Wayengumanduleli KaMesiya

IBHANTI ebanzi yesikhumba yayilwenza lucace ulusu lwakhe olwalutshiswe lilanga. Ebhinqe ingubo yoboya benkamela, eneneni wayekhangeleka njengomprofeti. Abaninzi batsaleleka kuye kumlambo iYordan. Le ndoda inomtsalane yayivakalisa ngenkalipho ukuba yayikulungele ukubhaptiza aboni abaguqukayo.

Abantu babebambe ongezantsi! Yayingubani le ndoda? Yayiyintoni injongo yayo?

UYesu Kristu wathi ngalo mntu: “Naye niphuma nisiya kubona ntoni na kodwa? Yabe ingumprofeti na? Ewe, ndithi kuni, node wagqithisa kumprofeti. . . . Phakathi kwabo bazelweyo ngabafazi, akuvelanga mkhulu kunoYohane umbhaptizi.” (Mateyu 11:9-11) Kwakutheni ukuze uYohane abe yindoda ekhetheke kangaka? Kungokuba wayengumanduleli kaMesiya.

Uthumo Lwakhe Lwaxelwa Kwangaphambili

Ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-700 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaYohane, uYehova wavakalisa ukuba lo wayeza kumemeza entlango esithi: “Yigeceni entlango indlela kaYehova; tyenenezelani uThixo wethu umendo enkqantosini.” (Isaya 40:3; Mateyu 3:3) Ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-400 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaYohane, uThixo uSomandla wavakalisa oku: “Yabonani, ndiya kuthumela kuni uEliya umprofeti, ingekafiki imini enkulu eyoyikekayo kaYehova.” (Malaki 4:5, 6) Isibakala sokuba uYohane umBhaptizi wazalwa malunga neenyanga ezintandathu ngaphambi kukaYesu asizange senzeke ngengozi, yaye singazange sivele senzeke nje ngenxa yeenkqubo zokwemvelo. Njengokuzalwa komntwana wesithembiso uIsake, ukuzalwa kukaYohane kwakungummangaliso, kuba abazali bakhe, uZekariya noElizabhete, babesele bedlulile kubudala obuqhelekileyo bokuvelisa abantwana.—Luka 1:18.

Kwanangaphambi kokukhawulwa kukaYohane, uthumo lwakhe, umsebenzi, nendlela yokuphila zatyhilwa sisithunywa sezulu uGabriyeli. Enamandla nomoya kaEliya, uYohane wayeza kuguqula abangathobeliyo kwindlela yokufa aze abalungiselele ukwamkela uYesu njengoMesiya. Ukususela ekuzalweni kwakhe, uYohane wayeza kuba ngumNazarete, ezinikele ngokupheleleyo kuThixo, ibe wayengamele asele wayini okanye utywala. Eneneni, ukutya kwakhe phaya entlango kwakuquka “iinkumbi nobusi basendle.” (Marko 1:6; Numeri 6:2, 3; Luka 1:13-17) NjengoSamuweli, kwasebuntwaneni uYohane wayemiselwe inkonzo ezukileyo yoThixo Osenyangweni.—1 Samuweli 1:11, 24-28.

Kwanegama elithi Yohane lalikhethwe nguThixo. Igama lesiHebhere eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “Yohane” lithetha ukuthi “UYehova Ube Nobabalo; UYehova Ube Nobubele.”

Xa lo mntwana woluswayo ngosuku lwesibhozo, uyise, uZekariya, waphefumlelwa nguThixo ukuba avakalise oku: “Nawe, mntwana, uya kubizwa ngokuba ungumprofeti wOsenyangweni, kuba uya kuhamba phambi kobuso beNkosi, ulungise iindlela zayo, ukuze ubanike abantu bayo ukwaziwa kosindiso ngoxolelo lwezono zabo, ngenxa yenceba nemfesane yoThixo wethu, othe ngaye wasivelela umso wasenyangweni.” (Luka 1:76-78) Ubulungiseleli bukaYohane basesidlangalaleni babumele bube yeyona nto ibalulekileyo kubomi bakhe. Zonke ezinye izinto zazingabalulekanga xa zithelekiswa nabo. Ngenxa yoko, iZibhalo zigubungela iminyaka engama-30 yokuqala yobomi bukaYohane kwindinyana enye: “Wakhula umntwana, waya esomelela ngomoya; waye esentlango, kwada kwayimini yokubonakaliswa kwakhe kuSirayeli.”—Luka 1:80.

Ilizwi Entlango

Ngomnyaka we-15 wolawulo lukaTibheriyo Kesare, xa uPontiyo Pilato wayeyirhuluneli kwelakwaYuda, uYohane uMbhaptizi wabonakala entlango enesi sigidimi sothusayo: “Guqukani, kuba ubukumkani bamazulu busondele.” (Mateyu 3:2; Marko 1:4; Luka 3:1, 2) Abemi bawo wonke loo mmandla bavuseleleka. Eso sigidimi senkalipho sachukumisa iintliziyo zabo babelangazelela ithemba eliqinisekileyo. Kwakhona isigidimi sikaYohane sasicel’ umngeni ukuthobeka komntu ngenxa yokuba sasifuna inguquko esuka entliziyweni. Ukunyaniseka nendlela awayekholelwa ngayo kwashukumisa izihlwele zabantu abathembekileyo nabanyanisekileyo ukuba zimgqale njengendoda ethunywe nguThixo.

Udumo lukaYohane lwanwenwa okomlilo wedobo. Njengomprofeti kaYehova, wayebonakala lula ngesinxibo nangozinikelo lwakhe. (Marko 1:6) Kwanababingeleli nabaLevi besuka eYerusalem ukuza kuqonda le nto yayivusa wonke lo mdla. Siguquke? Ngoba, yaye siguquke entwenini? Yayingubani yona le ndoda? Babefuna ukwazi. UYohane wacacisa wathi: “Andinguye mna uKristu. Bambuza, besithi, Untoni na ke? UnguEliya na? Athi, Andinguye. Unguye na umprofeti lowo? Wathi ukuphendula, Hayi. Bathi ngoko kuye, Ungubani na ke? Ukuze sibaphendule abo basithumileyo. Uthini na wena ngawe ngokwakho? Wathi, Mna ndililizwi lodandulukayo entlango, lisithi, Yityenenezeni indlela yeNkosi, njengoko watshoyo uIsaya umprofeti. Baye abo babethunyiwe bengabakubo abaFarisi. Bambuza bathi kuye, Ubhaptizelani na phofu, ukuba wena akunguye uKristu, noEliya, nomprofeti lowo?”—Yohane 1:20-25.

Inguquko nobhaptizo zazingamanyathelo ayimfuneko kwabo babeza kungena eBukumkanini. Ngoko ke, uYohane waphendula wathi: “Mna okunene ndinibhaptiza ngamanzi; kodwa uyeza lowo unamandla kunam, endingafanelekileyo ukuba ndiwuthukulule nomtya weembadada zakhe; uya kunibhaptiza ngoMoya oyiNgcwele nangomlilo yena; omnyazi wokwela usesandleni sakhe. Uya kusicokisa kuthi tu isanda sakhe, ayibuthele kuvimba wakhe ingqolowa; ke wona umququ uya kuwutshisa ngomlilo ongacimekiyo.” (Luka 3:15-17; IZenzo 1:5) Eneneni, umoya oyingcwele wawuza kuthotywa kubalandeli bakaMesiya, kodwa iintshaba zakhe zaziya kutshatyalaliswa ngomlilo.

“Zonke Iindidi Zabantu” Ziyalunyukiswa

AmaYuda amaninzi antliziyo zinyanisekileyo ashukunyiswa ngokunzulu ngamazwi kaYohane aza azichaza ngokuphandle izono zawo zokunganyaniseki kumnqophiso woMthetho. Akubonakalisa ekuhleni ukuguquka kwawo ngokuvumela uYohane awabhaptize kuMlambo iYordan. (Mateyu 3:5, 6) Ngenxa yoko, iintliziyo zawo zazikulungele ukwamkela uMesiya. Eqabula unxano lwawo lokwazi iimfuneko zikaThixo zobulungisa, ngovuyo uYohane wawayalela njengabafundi bakhe, wada wawafundisa nendlela yokuthandaza.—Luka 11:1.

Ngokuphathelele lo manduleli kaMesiya, umpostile uYohane wabhala wathi: “Lowo weza kuba lingqina, ukuze angqine ngako ukukhanya, ukuba zonke iindidi zabantu zikholwe ngaye.” (Yohane 1:7, NW) Ngoko zonke iindidi zabantu zeza kuphulaphula uYohane uMbhaptizi njengoko ‘wayevakalisa tanci, phambi kokungena kwakhe, ubhaptizo loguquko kubo bonke abantu bakwaSirayeli.’ (IZenzo 13:24) Walumkisa ababuthi berhafu ukuba bangabheneli ekuqhatheni. Walumkisa amasoldati ukuba angahlaseli namnye okanye enze izityholo zobuxoki. AbaFarisi nabaSadusi abazinikeleyo, nabahanahanisayo wabaxelela oku: “Nzalandini yamarhamba, ngubani na onibonisileyo ukuba niyibaleke ingqumbo ezayo? Velisani ngoko iziqhamo eziyifaneleyo inguquko; ize ningabi nithi phakathi kwenu, Thina sinobawo uAbraham; kuba ndithi kuni, Unako uThixo kuwo la matye ukumvelisela abantwana uAbraham.”—Mateyu 3:7-9; Luka 3:7-14.

Njengeqela elithile, iinkokeli zonqulo zexesha likaYohane azizange zimamkele zaza zixoka zamtyhola zisithi uneedemon. Zayikhaba ngawo omane indlela yobulungisa ekhokelela kubomi obungunaphakade. Kwelinye icala, ababuthi berhafu namahenyukazi angaboni abukholelwayo ubungqina bukaYohane aguquka aza abhaptizwa. Kungekudala, amamkela uYesu njengoMesiya.—Mateyu 21:25-32; Luka 7:31-33.

UMesiya Uyaziswa

Kangangeenyanga ezintandathu—ukususela entlakohlaza ukusa ekupheleni kowama-29 C.E.—ingqina elithembekileyo likaThixo uYohane latsalela ingqalelo yamaYuda kuMesiya ozayo. Kwakulixesha lokuba avele lo Kumkani unguMesiya. Kodwa xa wavelayo, weza kwakula manzi manye aseYordan waza wacela ukubhaptizwa. Ekuqaleni uYohane akazange avume, kodwa waphinda wathobela. Khawuthelekelele uvuyo awaba nalo xa umoya oyingcwele wehlela phezu koYesu kwaza kwavakala ilizwi likaYehova livakalisa ukukholiswa kwakhe nguNyana Wakhe.—Mateyu 3:13-17; Marko 1:9-11.

UYohane wayengowokuqala ukwamkela uYesu njengoMesiya, ibe wazisa abafundi bakhe ngalo Mthanjiswa. UYohane wathi: “Nantso iMvana kaThixo, ethwala isuse isono sehlabathi.” Wakwavakalisa oku: “Nguye lo ndathi ngaye mna, Emva kwam kuza indoda, esuke yaba phambi kwam; ngokuba yayitanci kum. Bendingayazi nam; le nto ndeza mna, ndibhaptiza ngamanzi, kukuze ibonakalaliswe kuSirayeli.”—Yohane 1:29-37.

Umsebenzi kaYohane waqhubeka ufana nobulungiseleli bukaYesu kangangeenyanga ezintandathu. Ngamnye wabo wayewuqonda umsebenzi owawusenziwa ngomnye. UYohane wayezigqala engumhlobo woMyeni yaye wavuya akubona uKristu esanda ngoxa yena nomsebenzi wakhe wayencipha.—Yohane 3:22-30.

UYesu wamgqala uYohane njengomanduleli wakhe, owafanekiselwa nguEliya. (Mateyu 11:12-15; 17:12) Ngesinye isihlandlo, uYesu wathi: “Yayingumthetho nabaprofeti kwada kwakuYohane; kuseloko, ubukumkani bukaThixo buyashunyayelwa, bonke bayangena kubo ngokugonyamela.”—Luka 16:16.

Wathembeka Kwada Kwasa Ekufeni

UYohane wabanjwa waza wavalelwa entolongweni ngenxa yokuba wayivakalisa ngenkalipho inyaniso. Akazange ayiphephe imbopheleleko yakhe yokubhenca kwanesono sikaKumkani uHerode. Esaphula umthetho kaThixo, loo kumkani wakrexeza nomfazi womntakwabo, uHerodiya. UYohane wathetha ngokuphandle ukuze le ndoda iguquke ize ifumane inceba kaThixo.

Onjani wona umzekelo wokholo nothando owamiselwa nguYohane! Encama inkululeko yakhe yobuqu, wakungqina ukuthembeka kwakhe kuYehova uThixo nothando lwakhe ngabantu. Ngemva konyaka esentolongweni, uYohane wanqunyulwa intloko ngenxa yeyelenqe elaliphefumlelwe nguMtyholi laqulunqwa nguHerodiya ongendawo, owaba “nenqala” ngakuye. (Marko 6:16-19; Mateyu 14:3-12) Kodwa umanduleli kaMesiya wayigcina ingqibelelo yakhe kuYehova ibe kungentsuku zatywala uza kuvuswa kwabafileyo ukuze anandiphe ubomi kwihlabathi likaThixo elitsha lobulungisa.—Yohane 5:28, 29; 2 Petros 3:13.