Ukuphila NeNkonzo KaJesu

Izibaya Zezimvu NoMalusi

UJESU useJerusalema ngesikhathi soMkhosi Wokunikezela, noma seHanukkah, umkhosi wokugubha ukunikezelwa kabusha kwethempeli kuJehova. Ngo-168 B.C.E., cishe eminyakeni engama-200 ngaphambili, uAntiochus IV Epiphanes wathumba iJerusalema futhi wonakalisa ithempeli nealtare lalo. Nokho, eminyakeni emithathu kamuva iJerusalema laphinde lathunjwa futhi ithempeli lanikezelwa kabusha. Ngemva kwalokho, kwenziwa umkhosi Wokunikezelwa kanye ngonyaka.

LoMkhosi wokunikezela wenziwa ngoChislev 25, inyanga yesiJuda efanelana nengxenye yokugcina kaNovember nengxenye yokuqala kaDecember ekhalendeni lethu lanamuhla. Kanjalo, yizinsuku ezicishe zibe ngaphezu kwekhulu kuphela ezisele ukuze kube iPhasika elibalulekile lika-33 C.E. Ngenxa yokuthi isikhathi esimakhaza, umphostoli uJohane usibiza ngokuthi ‘isikhathi sasebusika.’

UJesu manje usebenzisa umfanekiso lapho ephawula izibaya zezimvu ezintathu nendima yakhe njengoMalusi Omuhle. Isibaya sezimvu sokuqala akhuluma ngaso sihlanganiswa nelungiselelo lesivumelwano soMthetho kaMose. UMthetho wasebenza njengothango oluhlukanisa amaJuda nemikhuba engcolile yalabobantu abangekho kulesivumelwano esikhethekile noNkulunkulu. UJesu uyachaza: “Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Ongangeni ngesango esibayeni sezimvu, kodwa ekhwela ngenye indawo, lowo uyisela nomphangi. Kepha ongena ngesango ungumalusi wezimvu.”

Abanye babeye bafika bathi banguMesiya, noma uKristu, kodwa babengeyena umalusi weqiniso uJesu aqhubeka ekhuluma ngaye: “Umlindisango uyamvulela lowo; nezimvu ziyalizwa izwi lakhe; ubiza ezakhe izimvu ngamagama, aziholele phandle. . . . Umfokazi azisoze zamlandela, kodwa ziyakumbalekela, ngokuba zingalazi izwi labafokazi.”

“Umlindisango” wesibaya sezimvu sokuqala kwakunguJohane uMbhapathizi. Njengomlindisango, uJohane ‘wavulela’ uJesu ngokumbonakalisa ezimvwini ezingokomfanekiso ayezoziholela emadlelweni. Lezimvu uJesu azibiza ngamagama futhi azihole ekugcineni zamukelwa kwesinye isibaya sezimvu, njengoba echaza: “Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Mina ngiyisango lezimvu,” okusho ukuthi isango lesibaya sezimvu esisha. Lapho uJesu enza isivumelwano esisha nabafundi bakhe futhi ethululela umoya ongcwele ovela ezulwini phezu kwabo ngePentekoste elilandelayo, bamukelwa kulesibaya sezimvu esisha.

Eqhubeka echaza indima yakhe, uJesu uthi: “Mina ngiyisango; uma umuntu engena ngami, uyakusindiswa, angene, aphume, afumane idlelo. . . . Mina ngingumalusi omuhle; ngiyazazi ezami, nezami ziyangazi, njengalokhu uBaba uyangazi, nami ngiyamazi uBaba; ngidela ukuphila kwami ngenxa yezimvu.”

Ngaphambidlana, uJesu wayeduduze abalandeli bakhe, ethi: “Ungesabi, mhlambi omncane; ngokuba kwathandeka kuYihlo ukuninika umbuso.” Lomhlambi omncane, lowo ekugcineni oba yinani eliyizi-144 000, ungena kulesibaya esisha noma sesibili. Kodwa uJesu uyaqhubeka ephawula: “Nezinye izimvu nginazo ezingesizo ezalesisibaya; nalezo ngimelwe ukuziletha; ziyakuzwa izwi lami, kube-mhlambi munye nomalusi munye.”

Njengoba ‘ezinye izimvu’ ‘zingesizo ezalesisibaya,’ kumelwe zibe ngezesinye isibaya, esesithathu. Lezibaya zezimvu ezimbili zokugcina zinesigcino esingafani. Ùmhlambi omncane’ esibayeni esisodwa uyobusa noKristu ezulwini, futhi ‘ezinye izimvu’ kwesinye isibaya ziyohlala ePharadesi emhlabeni. Kodwa, naphezu kokuba sezibayeni ezimbili, lezizimvu azinawo umona, noma umuzwa wokuthi zihlukanisiwe, ngoba njengokusho kukaJesu, ‘ziba mhlambi munye’ ngaphansi ‘kukamalusi oyedwa.’

UMalusi Omuhle, uJesu Kristu ngokuzithandela unikela ngokuphila kwakhe ngenxa yazo zombili izibaya zezimvu. Uthi: “Ngikudela ngokwami; nginamandla okukudela, nginamandla okubuye ngikuthabathe. Lomyalo ngiwamukele kuBaba.” Lapho uJesu esho lokhu, kuba khona ukwehlukana phakathi kwamaJuda.

Abaningi esixukwini bathi: “Unedemoni, uyahlanya; nimlalelelani na?” Kodwa abanye basabela ngokuthi: “Lawomazwi akusiwo awomuntu onedemoni.” Khona-ke, ngokusobala bebhekisela emuva ezinyangeni ezimbalwa zokuphulukisa kwakhe indoda eyayizelwe iyimpumputhe, bayanezela: “Imbala idemoni lingavula amehlo ezimpumputhe na?” Johane 10:1-22; 9:1-7; Luka 12:32; IsAmbulo 14:1, 3; 21:3, 4; IHubo 37:29.

◆ Uyini uMkhosi Wokunikezela, futhi ugujwa nini?

◆ Siyini isibaya sezimvu sokuqala, futhi ubani umlindisango waso?

◆ Umlindisango umvulela kanjani uMalusi, futhi ngemva kwalokho izimvu zamukelwa kuphi?

◆ Obani abenza izibaya ezimbili zikaMalusi Omuhle, futhi baba imihlambi emingaki?