ABANINGI bajwayelene nendaba yokubulawa kukaJesu ngokubethelwa esigxotsheni ephakathi kwabaphangi ababili. (Math. 27:35-38) Noma kunjalo, kuye kwaba nokuphikisana mayelana nokunemba kokulandisa kweBhayibheli okuthi isidumbu sikaJesu salungiselelwa ukungcwatshwa futhi safakwa ethuneni.​—Marku 15:42-46.

Abanye abagxeki bamaVangeli baye bangabaza ukuthi kwakungavunywa ukuba umuntu owayebethelwe angcwatshwe ngendlela evamile, njengokungcwatshwa ethuneni. Kunalokho, labo bagxeki bakholelwa ukuthi cishe labo ababebulewe njengezigebengu babephathwa ngendlela ehlukile. U-Ariel Sabar, intatheli ebhalela umagazini i-Smithsonian, uchaza imvelaphi yalowo mbono: “Ukubethelwa kwakuyisigwebo esasenzelwe abantu ababenza izinto ezimbi kakhulu emphakathini futhi ezinye izazi ziye zawugxeka umbono wokuthi amaRoma ayengavumela umuntu onjalo angcwatshwe ngendlela ehloniphekile.” AmaRoma ayefuna izigebengu ezigwetshiwe zihlazeke ngendlela embi kakhulu, ngakho izidumbu zazo zazivame ukushiywa zilenga esigxotsheni ukuze zidliwe izilwane zasendle. Okusele kwezidumbu zazo kwakungase kuphonswe nje ethuneni elivamile.

Nokho, abavubukuli bembule okuthile okuhlukile, okungenani mayelana nezingxenye ezithile zemizimba yamanye amaJuda ayebulewe. Ngo-1968, kwatholakala amathambo endoda eyayibulawe ngekhulu lokuqala. Atholakala ethuneni elivamile emindenini yamaJuda, eduze kwaseJerusalema. La mathambo ayesentweni yokungcwaba noma ebhokisini lamathambo. Kulawo mathambo atholakala, kwakukhona ithambo lesithende. Lalishayelelwe epulangweni ngesipikili sensimbi esigamasentimitha angu-11,5. USabar uthi: “Lesi sithende, okwakungesendoda okuthiwa uYehochanan, sasiza ekuxazululeni impikiswano ekade yaqala mayelana nokuthembeka kokulandisa kwamaVangeli okukhuluma ngokungcwatshwa kukaJesu ethuneni.” Kuyaphawuleka, “Ithambo lesithende sikaYehochanan laba yisibonelo somuntu owabethelwa ngosuku lukaJesu, amaRoma amvumela ukuba angcwatshwe ngokwendlela yamaJuda.”

Kusengaba nemibono engafani mayelana nendlela uJesu ayemi ngayo lapho ebethelwe esigxotsheni ngenxa yalokho okuboniswa yileli thambo lesithende. Kodwa into ecacile ukuthi ezinye izigebengu ezazibulawa zangcwatshwa, azizange ziphonswe nje ethuneni elivamile. Kuyacaca, kunembile lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngokungcwatshwa kwesidumbu sikaJesu ethuneni elifanele. Ubufakazi buyakusekela lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo.

Okubaluleke nakakhulu, uJehova wabikezela ukuthi uJesu wayeyongcwatshwa ethuneni okungcwatshwa kulo amadoda acebile futhi akekho ongavimba ukuba izwi likaNkulunkulu lifezeke.​—Isaya 53:9; 55:11.