UKumkani Ungena EYerusalem Ekhwele Inkonyane

Ngemini elandelayo, ngeCawa ngoNisan 9, uYesu uyemka eBhethani nabafundi bakhe aye eYerusalem. Bathi xa besondela eBhethefage kwiNtaba YemiNquma, uYesu athi kubafundi bakhe ababini:

“Hambani niye kule lali iphambi kwenu; niza kubona idonki ibotshelelwe nenkonyane layo. Zikhululeni, nizizise kum. Ukuba kukho umntu onibuzayo, ze nithi, ‘Ziyafunwa yiNkosi.’ Uza kutsho aninike ngoko nangoko.”​—Mateyu 21:2, 3.

Abafundi bakaYesu ababoni ukuba le nto abathuma yona sisiprofeto seBhayibhile. Kodwa ekuhambeni kwexesha bayabona ukuba kwenzeka isiprofeto sikaZekariya. Wachaza ukuba uKumkani othenjiswe nguThixo uza kuza eYerusalem ‘ethobekile yaye ekhwele idonki, ithole eliyinkunzi, inkonyane yemazi yedonki.’​—Zekariya 9:9.

Xa abafundi befika eBhethefage baze bathathe inkonyane nomama walo, abantu abeme kufutshane bayabuza bathi: “Nilikhululela ntoni elo nkonyane?” (Marko 11:5) Xa besiva ukuba ezi zilwanyana zifunwa yiNkosi, bayabayeka abafundi bazise kuYesu. Abafundi babeka izambatho zabo zangaphezulu kule donki kunye nenkonyane layo kodwa uYesu uqabela kwinkonyane.

Abantu baya besanda njengokuba uYesu esiya ngaseYerusalem. Abaninzi bandlala izambatho zabo endleleni. Abanye bagawula “amasebe emasimini” baze bawandlale endleleni. Bayakhwaza bathi: “Msindise! Usikelelwe lowo uza egameni likaYehova! Busikelelwe uBukumkani obuzayo bukatata wethu uDavide!” (Marko 11:8-10) AbaFarisi abaphakathi kwaba bantu bayacaphuka xa bebava. Bathi kuYesu: “Mfundisi, nqanda aba abafundi bakho.” Kodwa yena uthi kubo: “Ndithi kuni, ukuba aba bantu bangathula, kungathetha amatye.”​—Luka 19:39, 40.

Uthi xa ebona iYerusalem aqalise ukulila aze athi: “Akwaba ubuye wayibona namhlanje into efunekayo ukuze ube noxolo, kodwa ngoku ezi zinto zifihliwe kuwe.” IYerusalem iza kohlwaywa ngenxa yokungathobeli kwayo ngabom. UYesu uthi: “Iintshaba zakho ziza kukurhangqa ngeepali ezitsolo, zikuxine macala onke. Ziza kukugadlela phantsi, wena nabo bonke abantwana bakho, ibe akukho nalinye ilitye eliza kushiyeka phezu kwelinye kuwe.” (Luka 19:42-44) Nyhani ke njengokuba uYesu etshilo, iYerusalem yatshatyalaliswa ngo-70 C.E.

Xa engena eYerusalem, kubakho “isiphithiphithi esixekweni, ingulowo esithi: ‘Ngubani lo?’” Aba bantu bahamba noYesu bamane bephendula besithi: “Lo ngumprofeti uYesu, waseNazarete eGalili!” (Mateyu 21:10, 11) Abanye baba bantu bahamba noYesu bebembonile evusa uLazaro. Ngoku baxelela abanye ngaloo mmangaliso. AbaFarisi bathi boyisiwe. Bathetha bodwa besithi: “Ihlabathi lonke liyamlandela.”​—Yohane 12:18, 19.

Njengokuba uYesu eqhele ukwenza xa eye eYerusalem, uya etempileni ayokufundisa. Apho uphilisa abantu abangaboniyo nabaziziqhwala. Xa ababingeleli abaziintloko nababhali bebona ezi zinto azenzayo baze beve namakhwenkwe ekhwaza etempileni esithi “Thixo, sindisa uNyana kaDavide!” baba nomsindo. Ezi nkokheli zenkonzo yamaYuda zibuza uYesu zithi: “Uyayiva na le nto ithethwa ngaba bantwana?” Uthi kuzo: “Anizange niyifunde na eZibhalweni indawo ethi, ‘Wena wenza abantwana neentsana bakudumise’?”​—Mateyu 21:15, 16.

UYesu ujonga izinto ezenzekayo etempileni. Ngoku sele kurhatyele ngenxa yaloo nto uyahamba nabapostile bakhe. Ngaphambi kokuba kuqale uNisan 10, ubuyela eBhethani aze ahlale apho ngeCawa ebusuku.