Ukuzalwa KukaYesu Ibali Lokwenene

KHAWUCINGE ngesona siganeko saziwayo kwimbali yelizwe lakho. Esi siganeko sibhalwe ngababhali-mbali abaliqela. Ngoku, kuthekani ukuba mntu othile ukuxelele ukuba esi siganeko asizange senzeke, uthi konke oko kwakuyintsomi? Okanye, xa sibhekisela kuthi, kuthekani ukuba umntu othile ukuxelela ukuba uninzi lwezinto ozixelelwe yintsapho yakho ngokuzalwa nokukhula kukayihlomkhulu zibubuxoki? Kuzo zombini ezi meko, kwaukuva nje into enjalo kungakucaphukisa. Ngokuqinisekileyo ubungayi kuyithabatha ingxelo enjalo njengento engenamsebenzi!

Ukanti, namhlanje ngokuqhelekileyo abagxeki abanamsebenzi nengxelo yeVangeli engokuzalwa kukaYesu ebhalwe nguMateyu noLuka. Bathi ezi ngxelo ziphikisana ngendlela enganiki themba yaye azinakuvisisaniswa yaye zombini ziqulethe ubuxoki neempazamo eziphathelele imbali. Ngaba oko kuyinyaniso? Kunokwamkela izityholo ezinjalo, masizihlolele iingxelo zeVangeli. Xa sisenza oko, masiqwalasele oko ziza kusifundisa kona namhlanje.

Injongo Yokubhalwa Kwazo

Ekuqaleni iyasinceda sikhumbule injongo yezi ngxelo zeBhayibhile. Azingomabali abantu; ziincwadi zeVangeli. Umahluko ubalulekile. Kwibali lobomi, umbhali usenokuzalisa amaphepha amaninzi, ezama ukubonisa indlela aye wazenzel’ igama elihle ngayo loo mntu athetha ngaye. Ngenxa yoko, amanye amabali azalisa amaphepha amaninzi gqitha echaza umnombo, ukuzalwa nobuntwana baloo mntu kubhalwa ngaye. Kukho umahluko kwiincwadi zeVangeli. Kwingxelo ezine zeVangeli, zimbini kuphela ezithetha ngokuzalwa nangobomi bukaYesu esengumntwana yekaMateyu nekaLuka. Noko ke, injongo asikokubonisa indlela uYesu awakhula ngayo wangumntu anguye. Khumbula ukuba, abalandeli bakaYesu baphawula ukuba wayephila njengesidalwa sokomoya kwanangaphambi kokuba eze emhlabeni. (Yohane 8:23, 58) Ngoko ke uMateyu noLuka abazange bagxininise kubuntwana bukaYesu ukuze bacacise uhlobo lomntu awaba lulo. Kunoko, bathetha ngeziganeko ezazivisisana nenjongo yeeVangeli zabo.

Yayiyintoni injongo yokuba babhale ezo vangeli? Igama elithi “ivangeli” lithetha “iindaba ezilungileyo.” Omabini la madoda ayenesigidimi esifanayo—esokuba uYesu nguMesiya othenjisiweyo, okanye uKristu; nokuba wafela izono zabantu; waza wavuselwa ezulwini. Kodwa aba babhali babini babeneemvelaphi ezahlukeneyo yaye babhalela nabantu abahlukahlukeneyo. UMateyu, ongumqokeleli werhafu, wayilungiselela abaphulaphuli abangamaYuda ingxelo yakhe. ULuka owayengugqirha, wabhalela ‘uTiyofilo obalasele kunene’—ekusenokwenzeka ukuba wayekwisikhundla esiphezulu—nabanye abantu abaninzi abangamaYuda nabeeNtlanga. (Luka 1:1-3) Mbhali ngamnye wacaphula izihlandlo ezazibufana yaye kwakhona ezazinokweyisela abantu abathile. Ngaloo ndlela, ingxelo kaMateyu igxininisa iziprofeto ezikwiZibhalo zesiHebhere ezazaliseka kuYesu. Kwelinye icala, uLuka usebenzisa indlela ethile esekelwe kwimbali esenokuba yayiqondwa ngabo babengengawo amaYuda.

Akumangalisi ke ngoko, ukuba iingxelo zabo zahluke. Kodwa ezo zimbini aziphikisani, njengoko abagxeki besitsho. Ziyaphelelisana, ziyavisisana ukuze zinikele ingxelo epheleleyo.

Ukuzalwa KukaYesu EBhetelehem

UMateyu noLuka babhale ngowona mmangaliso ukhethekileyo ngokuphathelele ukuzalwa kukaYesu—wazalwa yintombi enyulu. UMateyu ubonisa ukuba lo mmangaliso wazalisekisa isiprofeto esaxelwa kwiinkulungwane ngaphambilana nguIsaya. (Isaya 7:14; Mateyu 1:22, 23) ULuka ucacisa ukuba uYesu wazalelwa eBhetelehem ngenxa yokuba uKesare wayalela ukuba uYosefu noMariya baye kubhalisa apho. (Bona ibhokisi ekwiphepha 7.) Kwakubalulekile ukuba uYesu azalelwe eBhetelehem. Kwiinkulungwane ngaphambilana, umprofeti uMika wayexele kwangaphambili ukuba uMesiya wayeya kuvela kule dolophu yayibonakala ingabalulekanga kufuphi naseYerusalem.—Mika 5:2.

Ubusuku bokuzalwa kukaYesu baziwa ngabaninzi njengesekelwe kubo imifanekiso yokuZalwa kwakhe. Noko ke, ibali lokwenene lahluke gqitha kwelo liqhele ukuboniswa. Umbhali-mbali uLuka, usixelela ngobalo lwabantu olwabangela uYosefu noMariya baye eBhetelehem, kwakhona uphinda asixelele ngabelusi ababehleli nemihlambi yabo ezindle ebusuku. Ezi ziganeko zibini ziye zabangela abahlalutyi abaliqela beBhayibhile bagqibe kwelokuba akunakwenzeka ukuba abe uYesu wazalwa ngoDisemba. Babonisa ukuba uKesare wayengenako ukunyanzela amaYuda anogonyamelo ukuba agoduke ngexesha lengqele nemvula, nto leyo eyayinokuwabangela ukuba avukele ngakumbi. Kwakhona abaphengululi bathi ngokufanayo akunakwenzeka ukuba abelusi babe babehlala ezindle nemihlambi yabo kwimo yezulu enjalo ukuba mbi.—Luka 2:8-14.

Phawula ukuba uYehova wakhetha ukwazisa ukuzalwa koNyana wakhe, kungekhona kwiinkokeli zonqulo zaloo mihla ezazinempembelelo, kodwa kubasebenzi abasebenza nzima nababehlala ezindle. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ababhali nabaFarisi babengenanto ingako yakwenza nabelusi, abantu ababesebenza ngamaxesha awahlukahlukene kangangokuba bangakwazi ukugcina ezinye iinkcukacha zomthetho womlomo. Kodwa uThixo wayewathemba la madoda athobekileyo, athembekileyo nafanelwe yimbeko—iqela leengelosi labaxelela ukuba uMesiya, owayelindelwe ngabantu bakaThixo kangangamawaka eminyaka, wayesandul’ ukuzalwa eBhetelehem. Yayingala madoda, kungekhona “ookumkani abathathu” ababakho ngokufuthi kwimifanekiso yokuZalwa kukaYesu, abatyelela uMariya noYosefu baza bambona lo mntwana umsulwa owayelele emkhumbini.—Luka 2:15-20.

UYehova Uyabathanda Abo Bafuna Inyaniso Ngokuthobeka

UThixo uyabathanda abantu abathobekileyo abamthandayo nabakulangazelela ngomdla ukubona ukuzaliseka kweenjongo zakhe. La ngamazwi agxininiswa ziziganeko eziphathelele ukuzalwa kukaYesu. Xa wayemalunga nenyanga ezelwe umntwana, uYosefu noMariya bamnikela etempileni kuba babethobela uMthetho kaMoses, benza umnikelo ‘ngesibini samahobe asendle okanye amagobo amabini amavukuthu.’ (Luka 2:22-24) Eneneni uMthetho wawufuna inkunzi yegusha, kodwa wawuwuvumela lo mnikelo mncinane ngenxa yobuhlwempu. (Levitikus 12:1-8) Khawufan’ ucinge. UYehova uThixo, uMongami wendalo iphela, wonyula kungekhona intsapho ezizityebi, kodwa leyo yamahlwempu njengendlu apho uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, namthandayo wayeza kukhuliselwa khona. Ukuba ungumzali, oku kumele kukukhumbuze ngokucacileyo ukuba esona sipho sibalulekileyo unokusipha abantwana bakho—esingaphezu kobutyebi okanye imfundo abantu abayixhomela amehlo—likhaya elibeka izilangazelelo zokomoya kuqala.

Etempileni, abanye abakhonzi ababini abathembekileyo, nabathobekileyo bababalwa nguYehova. Omnye nguAna, umhlolokazi oneminyaka engama-84 ubudala “owayengazange aphoswe kukuba setempileni.” (Luka 2:36, 37) Omnye yindoda ethembekileyo neseyikhulile egama linguSimeyon. Bobabini bachwayitile ngenxa yelungelo abalinikwe nguThixo—ngaphambi kokuba bafe, elokubona uMesiya othenjisiweyo. USimeyon uyaprofeta ngalo mntwana. Sisiprofeto esizaliswe lithemba kodwa nesihambisana nentlungu. Uxela kusengaphambili ukuba lo mama uselula onguMariya, ngenye imini uya kuba sentlungwini ekhalela unyana wakhe amthanda gqitha.—Luka 2:25-35.

Umntwana Osengozini

Isiprofeto sikaSimeyon sisikhumbuzo esibuhlungu sokuba lo mntwana umsulwa wayeya kuthiywa. Wathiywa eseyimveku. Ingxelo kaMateyu isixelela isizathu sokuba kube njalo. Sekudlule iinyanga eziliqela, yaye uYosefu, uMariya noYesu ngoku bahlala kwindlu ethile eBhetelehem. Batyelelwa ngabantu abaliqela basemzini abangabalindelanga. Phezu kwako nje oko kuboniswa yimifanekiso eliqela yokuZalwa kukaYesu, uMateyu akachazi ngokuthe ngqo ukuba kweza amadoda amangaphi, engawabizi nangokuthi “ngamadoda anobulumko,” kungasathethwa ke ngokuthi “ngookumkani abathathu.” Usebenzisa igama lesiGrike elithi maʹgoi, elithetha “abavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi.” Kukodwa nje oku kumele kumthele thupha umfundi ukuba kukho unyawo lwemfene kule nto, kuba ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi kuyagwetywa liLizwi likaThixo yaye amaYuda athembekileyo ayekuphepha ngokungqongqo oku.—Duteronomi 18:10-12; Isaya 47:13, 14.

Aba bavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi balandela inkwenkwezi evela empuma yaye baphethe izipho ‘zalowo uzelweyo ukumkani wamaYuda.’ (Mateyu 2:2) Kodwa inkwenkwezi ayibakhokeleli eBhetelehem. Ibasa eYerusalem kuHerode oMkhulu. Lowo kuphela komntu emhlabeni owayenendlela nomnqweno wokwenzakalisa usana olunguYesu. Le ndoda inamabhongo nengumbulali yayibulele iqela lamalungu entsapho yayo eyayiwagqala njengamsongelayo.a Iphazamisekile kukuva ngokuzalwa ‘kokumkani wamaYuda,’ ithuma abavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi ukuba baye kumkhangela Lowo eBhetelehem. Njengoko behamba, kwenzeka into engaqhelekanga. “Inkwenkwezi” eyayibakhokela ukuya eYerusalem kubonakala ngathi iyahamba!—Mateyu 2:1-9.

Phofu ke, enoba oku yayikukukhanya kokwenene esibhakabhakeni okanye yayingumbono nje, asazi. Kodwa siyazi ukuba le ‘nkwenkwezi’ yayingaveli kuThixo. Ngobuqili obungaqhelekanga, ikhokelela aba banquli bangabahedeni kuYesu—umntwana osesichengeni, nongenakuzinceda, okhuselwe ngumchweli olihlwempu nomfazi wakhe kuphela. Aba bavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi, ngokuqinisekileyo abaziziphukuphuku zikaHerode, kwakulindeleke ukuba babuye beze nengxelo kulo mlawuli unenqala, nto leyo eyayiza kukhokelela ekutshatyalalisweni komntwana. Kodwa uThixo uyangenelela ngephupha aze abagoduse ngenye indlela. Ngoko ke, le “nkwenkwezi” kusenokwenzeka ukuba yayilicebo lotshaba lukaThixo uSathana, owayenokwenza nantoni na ukuze enzakalise uMesiya. Hayi indlela okuyimpoxo ngayo ukuba “inkwenkwezi” nabavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi baboniswe kwimifanekiso yokuZalwa kukaYesu njengezithunywa zikaThixo!—Mateyu 2:9-12.

Sekunjalo, uSathana akanikezeli. Unopopi wakhe amsebenzisayo, uKumkani uHerode uyalela ukuba zonke iintsana zaseBhetelehem ezingaphantsi kweminyaka emibini zibulawe. Kodwa uSathana akasokuze aphumelele xa esilwa noYehova. UMateyu ubonisa ukuba uThixo wayesele ekubone kudala ukubulawa ngokungenalusizi kwabantwana abamsulwa. UYehova waphinda wamoyisa uSathana, esebenzisa ingelosi walumkisa uYosefu ukuba abalekele eYiputa ukuze akhuseleke. UMateyu unikela ingxelo yokuba kamva uYosefu wafuduka kwakhona nentsapho yakhe encinane waza wahlala eNazarete, apho uYesu wakhulela khona nabanakwabo noodadewabo abaza emva kwakhe.—Mateyu 2:13-23; 13:55, 56.

Ukuzalwa KukaKristu—Oko Kukuthethayo Kuwe

Ngaba uyamangaliswa xa ufunda olu shwankathelo lweziganeko zokuzalwa kukaYesu nobomi bakhe esengumntwana? Abaninzi bayamangaliswa. Bamangaliswa kukufumanisa ukuba ezi ngxelo ziyavisisana yaye zichanile, phezu kwazo nje izityholo ezinamandla ezivela kwabanye abantu ezichaseneyo noko. Bayamangaliswa kukufumanisa ukuba ezinye iziganeko zazixelwe kwiminyaka engamakhulu ngaphambilana. Yaye bayamangaliswa kukuba ezinye zeenkalo ezibalulekileyo kwiVangeli zahluke mpela kwimifanekiso yamabali okuZalwa kukaYesu.

Noko ke, mhlawumbi okona kumangalisa ngakumbi kukuba xa kusenziwa izithethe zokubhiyozela iKrismesi kushiywa iinkalo ezibalulekileyo zebali leVangeli. Ngokomzekelo, akucingwa kangako ngoYise kaYesu—kungekhona uYosefu, kodwa uYehova uThixo. Khawucinge ngendlela awayevakalelwa ngayo xa wanikezela ngoNyana wakhe amthandayo kuYosefu nakuMariya ukuba bamkhulise baze bamondle. Khawucinge ngentlungu awayekuyo uBawo wasezulwini xa wayebona uNyana wakhe ekhulela kwihlabathi apho ikumkani ezaliswe yintiyo yayiza kuceba ukumbulala esengumntwana! Yayiluthando olunzulu ngoluntu olwashukumisela uYehova ukuba abonakalise ukuzincama okulolu hlobo.—Yohane 3:16.

Ngokufuthi uYesu wokwenene akasacingwa kwimibhiyozo yeKrismesi. Kaloku, akukho ngxelo ethi wakhe waxelela abafundi bakhe usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa; yaye akukho nanye into ebonisa ukuba abalandeli bakhe balubhiyozela usuku awazalwa ngalo.

Yayingekuko ukuzalwa kukaYesu kodwa yayikukufa kwakhe—isiganeko esibalulekileyo embalini—awayalela abalandeli bakhe ukuba basikhumbule. (Luka 22:19, 20) UYesu wayengafuni ukukhunjulwa njengomntwana ongenakuzenzela nto osemkhumbini, kuba akasekho njalo ngoku. Kwiminyaka engaphezu kwengama-60 emva kokubulawa kwakhe, uYesu wazityhila embonweni kumpostile uYohane njengoKumkani onamandla ophalisa esiya edabini. (ISityhilelo 19:11-16) Namhlanje sifanele simazi uYesu njengoMlawuli woBukumkani bukaThixo basezulwini, kuba unguKumkani oya kuguqula eli hlabathi.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Ngaba Uluka Wayephazama?

UYESU owakhulela eNazerete nowayesaziwa njengomNazarete kwakunokwenzeka njani ukuthi kanti wayezalelwe eBhetelehem, ekumgama oziikhilomitha ezili-150? ULuka uyacacisa: “Ke kaloku ngaloo mihla [ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaYesu] kwaphuma ummiselo kuKesare Agasto wokuba wonke umhlaba omiweyo ubhaliswe; (olu bhaliso lokuqala lwenzeka xa uKwiriniyo wayeyirhuluneli yaseSiriya;) yaye bonke abantu baqala ukuhamba besiya kubhaliswa, ngamnye kwisixeko sakowabo.”—Luka 1:1; 2:1-3.

Abagxeki bakugxeka kanobom oku njengempazamo okanye, ngeliphandle, njengobuxoki. Bama ngelithi olu balo nolu lawulo lukaKwiriniyo lwaqala ngowe-6 okanye ngowe-7 C.E. Ukuba banyanisile, oku bekuya kubangela intandabuzo enkulu kwingxelo kaLuka, kuba ubungqina bubonisa ukuba uYesu wazalwa ngowe-2 B.C.E. Kodwa aba bagxeki bagatya iingongoma ezimbini ezibalulekileyo. Eyokuqala, uLuka uyavuma ukuba kwakukhe kwakho olunye ubalo—phawula ukuba ubhekisela “kolu bhaliso lokuqala.” Wayelwazi nolunye, ubhaliso lwamva. (IZenzo 5:37) Olu bhaliso lwamva lolo lwachazwa ngumbhali-mbali uJosephus, olwenzeka ngowe-6 C.E. Eyesibini, ulawulo lukaKwiriniyo alusinyanzeli ukuba sithi uYesu wazalwa kolu suku lwamva. Ngoba? Kungenxa yokuba kukho ubungqina bokuba uKwiriniyo wayekweso sikhundla kabini. Uninzi lwabaphengululi luthi ulawulo lwakhe lokuqala lwaluquka owe-2 B.C.E.

Abanye abagxeki bathi uLuka waluyila olu bhaliso kuba efuna ukuba nesizathu sokuba uYesu azalelwe eBhetelehem, ngaloo ndlela ezalisekisa isiprofeto sikaMika 5:2. Le ngxelo imenza uLuka abe libhedengu lokwenene, yaye akukho mgxeki unokunxulumanisa eso sityholo nombhali-mbali owayenobuchule owabhala le Vangeli nencwadi yeZenzo.

Enye into engenakucaciswa nguye nawuphi na umgxeki yeyokuba: Ubhaliso ngokwalo lwazalisekisa isiprofeto! Ngenkulungwane yesithandathu Ngaphambi Kwexesha Eliqhelekileyo, umprofeti uDaniyeli waprofeta ngomlawuli othile oya kube ‘ecandisa abaqhubi babantu ebungangamsheni bobukumkani.’ Ngaba oku kwakubhekisele kuAgasto nomyalelo wakhe wokuba kubekho ubhaliso kwaSirayeli? Kaloku, isiprofeto sihlabela mgama sixela kusengaphambili ukuba uMesiya, okanye ‘iNkokeli yomnqophiso,’ yayiya “kwaphulwa” ebudeni bokulawula kwalowo ungene endaweni yalo mlawuli. Eneneni uYesu ‘waphulwa,’ waza wabulawa, ebudeni bokulawula kwalowo wayelilandela lika-Agasto, uTibheriyo.—Daniyeli 11:20-22.

[Imifanekiso]

UKesare Agasto (27 B.C.E.–14 C.E.)

UTibheriyo Kesare (14-37 C.E.)

[Inkcazelo]

Musée de Normandie, Caen, France

Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]

Ingelosi kaYehova yababala abalusi abathobekileyo ngeendaba ezilungileyo zokuzalwa kukaKristu