UMatewu.
27.
Ekuseni ngovivi bonke abaphristi abakhulu labadala babantu benza isinqumo sokumbulala uJesu. 
Bambopha, bamqhuba, bamnikela kuPhilathu umbusi. 
Kwathi uJudasi, owayemnikele, esebona ukuthi uJesu wayesegwetshiwe, wadabuka ngokuzisola, wabuyisela inhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu kubaphristi abakhulu labadala. 
Wathi, “Ngenze isono, ngoba nginikele igazi elingelacala.” Baphendula bathi, “silani lalokho thina? Lokho kungumlandu wakho.” 
Ngakho uJudasi wayiphosela ethempelini leyomali wahamba. Wasuka lapho wayazibophela. 
Abaphristi abakhulu bazidobha inhlamvu zemali lezo bathi, “Kungaphandle komthetho ukufaka imali le esitsheni somnikelo ngoba yimali yegazi.” 
Ngakho basebemisa ukuyisebenzisa ukuthenga isiqinti sombumbi sibe yindawo yamangcwaba abantu bezizweni. 
Yikho yabizwa ngokuthi yiNsimu yeGazi kuze kube namuhla. 
Kwasekugcwaliseka okwakhulunywa nguJeremiya umphrofethi ukuthi: “Bathatha inhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu, intengo eyamiswa ngaye ngabantu bako-Israyeli, 
bazisebenzisa ukuthenga insimu yombumbi, njengokulaywa kwami yiNkosi.” 
Ngalesosikhathi uJesu wamiswa phambi kombusi, umbusi wasebuza wathi, “Uyinkosi yamaJuda na?” “Njengoba usitsho,” kuphendula uJesu. 
Wayesithi nxa ethonisiswa ngabaphristi abakhulu labadala angaze aphendula. 
UPhilathu wasembuza wathi, “Awubuzwa yini ubufakazi abakwethesa bona?” 
Kodwa uJesu wathula, kazaphendula lamlandu munye, okwamangalisa umbusi kakhulu. 
Kwakungumkhuba wakhe umbusi ukuthi ngomkhosi akhulule isibotshwa esikhethwe lixuku labantu. 
Ngalesosikhathi kwakulesibotshwa esasigange kubi, sithiwa nguJesu isibongo saso singuBharabhasi. 
Kuthe abantu sebebuthene uPhilathu wababuza wathi, “Lifuna ngilikhululele wuphi na, uBharabhasi loba uJesu othiwa nguKhristu?” 
Ngoba wayesazi ukuthi kwakungenxa yomhawu okwenza banikela uJesu kuye. 
Kwathi uPhilathu esahlezi esihlalweni sakhe sokwahlulela, umkakhe wamthumela ilizwi wathi: “Ungayingeni indaba yomuntu lowo ongelacala, ngoba lamuhla ngihluphekile kakhulu ngaye emaphutsheni.” 
Kodwa abaphristi abakhulu labadala bakhuthaza abantu ukuthi bacele uBharabhasi, bathi uJesu kabulawe. 
Wabuza umbusi wathi, “Lifuna ngilikhululele wuphi phakathi kwalaba ababili na?” Baphendula bathi, “UBharabhasi.” 
UPhilathu wabuza wathi, “Pho ngenzeni ngoJesu othiwa nguKhristu?” Bonke bamphendula bathi, “Mbethele!” 
UPhilathu wabuza wathi, “Yindaba? Woneni?” Kodwa bamemeza ngamandla bathi, “Mbethele!” 
Kwathi uPhilathu esebona ukuthi akusela enye indlela, kwasekuzavuka isiyaluyalu, wathatha amanzi wageza izandla zakhe phambi kwexuku wathi, “Angilacala ngegazi lalumuntu. Ngumlandu wenu!” 
Bonke abantu bamphendula bathi, “Yekela igazi lakhe libe phezu kwethu laphezu kwabantwabethu!” 
Wasebakhululela uBharabhasi. Wathi uJesu katshaywe, wasemnikeza ukuba abethelwe. 
Amabutho ombusi asemthatha uJesu amngenisa ePhritoriyamu, inkundla yombusi, wabuthanelwa liviyo lonke lamabutho. 
Bamkhulula izigqoko zakhe bamgqokisa ijazi elibomvu, 
basebeseluka umqhele wameva bamethesa wona. Bamphathisa intonga kwesokunene sakhe baguqa phambi kwakhe bamklolodela. Bathi, “Bayethe, Nkosi yamaJuda!” 
Bamkhafulela, bamthathela lowomqwayi bamtshaya bemphindaphinda ekhanda. 
Sebemklolodele, bamhlubula ijazi bamgqokisa ezakhe. Basebemqhuba besiya mbethela. 
Bathi sebephumela ngaphandle bahlangana lendoda yaseKhureni, ethiwa nguSimoni, bayibamba ngamandla ukuthi ithwale isiphambano. 
Bafika endaweni ethiwa kuseGoligotha (okutsho ukuthi “Indawo yoKhakhayi”). 
Khonapho uJesu bamupha iwayini ukuba anathe, lixutshaniswe lenyongo; kodwa wonela ukulinambitha wasesala ukulinatha. 
Kwathi sebembethele behlukaniselana izigqoko zakhe ngokwenza inkatho. 
Bahlala phansi bamlinda khonapho. 
Phezu kwekhanda lakhe babeka umbhalo wecala lakhe owawusithi, Lo nguJesu, iNkosi yamaJuda. 
Izigebenga ezimbili zabethelwa kanye laye, esinye ngakwesokunene sakhe, esinye ngakwesokhohlo. 
Labo ababesedlula lapho babemhlambaza, benikina amakhanda besithi, 
“Wena ozadiliza ithempeli ulakhe ngezinsuku ezintathu, zisindise! Yehla esiphambanweni nxa uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu!” 
Ngokunjalo abaphristi abakhulu, labafundisi bomthetho kanye labadala bamklolodela. 
Bathi, “Wasindisa abanye, kodwa uyehluleka ukuzisindisa yena! UyiNkosi yako-Israyeli! Kehle manje esiphambanweni ukuze simkholwe. 
Uthembele kuNkulunkulu. UNkulunkulu kamsindise phela manje nxa emfuna, ngoba wathi, ‘NgiyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.’ ” 
Ngaleyondlela izigebenga ezazibethelwe kanye laye lazo zamthethisa ngenhlamba. 
Kusukela emini kwaze kwaba lihola lesithathu emini ubumnyama bembesa lonke ilizwe. 
Ngehola lesithathu emini uJesu wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi, “Eloyi, Eloyi, lamasabakithani?” (okutsho ukuthi, “Nkulunkulu wami, Nkulunkulu wami, kungani usungidelile na?”). 
Kwathi abanye kwababemi lapho bekuzwa lokho bathi, “Ubiza u-Elija.” 
Masinyane omunye wabo wagijima wathatha isipontshi. Wasicwilisa phakathi kwewayini elimunyu, wasixhuma oluthini wasidlulisela kuJesu ukuthi anathe. 
Abanengi bathi, “Myekele. Ake sibone ingabe u-Elija uzakuza azomsindisa.” 
UJesu esephindile ukumemeza ngelizwi elikhulu, umoya wakhe waphuma. 
Ngalesosikhathi ikhetheni lethempeli laqhekezeka kabili kusukela phezulu kusiya phansi. Umhlaba wazamazama lamatshe aqhekezeka. 
Amathuna avuleka, izidumbu zabantu abanengi abangcwele abafayo zavuswa kwabafileyo. 
Baphuma emathuneni, kwathi ngemva kokuvuka kukaJesu kwabafileyo baya edolobheni elingcwele bavela ebantwini abanengi. 
Kwathi ukuba induna yekhulu kanye lalabo ababelinde uJesu bebona ukuzamazama komhlaba kanye lakho konke okwakwenzakele, besaba kakhulu, bababaza bathi, “Ngempela ubeyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu!” 
Kwakulabesifazane abanengi, bebukele bebucwala. Babelandele uJesu besuka eGalile ukuthi banakekele izinswelo zakhe. 
Phakathi kwabo kwakuloMariya Magadalini, loMariya unina kaJakhobe loJosefa kanye lonina wamadodana kaZebhediya. 
Kwathi ilanga selithambeme, kwafika indoda enothileyo yase-Arimathiya, eyayibizwa ngokuthi nguJosefa, yena owayesengumfundi kaJesu. 
Waya kuPhilathu wayacela isidumbu sikaJesu, uPhilathu walaya ukuba asiphiwe. 
UJosefa wasithatha isidumbu wasigoqela ngelembu elihlanzekileyo lelineni, 
wayasibeka ethuneni lakhe elitsha ayeligubhe edwaleni. Wagiqela ilitshe elikhulu emlonyeni wethuna wasehamba. 
UMariya Magadalini lomunye uMariya babehlezi khonapho malungana lethuna. 
Ngosuku olulandelayo, oluza ngemva kosuku lokuLungisela, abaphristi abakhulu labaFarisi baya kuPhilathu. 
Bathi, “Nkosi, siyakhumbula ukuthi esaphila umkhohlisi loyana wathi yena, ‘Ngemva kwensuku ezintathu ngizavuka kwabafileyo.’ 
Ngakho yenza ukuthi ithuna lilindwe kuze kube lusuku lwesithathu. Engxenye abafundi bakhe bangeza bantshontshe isidumbu sakhe, batshele abantu ukuthi usevukile kwabafileyo. Inkohliso le ingabambi kakhulu kuleyakuqala.” 
UPhilathu waphendula wathi, “Thathani abalindi. Hambani liyevikela ithuna njengokubona kwenu.” 
Basebehamba ukuyalinda lokuqinisa ithuna ngokubeka uphawu phezu kwelitshe njalo bamisa abalindi. 
