Ukufa Akusona Isiphetho Sakho Konke!

IBhethaniya laliwumuzi omncane oqhele ngamakhilomitha amathathu eJerusalema. (Johane 11:18) Emasontweni ambalwa ngaphambi kokufa kukaJesu, kwenzeka into ebuhlungu kulowo muzi. Kungazelelwe, uLazaru, omunye wabangane abaseduze bakaJesu, wavele wagula kakhulu futhi wafa.

Lapho uJesu ezwa lokho, watshela abafundi bakhe ukuthi uLazaru ulele nokuthi wayezomvusa. (Johane 11:11) Kodwa abafundi bakhe abazange bakuqonde ayekusho, ngakho wabatshela ngokuqondile: “ULazaru ufile.”—Johane 11:14.

Ngemva kwezinsuku ezine engcwatshiwe, uJesu wafika eBethaniya waduduza uMarta, udadewabo kaLazaru. UMarta wathi: “Ukube ubulapha umfowethu ngabe akafanga.” (Johane 11:17, 21) UJesu wamphendula, “Mina ngingukuvuka nokuphila. Lowo obonisa ukholo kimi, ngisho noma efa, uyophila.”—Johane 11:25.

Ukuze abonise ukuthi lawo mazwi ayiqiniso, uJesu wasondela ethuneni, wamemeza wathi: “Lazaru, phuma!” (Johane 11:43) Abantu ababebukele bamangala lapho bebona indoda eyayifile iphuma ethuneni.

UJesu wayekade evuse abantu ababili ngaphambi kwalokho. Ngesinye isikhathi wavusa intombazanyana eyayifile—indodakazi kaJayiru. Ngaphambi kokuba uJesu ayivuse, wathi nayo ilele.—Luka 8:52.

Phawula ukuthi ngesikhathi kufa uLazaru nendodakazi kaJayiru, uJesu wafanisa ukufa nokulala. Ukulala kukufanekisela kahle ukufa. Kungani? Ngoba lapho ulele usuke ungezwa lutho futhi lokho kuwuveza kahle umqondo wokuphumula ezinhlungwini nasekuhluphekeni. (UmShumayeli 9:5; bheka ibhokisi elithi “Ukufa Kufana Nokulala Zwí.”) Abafundi bakaJesu bokuqala babesiqonda kahle isimo sangempela sabafileyo. I-Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics ithi: “Kubalandeli bakaJesu, ukufa kwakufana nokulala futhi ithuna lifana nendawo yokuphumula . . . kulabo abafe benokholo.”a

Kuyasiduduza ukwazi ukuthi abafileyo balele emathuneni futhi abahlupheki. Lokhu kusenza singakwesabi ukufa ngoba siyazi ukuthi kwenzekani kithi lapho sifa.

“UMA INDODA ENAMANDLA IFA INGABUYE IPHILE FUTHI?”

Nakuba sikujabulela ukulala ebusuku, ubani ofuna ukulala phakade? Iliphi ithemba esinalo lokuvuswa kwabafileyo abalele emathuneni—njengoba kwenzeka kuLazaru nasendodakazini kaJayiru?

Inzalamizi uJobe yabuza lowo mbuzo lapho izwa ukuthi isizokufa. Yathi: “Uma indoda enamandla ifa ingabuye iphile futhi?”—Jobe 14:14.

Ekhuluma noNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, uJobe waziphendula yena, wathi: “Uyobiza, futhi mina ngiyokuphendula. Uyolangazelela umsebenzi wezandla zakho.” (Jobe 14:15) UJobe wayeqiniseka ngokuthi uJehova uyalulangazelela usuku ayovusa ngalo inceku yaKhe ethembekile. Ingabe uJobe wayefisa into engenakwenzeka? Lutho neze.

Abantu abavuswa uJesu banikeza ubufakazi obucacile bokuthi uNkulunkulu unike uJesu amandla okunqoba ukufa. Empeleni iBhayibheli lithi uJesu manje ‘unezihluthulelo zokufa.’ (IsAmbulo 1:18) Ngakho-ke uJesu uyovula amasango ethuna ngendlela enza ngayo lapho eyala ukuba kususwe itshe ethuneni likaLazaru.

IBhayibheli likhuluma ngokuphindaphindiwe ngaleli themba lovuko. Ingelosi yaqinisekisa umprofethi uDaniyeli: “Uyophumula, kodwa uyosukuma umele isabelo sakho ekupheleni kwezinsuku.” (Daniyeli 12:13) UJesu wathi kubaSadusi, abaholi bamaJuda ababesenqaba isithembiso sovuko: “Niyaphaphalaza, ngoba aniyazi imiBhalo namandla kaNkulunkulu.” (Mathewu 22:23, 29) Umphostoli uPawulu wathi: “Nginethemba kuNkulunkulu . . . lokuthi kuyoba khona uvuko lwabalungile nabangalungile.”—IzEnzo 24:15.

BAYOVUKA NINI ABAFILEYO?

Luyokwenzeka nini uvuko lwabalungile nabangalungile? Ingelosi yatshela uDaniyeli olungileyo ukuthi wayeyovuka “ekupheleni kwezinsuku.” UMarta naye wayekholelwa ukuthi umfowabo, uLazaru, wayeyovuka “ovukweni ngosuku lokugcina.”—Johane 11:24.

IBhayibheli lihlobanisa lolu “suku lokugcina” nokubusa koMbuso kaKristu. UPawulu wabhala: “Ngoba [uKristu] kumelwe abuse njengenkosi kuze kube yilapho uNkulunkulu esebeke zonke izitha ngaphansi kwezinyawo zakhe. Njengesitha sokugcina, ukufa kuzokwenziwa ize.” (1 Korinte 15:25, 26) Lesi isizathu esinamandla sokuthandazela ukuba uMbuso kaNkulunkulu uze nokuba intando yaKhe yenziwe emhlabeni.b

Intando kaNkulunkulu iwukuvusa abafileyo futhi uJobe wayekwazi kahle lokho. Lapho lolo suku lufika, ngempela ukufa kuyokwenziwa ize. Ngeke uphinde usikhathaze umbuzo othi, ‘Ingabe Ukufa Kuyisiphetho Sakho Konke?’