EJerusalema EMkhosini WamaTabernakele

Eminyakeni elandela ukubhapathizwa kwakhe, uJesu uye waziwa kabanzi. Izinkulungwane zamaJuda zizibonile izimangaliso zakhe, nemibiko ephathelene nemisebenzi yakhe isigcwele izwe lonke. Manje, eMkhosini WamaTabernakele (noma wamaDokodo) eJerusalema, abaningi bayamfuna.

Abantu banemibono ehlukene kakhulu ngokuphathelene noJesu. Abanye bathi: “Ungumuntu omuhle.” Abanye baphendula bathi: “Akayena. Udukisa isixuku.” (Johane 7:12) Amaningi ala mahlebezi ezwakala phakathi nezinsuku zokuqala zomkhosi. Nokho, akekho onesibindi sokukhuluma obala avikele uJesu, ngoba abantu abaningi besaba lokho okungase kwenziwe abaholi bamaJuda.

Njengoba umkhosi uqhubeka, uJesu ubonakala engena ethempelini. Abantu abaningi liyabamangaza ikhono lakhe lokufundisa. Akakaze aye ezikoleni zorabi, ngakho amaJuda ayazibuza: “Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba lo muntu abe nolwazi lwemiBhalo, ebe engafundile?”—Johane 7:15.

UJesu uyachaza: “Lokho engikufundisayo akukhona okwami, kodwa kungokwalowo ongithumile. Uma umuntu efisa ukwenza intando yaKhe, uyokwazi ukuthi le mfundiso ivela kuNkulunkulu yini noma ngikhuluma okuvela kimi siqu.” (Johane 7:16, 17) Izimfundiso zikaJesu ziyavumelana noMthetho kaNkulunkulu, ngakho kufanele kube sobala ukuthi ufuna ukukhazimulisa uNkulunkulu hhayi yena.

UJesu ube esethi: “UMose waninika uMthetho, akunjalo? Kodwa akekho noyedwa kini owulalelayo uMthetho. Kungani nifuna ukungibulala?” Abanye esixukwini, mhlawumbe izivakashi ezivela ngaphandle kwedolobha, abazi lutho ngemizamo enjalo. Kubonakala kungenangqondo kubo ukuthi kukhona umuntu ongafuna ukubulala umfundisi onjengoJesu. Ngakho, baphetha ngokuthi kumelwe ukuba kukhona okungahambi kahle kuJesu njengoba esho into enjengale. Bathi: “Unedemoni wena. Ubani ofuna ukukubulala?”—Johane 7:19, 20.

Eqinisweni, esikhathini esingangonyaka nohhafu ngaphambili, abaholi bamaJuda babefuna ukubulala uJesu ngemva kokuba elaphe indoda ngeSabatha. UJesu manje ubonisana nabo esebenzisa amazwi adalula ukungabi nangqondo kwabo. Uveza indaba yokuthi ngaphansi koMthetho, umntwana womfana kwakufanele asokwe ngosuku luka-8, ngisho noma kuyiSabatha. Ube esebuza: “Uma umuntu esokwa ngesabatha ukuze uMthetho KaMose ungaphulwa, ingabe nithukuthele ngoba ngiye ngaphilisa umuntu ngokuphelele ngesabatha? Yekani ukwahlulela ngokubukeka kwangaphandle, kodwa yahlulelani ngokwahlulela okulungile.”—Johane 7:23, 24.

Abantu abahlala eJerusalema abaziyo ngemizamo yokubulala uJesu, bathi: “Nguye lo muntu abafuna ukumbulala, akunjalo? Nokho, bhekani! ukhuluma obala, futhi abasho lutho kuye. Ababusi sebeyaqiniseka yini ukuthi lo unguKristu?” Pho kungani abantu bengakholwa ukuthi uJesu unguKristu? Bathi: “Siyazi ukuthi lo muntu uvelaphi; kodwa lapho uKristu efika, akekho oyokwazi ukuthi uvelaphi.”—Johane 7:25-27.

Khona kanye lapho ethempelini, uJesu uyabaphendula: “Niyangazi mina futhi niyazi ukuthi ngivelaphi. Angizizelanga ngokwami, kodwa Lowo ongithumile ungokoqobo, kodwa animazi nina. Mina ngiyamazi, ngoba ngingummeleli ovela kuye, Yena ungithumile.” (Johane 7:28, 29) Lapho uJesu esho lawo mazwi angagwegwesi, bazama ukumbamba, mhlawumbe ukuze bambophe noma bambulale. Nokho, lowo mzamo awuphumeleli ngoba asikafiki isikhathi sokuba uJesu afe.

Noma kunjalo, abaningi baba nokholo kuJesu, kube kufanele. Wahamba phezu kwamanzi, wathulisa izivunguvungu, wasuthisa izinkulungwane ngokuyisimangaliso ngezinkwa ezimbalwa nezinhlanzi ezimbalwa, welapha abagulayo, wenza abangakwazi ukuhamba bahamba, wavula amehlo ezimpumputhe, welapha abanochoko, wavusa ngisho nabafile. Ngempela, banesizathu esizwakalayo sokubuza: “Lapho uKristu efika, ngeke enze izibonakaliso ezingaphezu kwalezi ezenziwe yilo muntu, akunjalo?”—Johane 7:31.

Lapho abaFarisi bezwa isixuku sisho lezi zinto, bona nabapristi abakhulu bathumela onogada ukuba bayobopha uJesu.