Oko Sikufunda Kwingxelo Yokuzalwa KukaYesu
IZIGIDI zabantu ziba nomdla kwiziganeko ezenzeka ekuzalweni kukaYesu. Oku kubonwa ngemiboniso nemidlalo engokuZalwa kukaYesu eyenziwa emhlabeni wonke ngexesha leKrismesi. Nangona zibangela umdla, iziganeko ezenzeka ekuzalweni kukaYesu azizange zibhalwe eBhayibhileni ukuze zonwabise abantu. Kunoko, ziyinxalenye yeZibhalo uThixo aziphefumlele ukuba zifundise zize zilungelelanise izinto.—2 Timoti 3:16.
Ukuba uThixo wayefuna amaKristu abhiyozele ukuzalwa kukaYesu, ngoko iBhayibhile ngeyixele usuku olungqalileyo. Ngaba iyaluxela? Emva kokuchaza ukuba uYesu wazalwa ngexesha xa abalusi babengaphandle ebusuku bejonge imihlambi yabo, umphengululi weBhayibhile wenkulungwane ye-19 uAlbert Barnes wagqiba ngelithi: “Kucacile ukuba uMsindisi wazalwa ngaphambi kukaDisemba 25 . . . Ngelo xesha kuyabanda, yaye ingakumbi kwiindawo eziphakamileyo nezineentaba kufutshane neBhetelehem. UThixo uye walifihla ixesha lokuzalwa [kukaYesu]. . . . Yaye kwakungabalulekanga ukulazi eli xesha; ukuba bekubalulekile, uThixo ngewayeyigcinile loo ngxelo.”
Ngokwahlukileyo koko, ababhali beencwadi zeVangeli abane basichazela ngokucacileyo ngosuku uYesu awafa ngalo. Wafa ngomhla wePasika, eyayingomhla we-14 ngenyanga yamaYuda kaNisan, entwasahlobo. Ngaphezu koko, uYesu wayalela ngokungqalileyo abalandeli bakhe ukuba bawubhiyozele loo mhla ukuze bamkhumbule. (Luka 22:19) IBhayibhile ayiqulathanga myalelo wokubhiyozela ukuzalwa kukaYesu, okanye naye nawuphi na omnye umntu. Okubuhlungu kukuba, iimpikiswano ngosuku lokuzalwa kukaYesu zisenokufihla ezona ziganeko zibalulekileyo ezenzeka malunga nelo xesha.
Abazali Abakhethwe NguThixo
Phakathi kweentsapho ezininzi zakwaSirayeli, uThixo wakhetha uhlobo olunjani lwabazali ukuze bakhulise uNyana wakhe? Ngaba wacinga ukuba izinto ezinjengokwaziwa nobutyebi zibalulekile? Akunjalo. Kunoko, uYehova wayejonge abazali abaneempawu zokomoya. Khawucinge ngengoma kaMariya yendumiso, ebhalwe kuLuka 1:46-55, awayicula emva kokuba echazelwe ngelungelo lokuba uza kuba ngumama kaMesiya. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, wathi: “Umphefumlo wam umenza mkhulu uYehova . . . ngenxa yokuba uye wakhangela kwisigxina esiphantsi sekhobokazana lakhe.” Ngokuthobeka wayezijonga njengalowo ‘ukwisigxina esiphantsi,’ ikhobokazana likaYehova. Okubaluleke nangakumbi kukuba, amazwi amnandi okudumisa kwingoma kaMariya atyhila ukuba wayengumntu okhulileyo ngokomoya owayenolwazi oluhle lweZibhalo. Nangona eyinzala ka-Adam enesono, wayekufanelekele ukukhethwa njengomama woNyana kaThixo.
Kuthekani ngomyeni kaMariya, owaba ngutata kaYesu? UYosefu wayeyindoda enolwazi ngokuchwela. Ngenxa yokuthanda kwakhe ukusebenza nzima ngezandla zakhe, wayekwazi ukunyamekela intsapho yakhe eyathi ekugqibeleni yanda yaba noonyana abahlanu yaye ubuncinane neentombi ezimbini. (Mateyu 13:55, 56) UYosefu wayengesosityebi. Xa kwafika ixesha lokuba uMariya azise izibulo lakhe kwitempile kaThixo, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uYosefu wayebuhlungu kuba wayengenakunikela umbingelelo wemvu. Kunoko, kwafuneka basebenzise umnikelo owawulungiselelwe abantu abangamahlwempu. Ngokuphathelele unina wonyana osandul’ ukuzalwa, umthetho kaThixo wathi: “Kodwa ukuba akabanga nako ukufumana imvu, umele ke ngoko athabathe amahobe asendle abe mabini okanye amantshontsho amavukuthu abe mabini, elinye libe lelomnikelo otshiswayo lize elinye libe lelomnikelo wesono, aze umbingeleli amcamagushele, andule ke ahlambuluke.”—Levitikus 12:8; Luka 2:22-24.
IBhayibhile ithi uYosefu “wayelilungisa.” (Mateyu 1:19) Ngokomzekelo, akazange abe neentlobano zesini nomfazi wakhe onyulu de kwasemva kokuzalwa kukaYesu. Oku kwathintela ukuba kungabikho nakuphi na ukungaqondakali malunga noYise kaYesu wokwenene. Kusenokuba kwakungelula ngesibini esasisandul’ ukutshata ukuba singabi nantlobano zesini ngoxa sihlala kunye, kodwa oko kwabonisa ukuba bobabini babelixabisile ilungelo lokukhethwa ukuba bakhulise uNyana kaThixo.—Mateyu 1:24, 25.
NjengoMariya, uYosefu wayengumntu oqolileyo ngokomoya. Nyaka ngamnye wayewuyeka umsebenzi aze athabathe intsapho yakhe ukuze bahambe iintsuku ezintathu besuka eNazarete besinge eYerusalem besiya kumsitho waminyaka le wePasika. (Luka 2:41) Kwakhona, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uYosefu wamqeqesha uYesu oselula ukuba abe nenxaxheba veki nganye kunqulo olwalukwindlu yesikhungu yasekuhlaleni, apho iLizwi likaThixo lalifundwa lize licaciswe khona. (Luka 2:51; 4:16) Ngaloo ndlela, alithandabuzeki elokuba uThixo wamkhethela uNyana wakhe uyise nonina abafanelekileyo basemhlabeni.
Iintsikelelo Ezinkulu Zabalusi Abathobekileyo
Nangona kwakunzima ngomfazi wakhe, ngoku owayekhulelwe iinyanga ezisithoba, uYosefu waya kwisixeko sooyisemkhulu ukuya kubhalisa, ngokuvisisana nomyalelo kaKesare. Xa esi sibini safika eBhetelehem, asizange sifumane indawo yokulala kweso sixeko siphithizelayo. Ngenxa yoko iimeko zabanyanzelisa ukuba basebenzise isitali samahashe, apho uYesu wazalelwa khona waza wabekwa emkhumbini. Ukuze omeleze ukholo lwabo, uYehova waqinisekisa aba bazali bathobekileyo ukuba oku yayikukuthanda kukaThixo. Ngaba wathumela igqiza lamadoda amakhulu aziwayo asuka eBhetelehem ukuze aqinisekise esi sibini? Akunjalo. Kunoko, uYehova uThixo wawutyhila lo mbandela kubalusi abakhutheleyo ababechitha ubusuku ngaphandle bejonge imihlambi yabo.
Ingelosi kaThixo yabonakala kubo yaza yabaxelela ukuba mabaye eBhetelehem, apho baya kufumana uMesiya osandul’ ukuzalwa ‘elele emkhumbini.’ Ngaba la madoda athobekileyo othuka okanye aba neentloni ukuva ukuba uMesiya osandul’ ukuzalwa wayesesitalini? Nakanye! Ngaphandle kokulibazisa ashiya imihlambi yawo aza aya eBhetelehem. Xa afumana uYesu, axelela uYosefu noMariya oko ingelosi kaThixo yayikuthethile. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, oku kwalomeleza ukholo lwesi sibini lokuba zonke izinto zazihamba ngendlela uThixo awayemisele ngayo. “Abalusi babuyela emva, bemzukisa yaye bemdumisa uThixo ngenxa yazo zonke izinto abazivayo nabazibonayo.” (Luka 2:8-20) Ewe, ngokutyhila lo mbandela kubalusi aboyika uThixo, uYehova wayenze ukhetho olufanelekileyo.
Koku kungasentla, sifunde uhlobo lwabantu esifanele sibe lulo ukuze sikholise uYehova. Akukho mfuneko yakufuna ukubaluleka okanye ukuba sisityebi. Kunoko, njengoYosefu noMariya nabalusi, sifanele sithobele uThixo size sibonakalise uthando lwethu kuye ngokubeka izinto zokomoya ngaphambi kwezinto eziphathekayo. Eneneni, kukho izifundo esinokuzifunda ngokucamngca ngengxelo yeziganeko ezenzeka malunga nexesha lokuzalwa kukaYesu.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Kubonisa ntoni ukunikela kukaMariya ngamahobe amabini?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
UThixo wakhetha ukukutyhila ukuzalwa kukaYesu kubalusi abambalwa abathobekileyo