Ungubani UJesu Kristu?
NGOKOMLANDO othembekile, indoda egama layo linguJesu yazalwa eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-2 000 edlule eBhetlehema, idolobhana ezweni laseJudiya. Ngaleso sikhathi, uHerode Omkhulu wayeyinkosi eJerusalema, uKhesari Awugustu engumbusi eRoma. (Mathewu 2:1; Luka 2:1-7) Izazi-mlando zamaRoma zala makhulu amabili okuqala ngokuvamile zazikugwema ukukhuluma ngoJesu, njengoba ababusi baseRoma ngaleso sikhathi babezama ukubuqeda nyá ubuKristu.
Kodwa i-Historians’ History of the World ithi: “Kuwo wonke umlando, imisebenzi [kaJesu] yayiphawuleka kakhulu kunemisebenzi yanoma yimuphi omunye umuntu, futhi yayiphawuleka ngisho nakubantu abangenandaba nenkolo. Izizwe ezivelele emhlabeni ngokuvamile zithi inkathi entsha yaqala ngesikhathi sokuzalwa [kukaJesu].”
Umagazini i-Time wabika ukuthi kuwo wonke umlando, kuye kwabhalwa izincwadi eziningi ezikhuluma ngoJesu kunanoma imuphi omunye umuntu. Eziningi zalezi zincwadi zigxila kakhulu endabeni yokuthi uJesu ungubani ngempela. Kuwo wonke umlando wesintu, ayikho enye indaba okuye kwaphikiswana ngayo kunale yokuthi uJesu ungubani ngempela.
Abantu Bangesikhathi SikaJesu Babezibuza Ukuthi Ungubani
Lapho uMariya etshelwa ukuthi uzothola umntwana nokuthi kumelwe amqambe ngokuthi uJesu, wabuza: “Lokhu kuyokwenzeka kanjani, njengoba ngingayazi indoda na?” Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu uGabriyeli yaphendula: “Amandla oPhezukonke [ayokusibekela]. Ngenxa yaleso sizathu, lokho okuzelwe kuyobizwa ngokuthi kungcwele, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”—Luka 1:30-35.
Kamuva, uJesu wenza izimangaliso ezashiya abaphostoli bakhe bekhexile. Lapho isikebhe sabo sisengozini yokucwila ngenxa yesiphepho esikhulu esinamandla oLwandle LwaseGalile, uJesu wawukhuza umoya: “Shh! Thula!” Bemangele, abaphostoli bakhe bathi: “Ungubani ngempela lo?”—Marku 4:35-41; Mathewu 8:23-27.
Abantu bangesikhathi sikaJesu babevamile ukubuza ukuthi ungubani ngempela uJesu, ngakho wabuza abaphostoli bakhe ukuthi abantu bathi ungubani. Baphendula: ‘Abanye bathi unguJohane uMbhapathizi, abanye bathi ungu-Eliya, kanti abanye bathi unguJeremiya noma ungomunye wabaprofethi’—bonke ababengasekho ngaleso sikhathi. Ngemva kwalokho uJesu wabuza: “‘Nina-ke nithi ngingubani?’ USimoni Petru ephendula wathi: ‘UnguKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’” Ngisho namademoni imbala—izingelosi ezimbi—athi ngoJesu: “Wena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”—Mathewu 16:13-16; Luka 4:41.
Lowo UJesu Athi Unguye
Nakuba kwakuqabukela ukuba uJesu athi uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, wayengaphiki ukuthi uyiyo. (Marku 14:61, 62; Johane 3:18; 5:25, 26; 11:4) Kodwa cishe njalo wayethi “uyiNdodana yomuntu.” Ngokuzibiza ngale ndlela, wayeqokomisa ukuzalwa kwakhe njengomuntu—iqiniso lokuthi wayengumuntu isibili. Ngaleyo ndlela futhi wembula ukuthi ‘uyindodana yomuntu’ uDaniyeli ayibona embonweni ima phambi kukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke—‘uMdala Wezinsuku.’—Mathewu 20:28; Daniyeli 7:13.
Kunokuba ahambe etshela abantu ukuthi uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uJesu wavumela abantu ukuba bazifinyelelele ngokwabo kuleso siphetho. Ngisho nabantu ababengebona abaphostoli bakhe bafinyelela kuleso siphetho, kuhlanganise noJohane uMbhapathizi kanye nomngane kaJesu uMarta. (Johane 1:29-34; 11:27) Laba babekholelwa ukuthi uJesu unguMesiya othenjisiwe. Babazi ukuthi wayephilé ezulwini njengomuntu womoya onamandla nokuthi uNkulunkulu wayedlulisele ukuphila kwakhe ngokuyisimangaliso esibelethweni sentombi uMariya.—Isaya 7:14; Mathewu 1:20-23.
Wayefana Nomuntu Wokuqala, U-Adamu
UJesu wayefana ngezici eziningi nomuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu. Ngokwesibonelo, bobabili babengabantu abaphelele ababengenaye ubaba ongumuntu. (Genesise 2:7, 15) Ngakho iBhayibheli libiza uJesu ngokuthi “u-Adamu wokugcina”—umuntu ophelele owayengaba “yisihlengo esihambelanayo.” Ukuphila kukaJesu kwakuhambelana ‘nokomuntu wokuqala u-Adamu,’ uNkulunkulu ayemdale njengomuntu ophelele.—1 Korinte 15:45; 1 Thimothewu 2:5, 6.
EBhayibhelini, u-Adamu wokuqala ubizwa ngokuthi “indodana kaNkulunkulu.” (Luka 3:38) Nokho, lowo Adamu walahla ubuhlobo bakhe obuyigugu bokuba yindodana kaNkulunkulu ngokweqa umyalo kaNkulunkulu ngamabomu. Kodwa uJesu wahlala ethembekile kuYise wasezulwini, ngakho waqhubeka eyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu eyamukelekayo. (Mathewu 3:17; 17:5) IBhayibheli lithi bonke ababonisa ukholo kuJesu, bemamukela njengoMsindisi wabo, bangathola ukuphila okuphakade.—Johane 3:16, 36; IzEnzo 5:31; Roma 5:12, 17-19.
Kodwa abanye bama kwelokuthi uJesu akagcini nje ngokuba iNdodana kaNkulunkulu kodwa futhi unguNkulunkulu isibili. Bathi bobabili, yena noYise, banguNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke. Ingabe baqinisile? Ingabe ngandlela-thile uJesu uyingxenye kaNkulunkulu? Ingabe yilokho uJesu akusho, noma okwashiwo omunye wabalobi beBhayibheli? Empeleni, ubani owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso? UJesu wathi ubani owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso? Ake sibone.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 16]
Akekho Owaziwa Kakhulu Kunaye
Indaba yokuphila kukaJesu yalotshwa abantu abane ababephila ngesikhathi sakhe—uMathewu, uMarku, uLuka noJohane—ababili babo ababengabangane bakhe abaseduze. Izincwadi ezibizwa ngamagama abo ngokuvamile kuthiwa amaVangeli, futhi izingxenye zazo zingafundwa ngezilimi ezingaphezu kwezinkulungwane ezimbili. Lezi zincwadi ezincane ngokuvamile zihlanganiswa nezinye ezakha iBhayibheli. Kuwo wonke umlando, ayikho incwadi ethengwa ubuthaphuthaphu njengamaVangeli—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi athengwa eyingxenye yeBhayibheli noma eyiVangeli elihamba ngalodwa. Kungakho-ke nje uJesu aziwa kakhulu kunanoma yimuphi omunye umuntu owake waphila!
[Isithombe ekhasini 15]
Abaphostoli babuza: “Ungubani ngempela lo?”