Kungani Benqaba UMesiya?

NGESIKHATHI uJesu elapha emhlabeni, izixuku zajatshuliswa izinto azenza futhi zakhexa imilomo ngenxa yezimangaliso zakhe. Umphumela waba ukuthi abaningi “baba nokholo kuye” futhi bamamukela njengoMesiya, noma uKristu, obikezelwe. Bathi: “Lapho uKristu efika, ngeke enze izibonakaliso ezingaphezu kwalezi ezenziwe yilo muntu, akunjalo?”—Johane 7:31.

Naphezu kobufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda bokuthi uJesu unguMesiya, iningi lalabo abambona futhi bamuzwa efundisa alizange libe amakholwa. Kuyadabukisa ukuthi ngisho nabanye ekuqaleni ababa amakholwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi bashiya phansi. Kungani abantu abaningi kangaka bamenqaba naphezu kobufakazi obunamandla bokuthi wayenguMesiya? Ake sicabangele izizathu, futhi njengoba sizobe sixoxa ngazo kungakuhle uzibuze lo mbuzo, ‘Ingabe nami ngingaba sengozini yokwenza iphutha elifanayo namuhla?’

Lapho Ababekulindele Kungagcwaliseki

Ngesikhathi kuzalwa uJesu, amaJuda amaningi ayelindele ukufika kukaMesiya. Lapho uJesu owusana eyiswa ethempelini, wahlangatshezwa yilabo “ababelindele ukukhululwa kweJerusalema” nguMesiya othenjisiwe. (Luka 2:38) Kamuva, abaningi ababebona imisebenzi kaJohane uMbhapathizi bazibuza: “Kungenzeka yini mhlawumbe ukuthi unguKristu na?” (Luka 3:15) Nokho, yini amaJuda ekhulu lokuqala ayelindele ukuba uMesiya ayenze?

Inkolelo eyayivamile phakathi kwamaJuda ngaleso sikhathi ukuthi uMesiya wayeyofika awakhulule ejokeni elicindezelayo lamaRoma futhi abuyisele umbuso wakwa-Israyeli wasemhlabeni. Ngaphambi kokuba uJesu aqale inkonzo yakhe, kwavela abaholi abanamandla abaningana futhi basekela ukuvukelwa ngobudlova kombuso wangaleso sikhathi. Kungenzeka ukuthi izenzo zalawo madoda zaba nomthelela kulokho abantu ababekulindele kuMesiya.

UJesu wayehluke kakhulu kulabo Mesiya-mbumbulu. Akazange akhuthaze ubudlova, kunalokho wafundisa izilaleli zakhe ukuba zithande izitha zazo futhi zizithobe emagunyeni. (Mathewu 5:41-44) Wayenqaba imizamo yabantu yokumbeka inkosi. Kunalokho, wafundisa ukuthi umbuso wakhe “awuyona ingxenye yaleli zwe.” (Johane 6:15; 18:36) Noma kunjalo, imibono eyayikhona ngoMesiya yaba nethonya elinamandla kubantu.

UJohane uMbhapathizi wazibonela futhi wazizwela ngokwakhe ubufakazi obuyisimangaliso bokuthi uJesu wayeyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu. Noma kunjalo, lapho eboshiwe wathumela abafundi bakhe ukuba bayobuza uJesu: “Ingabe wena unguYe Ozayo, noma kumelwe silindele omunye?” (Mathewu 11:3) Mhlawumbe uJohane wayezibuza ukuthi ingabe ngempela uJesu unguMkhululi owayethenjisiwe nowayeyokwenza izinto ezazilindelwe amaJuda.

Abaphostoli bakaJesu bakuthola kunzima ukuqonda ukuthi wayezobulawa futhi avuswe kwabafileyo. Kwesinye isenzakalo lapho uJesu echaza ukuthi kwakuyodingeka uMesiya ahlupheke futhi afe, uPetru “wambizela eceleni waqala ukumkhuza.” (Marku 8:31, 32) UPetru wayengaqondi ukuthi ukufa kukaJesu kwakuhlangana kanjani nendima yakhe njengoMesiya.

Lapho engena eJerusalema ngaphambi nje kwePhasika lika-33 C.E., uJesu wemukelwa izihlwele ezazijabule zimemeza zithi uyiNkosi. (Johane 12:12, 13) Yeka ukuthi izinto zashintsha ngokushesha kanjani! Lingakapheli isonto, uJesu waboshwa futhi wabulawa. Ngemva kokufa kwakhe, abafundi bakhe ababili babalisa: “Besinethemba lokuthi nguye owayemiselwe ukukhulula u-Israyeli.” (Luka 24:21) Ngisho nalapho uJesu ovusiwe ebonakala kubafundi bakhe, babesenalo ithemba lokuthi uMesiya wayezosungula umbuso emhlabeni. Babuza: “Nkosi, ingabe uzowubuyisela umbuso ku-Israyeli ngalesi sikhathi na?” Ngokusobala, imibono eyiphutha ngoMesiya yayisigxile kakhulu ezinhliziyweni nasezingqondweni zezilaleli zikaJesu.—IzEnzo 1:6.

Ngemva kokwenyukela kukaJesu ezulwini nokuthululwa komoya ongcwele, abafundi bakhe baqonda ngokucacile ukuthi uMesiya wayezobusa njengeNkosi yasezulwini. (IzEnzo 2:1-4, 32-36) Umphostoli uPetru noJohane bashumayela ngesibindi ngokuvuswa kukaJesu, banikeza nobufakazi bokuthi basekelwa uNkulunkulu ngokwenza izimangaliso. (IzEnzo 3:1-9, 13-15) Izinkulungwane zabantu eJerusalema zasabela futhi zaba amakholwa. Nokho, lokhu akuzange kunambitheke ezikhulwini ezingamaJuda. Njengoba zaziphikise uJesu, manje zaqala ukuphikisa abaphostoli nabafundi bakhe. Kungani abaholi benkolo yamaJuda bamenqaba ngonya olungaka uJesu?

Wenqatshwa Abaholi Benkolo

Ngesikhathi uJesu efika emhlabeni, ukucabanga kwamaJuda nezenzo zawo kwase kuphambuke kakhulu kulokho okufundiswa imiBhalo ephefumulelwe. Abaholi benkolo bangaleso sikhathi—abaSadusi, abaFarisi nababhali—babesekela amasiko abantu, bewenza abaluleke kakhulu kuneZwi likaNkulunkulu elilotshiwe. UJesu wabekwa kaningi icala lokwephula uMthetho ngoba waphulukisa ngokuyisimangaliso ngeSabatha. Ngokumelana ngokuqinile nezimfundiso zabo ezingasekelwe emiBhalweni, walibekela inselele igunya labo namazwi abo okuthi bamukelwa uNkulunkulu. UJesu wayehlukile; wayevela emndenini ophansi futhi engenayo imfundo engokwenkolo njengabo. Yingakho kwakunzima ngalawo madoda ayeqhosha ukwamukela uJesu njengoMesiya! Amazwi kaJesu awathukuthelisa kangangokuthi ‘acebisana ngaye ukuze ambhubhise.’—Mathewu 12:1-8, 14; 15:1-9.

Nokho, abaholi benkolo babengalichaza kanjani ikhono likaJesu lokwenza izimangaliso? Abazange baphike ukuthi wayezenza izimangaliso. Kunalokho, bamhlambalaza. Bathi amandla akhe avela kuSathane, ngaleyo ndlela bezama ukwenza abantu ukuba bangabi nokholo kuye. Bathi: “Lo muntu uxosha amademoni ngoBhelizebhubhe kuphela, umbusi wamademoni.”—Mathewu 12:24.

Sikhona nesinye isizathu esiyinhloko sokwenqaba kwabo ngenkani ukuvuma ukuthi uJesu unguMesiya. Ngemva kokuba uJesu evuse uLazaru, abaholi bamaqembu ezinkolo ezihlukahlukene bahlangana bathi: “Sizokwenzenjani, ngoba lo muntu wenza izibonakaliso eziningi? Uma simyeka ngale ndlela, bonke bazokholwa nguye, futhi amaRoma azofika athathe kokubili indawo yethu nesizwe sethu.” Besaba ukuthi ngeke besaphatha nokuthi bazolahlekelwa izikhundla zabo, abaholi benkolo benza uzungu lokubulala uJesu noLazaru!—Johane 11:45-53; 12:9-11.

Ukubandlululwa Nokushushiswa Umphakathi

Isimo sengqondo sabaholi benkolo bekhulu lokuqala senza umphakathi wazonda noma ubani obheka uJesu njengoMesiya. Beqhosha ngezikhundla zabo eziphakeme, babembukela phansi noma ubani obonisa ukholo kuJesu, bethi: “Akekho noyedwa kubabusi noma kubaFarisi oye wakholwa nguye, akunjalo?” (Johane 7:13, 48) Abanye abaholi bamaJuda, njengoNikhodemu noJosefa wase-Arimatheya, baba abafundi bakaJesu kodwa balufihla ukholo lwabo ngenxa yokwesaba. (Johane 3:1, 2; 12:42; 19:38, 39) Ababusi abangamaJuda babethe “uma noma ubani evuma ukuthi [uJesu] unguKristu, kufanele axoshwe esinagogeni.” (Johane 9:22) Lowo muntu wayegwenywa futhi akhishwe inyumbazane.

Ekugcineni, ukuphikiswa kwabaphostoli nabafundi bakaJesu kwavusa ushushiso olunobudlova. Ngokushumayela kwabo ngesibindi, abaphostoli bashushiswa iSanhedrini, inkantolo ephakeme yamaJuda. (IzEnzo 5:40) Abaphikisi bamangalela umfundi uStefanu ngecala elingamanga lokuhlambalaza. Walahlwa iSanhedrini ngecala futhi wakhandwa ngamatshe waze wafa. Ngemva kwalokho, “kwavela ukushushiswa okukhulu kwebandla elaliseJerusalema; bonke ngaphandle kwabaphostoli bahlakazekela kuzo zonke izifunda zaseJudiya naseSamariya.” (IzEnzo 6:8-14; 7:54–8:1) USawulu, kamuva owaba umphostoli uPawulu, waba nengxenye emkhankasweni wokushushisa owawusekelwa ngokusemthethweni umpristi ophakeme ‘nomkhandlu wamadoda amadala.’—IzEnzo 9:1, 2; 22:4, 5.

Ngisho naphansi kwalezi zimo ezinzima, ubuKristu badlondlobala ngemva kokufa kukaJesu. Nakuba kunezinkulungwane ezaba amakholwa, amaKristu aqhubeka emancane ngenani ePalestina ngekhulu lokuqala. Ukuzibonakalisa obala ukuthi ungumlandeli kaKristu kwakusho ukukhishwa inyumbazane ngisho nokuphathwa ngonya.

Funda Kulabo Abenqaba uJesu

Njengoba sibonile, ukuba nombono ongaqondile, ukucindezela komphakathi noshushiso kwavimbela abaningi ngekhulu lokuqala ukuba babe nokholo kuJesu. Namuhla, imibono enganembile ngoJesu nangezimfundiso zakhe kungaba nomphumela ofanayo. Ngokwesibonelo, abaningi baye bafundiswa ukuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu usezinhliziyweni zabo noma uyolethwa abantu. Abanye baye bakhohliswa ngokutshelwa ukuthi isayensi noma ubuchwepheshe kuyoqeda izinkinga zabantu, ngakho abasiboni isidingo sokuba nokholo kuMesiya. Abagxeki banamuhla bagomela ngokuthi izenzakalo zenkonzo kaJesu ezilotshwe eBhayibhelini aziwona amaqiniso angokomlando; ngokwenza kanjalo, laba bantu benza abaningi bangakholelwa ukuthi uJesu unguMesiya.

Umphumela wemibono nezimfundiso ezinjengalezi ukuthi abaningi badidekile ngendima kaMesiya noma abasiboni isidingo sokuyicabangela le ndaba. Nokho, kulabo abazimisele ukuthola amaqiniso, kunobufakazi obuningi namuhla kunangekhulu lokuqala bokuthi uJesu unguMesiya. SinemiBhalo YesiHebheru ephelele eneziprofetho eziningi ezikhuluma ngalokho okwakuyokwenziwa uMesiya kanye nokulandisa kwamaVangeli eBhayibheli amane asitshela ngalokho okwenziwa uJesu ukuze kugcwaliseke lezo ziprofetho.a

Kunobufakazi obuningi obungasisiza ukuba senze isinqumo esihlakaniphile ngale ndaba futhi leso sinqumo kumelwe sisenze ngokushesha. Ngani? Ngoba iBhayibheli lembula ukuthi njengeNkosi enguMesiya yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, uJesu uzothatha isinyathelo maduze sokususa bonke abonakalisa umhlaba bese ebusa ngokulunga. Lokho kuyonika bonke abantu abalalelayo ithuba lokuphila phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi. (Daniyeli 2:44; IsAmbulo 11:15, 18; 21:3-5) Ungalithola leli kusasa elihle kangaka uma wenza umzamo wokufunda ngoJesu bese ubonisa ukholo kuye manje. Cabanga ngala mazwi ashiwo uJesu ngokwakhe: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangangokuba waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo kuyo angabhubhi kodwa abe nokuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 3:16.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 20]

Wawuyokwazi yini ukubona uMesiya ukube wawuphila ngosuku lukaJesu?

[Isithombe ekhasini 21]

Ungavumeli imibono enganembile ikuthiye ekufundeni iqiniso ngoJesu