Isahluko 91

Lapho ULazaru Evuswa

UJESU, kanye nalabo abamphelezelayo, manje ufika ethuneni likaLazaru. Eqinisweni, lingumhume ovalwe ngetshe. “Susani itshe,” uJesu esho.

UMarta uyenqaba, engakaqondi ukuthi uJesu uhlose ukwenzani. “Nkosi,” esho, “usenuka; ngokuba sezizine.”

Kodwa uJesu uyabuza: “Angishongo yini kuwe ukuthi uma ukholwa, uzakubona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, na?”

Ngakho itshe liyasuswa. Khona-ke uJesu ubheka phezulu athandaze: “Baba, ngiyakubonga ngokuba ungizwile. Bengazi mina ukuthi ungizwa njalo, kodwa ngenxa yesixuku esingiphahlileyo ngishilo lokho, ukuze bakholwe ukuthi nguwena ongithumileyo.” UJesu uthandaza obala ukuze abantu bazi ukuthi lokho azokwenza kuzofezwa ngamandla awathola kuNkulunkulu. Khona-ke umemeza ngezwi elikhulu: “Lazaru, phuma.”

Kulokho, uLazaru uyaphuma. Izandla nezinyawo zakhe kusaboshwe ngezindwangu zokusonga izidumbu, nobuso bakhe bumbozwe ngendwangu. “Mthukululeni, nimyeke ahambe,” kusho uJesu.

Lapho ebona lesisimanga, amaJuda amaningi ayezoduduza uMariya noMarta aba nokholo kuJesu. Nokho, amanye ayahamba ayotshela abaFarisi okwenzekile. Bona nabapristi abakhulu ngokushesha bahlela umhlangano wenkantolo enkulu yamaJuda, iSanhedrin.

ISanhedrin ihlanganisa umpristi omkhulu wamanje, uKayafase, kanye nabaFarisi nabaSadusi, abapristi abaphakeme, nababekade bengabapristi abakhulu. Laba bayakhala: “Siyakwenze-njani na? Lomuntu wenza izibonakaliso eziningi; uma simyeka njalo, bazakukholwa nguye bonke; amaRoma ayakufika, asamuke indawo nesizwe.”

Nakuba labaholi benkolo bevuma ukuthi uJesu “wenza izibonakaliso eziningi,” okubakhathazayo nje isikhundla sabo siqu negunya. Ukuvuswa kukaLazaru kuyigalelo elinamandla ikakhulukazi kubaSadusi, njengoba bengakholelwa ovukweni.

UKayafase, cishe ongumSadusi, manje uyakhuluma, ethi: “Anazi-lutho nina; aniqondi futhi ukuthi kunilungele ukuba umuntu oyedwa afele abantu, isizwe sonke singabhubhi.”

UNkulunkulu wathonya uKayafase ukuba akusho lokhu, ngoba umphostoli uJohane kamuva wabhala: “Lokho [uKayafase] kakushongo ngokwakhe.” Lokho uKayafase ayekusho ngempela ukuthi uJesu kumelwe abulawe ukuze avinjelwe ukubeni aqhubeke elulaza izikhundla zabo zegunya nethonya. Nokho, ngokukaJohane, ‘uKayafase waprofetha ukuthi uJesu kwakumelwe afe, engafeli isizwe kuphela, kepha ukuze abantwana bakaNkulunkulu babuthelwe ndawonye.’ Futhi, ngempela, kuyinjongo kaNkulunkulu ukuba iNdodana yakhe ife njengesihlengo sabo bonke.

UKayafase manje uyaphumelela ekuthonyeni iSanhedrin ukuba yakhe amacebo okubulala uJesu. Kodwa uJesu, cishe ezwa ngalamacebo ngoNikodemu, ilungu leSanhedrin elimbonisa ubungane, uyahamba lapho. Johane 11:38-54.

▪ Kungani uJesu ethandaza obala ngaphambi kokuvusa uLazaru?

▪ Labo ababona loluvuko basabela kanjani kulo?

▪ Yini edalula ububi bamalungu eSanhedrin?

▪ Yayiyini inhloso kaKayafase, kodwa uNkulunkulu wamsebenzisa ukuba aprofetheni?