Ingabe Ukufa Kunganqotshwa?

WAKE wacabanga nje ukuthi uJesu Kristu waba namuphi umphumela emlandweni wesintu? Lona kanye ikhalenda abantu abaningi ezweni laseNtshonalanga abalisebenzisayo lisekelwe onyakeni okucatshwangwa ukuthi wazalwa ngawo. Njengoba iThe World Book Encyclopedia iphawula: “Izinsuku ezingaphambi kwalowonyaka kubhekiselwa kuzo njengo-B.C., noma before Christ. Izinsuku ezingemva kwalowonyaka kubhekiselwa kuzo njengo-A.D. noma anno Domini (ngonyaka weNkosi yethu).”

Kungani uJesu edume kangaka? Esinye isizathu, kungenxa yezimangaliso azenza esifundeni saseGalile. Lendawo yayisengxenyeni esenyakatho yaleyo namuhla okuthiwa iRepublic yakwaIsrayeli. Ngokuqondene nalesifunda umlobi-mlando wekhulu lokuqala ongumJuda uFlavius Josephus wabhala: “Inhlabathi icebe yonke futhi iyakhiqiza, futhi igcwele izitshalo zemithi yazo zonke izinhlobo . . . Ngokungaphezulu, amadolobha alapho acinene kakhulu.” Eqinisweni, wathi, “kukhona amadolobha angamakhulu amabili namashumi amane nemizana eGalile.”a

Kwakuphakathi kwalamadolobha amaningi nemizana lapho uJesu Kristu ashumayela khona futhi wenza izimangaliso ezivelele. Nakuba umbhalo weBhayibheli uphawula ambalwa kuphela kulamadolobha ngamagama, uJesu wafika kwamaningi awo, ngoba umbhalo ophefumlelwe uthi ngokushumayela kwakhe kulendawo: “UJesu wayihamba imizi yonke nemizana efundisa emasinagogeni abo, eshumayela ivangeli loMbuso, ephulukisa izifo zonke nokugula konke.”—Math. 9:35.

Abaningi baseGalile uJesu ayeshumayela kubo babemazi, ngoba wayekhulele phakathi kwabo—emzaneni omncane waseNazaretha, owawusemagqumeni ungamakhilomitha angama-28 eningizimu-ntshonalanga yoLwandle lwaseGalile.

UKUHAMBELA KUKAJESU ENAYINI

Kwakungo-31 C.E. ngonyaka wesibili wenkonzo kaJesu, lapho indodana yomfelokazi yafa khona emzini waseNayini. Lomuzi wawuthi awube amakhilomitha ayisishiyagalombili eningizimu-mpumalanga yeNazaretha, umzana lapho uJesu ayekhona. Ngesikhathi sokufa kwalensizwa, uJesu wayeshumayela ogwini olusenyakatho loLwandle lwaseGalile, lapho ayesanda kunikeza nje iNtshumayelo yakhe yaseNtabeni edumile.

IBhayibheli lithi ekuqedeni kwakhe leNtshumayelo, uJesu “wangena eKapernawume.” Ngesikhathi elapho kulowomuzi osogwini loLwandle, waphulukisa inceku yenduna yekhulu. “Kwathi ngangomuso [noma, njengoba ezinye izinguqulo zikubeka, “Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokhu”] waya emzini othiwa iNayini: kwahamba naye abafundi nesixuku esikhulu.”—Luka 7:1-11, qhathanisa neNW, ka-1971 umbhalo waphansi.

Loluhambo lwaseningizimu-ntshonalanga ukusuka eKapernawume uya eNayini lwalucishe lube ngamakhilomitha angama-32, uhambo losuku ngisho nakubantu ababekujwayele ukuhamba ngezinyawo. UJesu nesixuku ayenaso bawela esigodini baqhamukela ekungeneni kwalomuzi. Khona-ke, umlando usitshela ukuthi, “esesondela esangweni lomuzi, bheka, kwaphunyiswa ofileyo, indodana eyodwa kanina, yena engumfelokazi; nabantu abaningi bomuzi babenaye. Yathi iNkosi isimbona, yamhawukela.”—Luka 7:12, 13.

Ngokuqondene nalesisenzakalo, uArthur P. Stanley, oye wavakashela lendawo phakathi nekhulu lokugcina leminyaka, wabhala encwadini yakhe Sinai and Palestine: “Okhalweni olungasenyakatho . . . kunamanxiwa omuzi waseNayini. . . . Kumelwe ukuba wawunesango elilodwa kuphela, eliqhamukela okhalweni olubi lwehlela emathafeni. Kumelwe ukuba kwakukulolukhalo olwehlelayo. njengoba ‘babephethe lensizwa efile,’ ngokwesiko lasempumalanga lapho ‘eduze kwesango’ lomuzi, lapho uhlaka lwamiswa khona. . . . Iyindawo engenaso isici esikhethekile ongayigcina ngaso enkumbulweni; kodwa, ngokobufakazi besimo sayo, nendawo encane okumelwe sibuke kuyo lesisenzakalo esithintayo, ingase ibe phakathi kwezindawo ezithakazelisa kakhulu zombukwane wokulandisa kweVangeli.”

Esinye isivakashi sekhulu le-19 salendawo, uJ. W. McGarvey, wabhala encwadini yakhe ethi Lands of the Bible: “INayini ithe chwá okhalweni, nomthambeka obheke phansi cishe ngamamitha angama-30 owehlela emathafeni enyakatho yayo. Indlela eqhamuka enyakatho ingena khona ngesigodi esincane ngasentshonalanga, futhi ngalé kwaso kunamaliba asikwe emadwaleni . . . Njengoba uJesu ayesondela esangweni lomuzana, eqhamuka ngaseKapernawume, lapho ayekhona ngayizolo, iviyo elalithwele indodana yomfelokazi laliphuma liya ngakulendawo yokungcwaba, kanjalo babe sebehlangana.”

ISIMANGALISO ESIYINQABA

Lapho ehlangana neviyo elililayo nowesifanaze ososizini, uJesu waba nesihe ngaye. Inhliziyo yakhe yathinteka ngenxa yokudabuka kwakhe okweqile. Ngakho ngomusa wozwela kodwa nokho ngokuqina okwakunikeza isibindi, wathi kuye: “Ungakhali.” Indlela yakhe nesenzo kwabamba ukunakekela kwesixuku, kwathi uma ‘esondela ethinta uhlaka, ababeluphethe bama.’ Bonke kumelwe ukuba bamangala ukuthi uJesu wayezokwenzani.

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi esikhathini esingangonyaka ngaphambili, emzaneni waseKhana, ongamakhilomitha athile ngasenyakatho, uJesu wayephendule amanzi aba yiwayini emshadweni. Futhi kuyiqiniso, njengoba abanye kwababekhala kungenzeka bezwa kubikwa, ukuthi uJesu wayephulukise abantu ngokuyisimangaliso ezifweni kweminye imizi nemizana engekude kakhulu. Kodwa ngokubonisa kombhalo weBhayibheli ophefumlelwe, uJesu wayengakaze avuse noma ubani kwabafileyo. Wayengayenza into enjalo?

Ekhuluma nesidumbu, uJesu wathi: “Nsizwa, ngithi kuwe: Vuka!” Yeka isimanga sezimanga! “Ofileyo wavuka, waqala ukukhuluma; yamnika unina.”

Yeka into emangalisayo! Cabanga nje ukuthi lowo wesifazane kumelwe ukuba wazizwa kanjani. Wawungazizwa kanjani? Umuntu uthini ngaphansi kwezimo ezinjalo? Uthi ‘ngiyabonga ngokungivusela indodana yami’? Kwakungabonakala engekho amazwi anele okubonga ngesenzo esinjalo. Isimangaliso ngempela!

“Bafikelwa ngukwesaba bonke, bamdumisa uNkulunkulu, bathi: Kuvelé umprofethi omkhulu phakathi kwethu, nokuthi: UNkulunkulu ubahambele abantu bakhe. Kwaphumela lelizwi ngaye kulo lonke iJudiya nakulo lonke langakhona.” Ngokusobala uJesu wayengumprofethi omkhulu ovela kuNkulunkulu.—Luka 7:13-17.

INGABE KWAKUNGUMENZI WEZIMANGALISO OTHENJISIWE?

Emakhulwini ayishumi nesihlanu eminyaka ngaphambili, umprofethi uMose wayenze izimangaliso ngamandla kaNkulunkulu, wahlukanisa ngisho noLwandle Olubomvu ukuze sonke isizwe sakwaIsrayeli sidlule emhlabathini owomile. Kodwa umprofethi omkhulu owenza izimangaliso kwaprofethwa ukuthi uyeza. UMose wathi ngaphansi kokuphefumlelwa uNkulunkulu: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wakho uyakukuvusela umprofethi phakathi kwakho kubafowenu onjengami; nimlalele yena.” (Dut. 18:15) Ngakho-ke, ngekhulu lokuqala umbuzo wawuwukuthi: ‘Ingabe loJesu waseNazaretha ungumprofethi kaNkulunkulu okwabikezelwa ukuthi uyeza?’

UJohane uMbhapathizi wakholelwa ukuthi uJesu wayeNguye. Wayewubonile umoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela phezu kukaJesu ngemva kokumbhapathiza eMfuleni iJordani cishe eminyakeni emibili ngaphambili. (Joh. 1:32-34) Manje uJohane wayesetilongweni, eboshwe uHerode Antiphase cishe esikhathini esingangonyaka ngaphambi kwalokhu ngenxa yokudalula ubuhlobo bakhe bokuphinga nomkamfowabo.

Ngakho-ke kwakulapho etilongweni lapho “abafundi bakaJohane bambikela ngazo zonke lezozinto,” ikakhulukazi ngokuvusa indodana yomfelokazi. Lapho ezwa lombiko, “uJohane wayesebiza ababili kubafundi bakhe, wabathumela eNkosini, wathi: Wena unguye ozayo, noma sobheka omunye na?”—Luka 7:18, 19; Math. 11:2, 3.

Akukhona ukuthi uJohane wayengabaza ukuthi uJesu wayengumprofethi othenjisiwe. Kodwa ngemva kokuzwa lombiko ophawulekayo ngokubuyiselwa kokuphila kwendodana yomfelokazi, wafuna amazwi omlomo avela kuJesu ngokwakhe ngokuqondene nobuMesiya bakhe. UJohane wayefuna ukuqiniseka ukuthi ingabe wayezoba-khona yini omunye ozayo, umlandeli, owayezophelelisa ukugcwaliseka kwazo zonke izinto okwakubikezelwe ukuthi ziyofezwa uMesiya kaNkulunkulu.

Ngakho lapho labafundi ababili bakaJohane befika kuJesu benza isicelo sikaJohane kuye, ukulandisa kuthi: “Ngalowomzuzu [uJesu] yayiphulukisa abaningi ezifweni nasebuhlungwini nakomoya ababi; nezimpumputhe eziningi yazipha ukubona. Yaphendula, yathi kuwo: Hambani nimlandise uJohane lokho enikubonile nenikuzwile ukuthi: Izimpumputhe ziyabona, izinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko bayahlanjululwa, izithulu ziyezwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, abampofu bayashunyayezwa ivangeli; ubusisiwe ongayikukhubeka ngami.”—Luka 7:20-23.

Ngokuqinisekile lombiko wawukhuthaza kuJohane. Wawuwubufakazi obuqinisayo bokuthi uJesu ngempela wayenza imisebenzi yamandla eyayizomchaza njengomprofethi owabikezelwa uMose. Kwakungakaze ngaphambili kube nokubonakaliswa okunjalo kwamandla ezimangaliso kumuntu! Ngakho uJohane, naphezu kokushiywa kwakhe etilongweni, wayenokuqiniseka kokuthi uJesu wayewukuphela komprofethi owagcwalisa lokho okwakubikezelwe uMose.

Akukho kungabaza ngakho. Ngisho nokufa kunganqotshwa, njengasendabeni yendodana eyayifile yomfelokazi waseNayini!

[Umbhalo waphansi]