labadala. 
Kodwa uPhethro wayemlandela ehambela khatshana waze wayangena egumeni lomphristi omkhulu. Wangena wahlala phansi lamanxusa efuna ukubona okwakuzakwenzakala. 
Abaphristi abakhulu leSanihedrini yonke babedinga ubufakazi bamanga ngoJesu ukuze bambulale. 
Kodwa babuswela, lanxa abanengi ofakazi bamanga bavela. Ekucineni ababili beza phambili 
bathi, “Umfokazi lo wathi, ‘Ngilamandla okulidiliza ithempeli likaNkulunkulu ngiphinde ngilakhe kutsha ngezinsuku ezintathu.’ ” 
Umphristi omkhulu wasesukuma wathi kuJesu, “Kawuyikuphendula na? Kuyini kanti lokhu okufakazwa ngamadoda la ngawe na?” 
Kodwa uJesu wala elokhu ethule. Umphristi omkhulu wathi kuye, “Ngiyakulaya, ngifunga ngoNkulunkulu ophilayo ngithi: Sitshele ingabe unguKhristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.” 
UJesu waphendula wathi, “Yebo, kunjengoba usitsho. Kodwa ngithi kini lonke: Ngesikhathi esizayo lizayibona iNdodana yoMuntu ihlezi kwesokunene sikaMninimandla isehla ngamayezi ezulwini.” 
Khonapho umphristi omkhulu wadabula izigqoko zakhe wathi, “Uyahlambaza! Sisafunelani abanye ofakazi na? Khangelani, manje selikuzwile ukuhlambaza. 
Lithini ngakho?” Baphendula bathi, “Ufanele ukufa.” 
Basebemkhafulela emehlweni njalo bamdutshuza ngenqindi. Abanye bamakala 
bathi, “Phrofitha kithi, wena Khristu. Ngubani okutshayileyo?” 
UPhethro wayehlezi phandle egumeni, kwasekusiza kuye intombazana eyincekukazi yathi kuye, “Lawe njalo wawuloJesu waseGalile.” 
Kodwa walandula phambi kwabo bonke. Wathi, “Angikwazi lokho okhuluma ngakho.” 
Wasesuka ephuma entubeni lapho abonwa khona ngenye intombazana eyathi ebantwini khonapho, “Umfokazi lo wayeloJesu waseNazaretha.” 
Walandula njalo efunga esithi, “Kangiyazi indoda leyo!” 
Ngemva kwesikhatshana labo ababemi khonapho baya kuPhethro bathi, “Ngempela ungomunye wabo ngoba indlela okhuluma ngayo iyakuceba.” 
Wasekhihliza iziqalekiso phezu kwakhe wafunga kubo wathi, “Angimazi mina lowomuntu!” Masinyane iqhude lakhala. 
UPhethro waselikhumbula ilizwi elakhulunywa nguJesu esithi: “Iqhude lingakakhali uzangilandula kathathu.” Waphumela ngaphandle wakhala kabuhlungu. 
