UYesu nabafundi bakhe bahleli iingokuhlwa ezintathu eBhethani emva kokufika kwabo bevela eYeriko. Ngoku, kwakusasa ngoMvulo, ngoNisan 10, baya eYerusalem. UYesu ulambile. Ngenxa yaloo nto xa ebona umthi wamafiya uya kuwo. Ngaba uyawafumana?

Kusengasekupheleni kukaMatshi, amafiya awakazokubakho de kube ngoJuni. Kodwa lo mthi sowunamagqabi aphume ngaphambi kwexesha. Mhlawumbi uYesu ucinga ukuba namafiya aphume ngaphambi kwexesha. Kodwa ufika kungekho nelinye. La magqabi ayaqhatha nje. Ngenxa yalo nto uYesu uthi: “Makungaze kuphinde kubekho mntu utya mafiya aphuma kuwe ngonaphakade.” (Marko 11:14) Ngoko nangoko lo mthi uyoma, ibe iza kucaca ngemini elandelayo ukuba ithetha ntoni le nto.

Akubi kudala, uYesu nabafundi bakhe bafike eYerusalem. Uya etempileni, le ebejonge izinto ezenzeka kuyo emva kwemini izolo. Namhlanje akajongi nje izinto ezenzeka kuyo, wenza into efana nale ebeyenze kwiminyaka emithathu edlulileyo kwiPasika ka-30 C.E. (Yohane 2:14-16) Ugxotha ‘abantu abathengisa nabathenga etempileni.’ Uwisa ‘iitafile zabo zokutshintsha imali nezitulo zabo bathengisa amahobe.’ (Marko 11:15) Akavumeli nomntu ophethe izinto esiya kwenye indawo ekwalapha esixekweni anqumle kwiyadi yetempile.

Kutheni uYesu esenza le nto kwaba bantu batshintsha imali nabathengisa izilwanyana etempileni? Uthi: “Akubhalwanga na kwathiwa, ‘Indlu yam iza kubizwa ngokuba yindlu yomthandazo yazo zonke iintlanga’? Kodwa nina niyenze indawo yootsotsi.” (Marko 11:17) Uthi la madoda ngootsotsi kuba ababiza imali eninzi abantu abafuna ukuthenga izilwanyana abaza kunikela ngazo. UYesu uyijonga njengokuqhatha okanye ukutsotsa le nto bayenzayo.

Ngokulindelekileyo ababingeleli abaziintloko, ababhali, nezikhulu zabantu bayayiva into eyenziwe nguYesu, baze bafune ngakumbi ukumbulala. Kodwa ingxaki kukuba abayazi ukuba baza kumbulala njani kuba abantu baya kuye.

Akuyi amaYuda qha kodwa kuya nabantu abaguqukele ebuYudeni, abaze ePasikeni. Phakathi kwabo kukho namaGrike, azokukhonza kweli theko. Aya kuFilipu, mhlawumbi kuba enegama lesiGrike, aze acele ukubona uYesu. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uFilipu akaqinisekanga ukuba ivumelekile na loo nto, ngoko uya kuAndreya. Bobabini baxelela uYesu, ekubonakala ukuba uselapha etempileni.

UYesu uyayazi ukuba uza kufa kwiintsuku ezimbalwa ezizayo, ngoko eli ayiloxesha lokuba abe ezithandisa ebantwini. Ubaphendula ngokubenzela umzekelo aba bapostile babini. Uthi: “Lifikile ixesha lokuba uNyana womntu azukiswe. Ndiyaniqinisekisa ukuba, ukuba ukhozo lwengqolowa aluweli emhlabeni luze lufe, luhlala lulukhozo nje olunye; kodwa ukuba luyafa, luthwala ingqolowa eninzi.”​—Yohane 12:23, 24.

Ukhozo olunye lwengqolowa lusenokubonakala lungenaxabiso. Kodwa ukuba lufakwa emhlabeni luze “lufe” njengokhozo, luza kukhula luze ekuhambeni kwexesha lube ludiza oluvelisa iinkozo ezininzi. NoYesu ke ngumntu nje omnye ongenasono. Kodwa ngenxa yokuthembeka kwakhe kuThixo ade afe, uza kubanika ubomi obungunaphade abantu abaninzi abazincamayo njengaye. Yiloo nto esithi: “Nabani na obuthandayo ubomi bakhe, uyabutshabalalisa, kodwa nabani na obucaphukelayo ubomi bakhe kweli hlabathi, uza kubukhusela ngonaphakade.”​—Yohane 12:25.

UYesu akacingi ngesiqu sakhe qha kuba uthi: “Ukuba nabani na ufuna ukundisebenzela, makandilandele, abe kunye nam apho ndikhoyo. UTata uza kumsikelela nabani na ondisebenzelayo.” (Yohane 12:26) Awukho omnye umvuzo omkhulu kunalo. Abo basikelelwe nguTata baza kulawula noKristu kuBukumkani.

UYesu ucinga ngezinto eziza kwenzeka kuye nokuba uza kufa kabuhlungu, aze athi: “Ndikhathazeke kakhulu, ndingathini kodwa? Tata, ndisindise kweli xesha lentlungu.” Kodwa akafuni ukukuphepha ukwenza le nto ifunwa nguTata wakhe. Wongeza athi: “Kodwa ke, bendizele loo nto emhlabeni.” (Yohane 12:27) Uyavumelana nayo yonke into efunwa nguThixo, nale yokufa kwakhe.

Etempileni ngoMvulo ngoNisan 10, uYesu uthetha ngokufa kwakhe. Unexhala yindlela eliza kungcoliswa ngayo igama likaThixo. Ngenxa yaloo nto uthi: “Tata, lizukise igama lakho.” Kuvakala ilizwi elikhulu liphuma ezulwini lisithi: “Ndilizukisile, ibe ndiza kuphinda ndilizukise.”​—Yohane 12:27, 28.

Abantu abakufutshane babhidekile ibe abayazi nokuba mabathini. Abanye bacinga ukuba bekududuma. Abanye bathi: “Ibiyingelosi, ithetha naye.” (Yohane 12:29) Kodwa, nguYehova lo bamve ethetha. Ayiqali ukwenzeka into yokuba abantu beve ilizwi likaThixo bekunye noYesu.

Kwiminyaka emithathu enehafu ngaphambili, xa uYohane umBhaptizi ebebhaptiza uYesu, weva uThixo esithi ngaye: “Lo nguNyana wam endimthandayo, nondivuyisayo.” Ekuhambeni kwexesha xa bekuphela iPasika ka-32 C.E., uYesu uye watshintsha embonweni phambi kukaYakobi, uYohane noPetros. La madoda mathathu eva uThixo esithi: “Lo nguNyana wam endimthandayo, nondivuyisayo. Mmameleni.” (Mateyu 3:17; 17:5) Kodwa ngoku, uYehova uthetha okwesithathu ibe uthetha ngendlela yokuba aviwe ngabantu abaninzi.

UYesu uthi: “Eli lizwi livakele ukuze lincede nina, hayi mna.” (Yohane 12:30) Bubungqina obu bokuba unguye nyhani uNyana KaThixo, uMesiya ekwakuthiwe uyeza.

Enye into, uYesu akagungqi ekukhonzeni uYehova ibe loo nto ibonisa abantu indlela abamele baphile ngayo ize ibonise ukuba uSathana uMtyholi umlawuli weli hlabathi umele atshatyalaliswe. UYesu uthi: “Ngoku uThixo uyaligweba eli hlabathi; ibe umlawuli weli hlabathi uza kugxothwa.” Ukufa kukaYesu akuzokuthetha ukuba woyisiwe endaweni yoko kuza kuthetha ukuba woyisile. Njani? Uthi: “Kanti ke mna, xa ndixhonywa, ndiza kutsalela kum zonke iintlobo zabantu.” (Yohane 12:31, 32) Xa esifa esibondeni, uza kutsalela abantu kuye aze abavulele indlela eya kubomi obungunaphakade.

Abantu baphendula into ayithethileyo ‘ngokuxhonywa,’ bathi: “Seva eMthethweni ukuba uKristu uza kuphila ngonaphakade. Utsho njani ke wena ukuba uNyana womntu uza kubethelelwa? Ngubani lo Nyana womntu uthetha ngaye?” (Yohane 12:34) Nangona kukho ubungqina obuninzi nabantu bede beva ilizwi likaThixo, abaninzi abayamkeli into yokuba uYesu unguye nyhani uNyana womntu, uMesiya owayethenjisiwe.

Njengokuba uYesu ebekhe wenza ngaphambili, xa ethetha ngaye uzibiza “ukukhanya.” (Yohane 8:12; 9:5) Uthi ebantwini: “Ukukhanya akuzukuba phakathi kwenu ixesha elide. Hambani ngoku kusakhanya, ukuze ningoyiswa bubumnyama . . . Zikholelweni nize nizenze izinto ezifundiswa kukukhanya, ngoku kusekhona emhlabeni, ukuze nibe ngoonyana bokukhanya.” (Yohane 12:35, 36) Emva koko uYesu uyahamba kuba akamele afe ngoNisan 10. Umele ‘axhonywe’ aze abethelelwe esibondeni ngePasika kaNisan 14.​—Galati 3:13.

Ukuba sicinga ngendlela ebeshumayela ngayo, kucacile ukuba xa amaYuda ebengabonisi ukholo kuye bekusenzeka into eyayiprofetiwe. UIsaya wachaza kwangaphambili ukuba amehlo abantu ayeza kuvaleka, iintliziyo zabo zibe lukhuni ukuze bangaguquki baze baphiliswe. (Isaya 6:10; Yohane 12:40) Nyhani ke amaYuda awabufuni ubungqina bokuba uYesu nguMsindisi othenjisiweyo, nendlela eya ebomini.

UNikodemo, uYosefu waseArimathiya, nabanye abalawuli abaninzi ‘bayamkholelwa.’ Kodwa ngaba baza kuzenza ezi zinto bazikholelwayo, okanye baza kuzibamba kuba besoyika ukugxothwa kwizindlu ekukhonzelwa kuzo, okanye kuba ‘bekhetha ukuzukiswa’?​—Yohane 12:42, 43.

UYesu ucacisa ngokwakhe ukuba kuthetha ukuthini ukukholelwa kuye. Uthi: “Nabani na ondikholelwayo, akakholelwa mna ndodwa, kodwa ukholelwa naLowo undithumileyo; ibe nabani na ondibonayo, ubona naLowo undithumileyo.” Inyani uThixo ayinike uYesu ukuba ayifundise abantu ibalulekile, ibe uYesu ude athi: “Ikho into emgwebayo umntu ongandamkeliyo nongazihoyiyo izinto endizithethayo. Uza kugwetywa zizinto endizithethayo ngomhla wokugqibela.”​—Yohane 12:44, 45, 48.

Ugqibezela ngokuthi: “Kaloku izinto endizithetha kuni azisuki kum, kodwa nguTata ondiyalele ukuba ndithethe njani, okanye ndithini. Ndiyazi ukuba ukuthobela imiyalelo yakhe kuthetha ubomi obungunaphakade.” (Yohane 12:49, 50) UYesu uyayazi ukuba sele lisondele ixesha lokuba lichitheke igazi lakhe ngenxa yabantu abazikholelwayo izinto azifundisayo baze bazenze.​—Roma 5:8, 9.