Ukuzalwa Okusha​—Kwenzeka Kanjani?

UJESU akazange axoxe noNikhodemu ngokubaluleka, imbangela nenjongo yokuzalwa okusha kuphela kodwa nangendlela lokhu kuzalwa okusha okwenzeka ngayo. UJesu wathi: “Ngaphandle kokuba umuntu azalwe ngamanzi nomoya, akakwazi ukungena embusweni kaNkulunkulu.” (Johane 3:5) Ngakho, umuntu uzalwa kabusha ngamanzi nangomoya. Kodwa inkulumo ethi “amanzi nomoya” isho ukuthini?

“Amanzi Nomoya”—Kuyini?

Njengoba uNikhodemu ayeyisazi senkolo esingumJuda, akungabazeki ukuthi wayejwayelene nendlela imiBhalo YesiHebheru esebenzisa ngayo inkulumo ethi “umoya kaNkulunkulu”—amandla kaNkulunkulu asebenzayo, angase athonye abantu ukuba benze izenzo eziphawulekayo. (Genesise 41:38; Eksodusi 31:3; 1 Samuweli 10:6) Ngakho lapho uJesu esebenzisa igama elithi “umoya,” uNikhodemu wayeqonda ukuthi wayesho umoya ongcwele, amandla kaNkulunkulu asebenzayo.

Kuthiwani ngokukhuluma kukaJesu ngamanzi? Cabangela izenzakalo ezalotshwa ngaphambi nangemva nje kwengxoxo kaJesu noNikhodemu. Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi uJohane uMbhapathizi nabafundi bakaJesu babebhapathiza abantu emanzini. (Johane 1:19, 31; 3:22; 4:1-3) Lo mkhuba wawaziwa kahle eJerusalema. Ngakho-ke, lapho uJesu ekhuluma ngamanzi, uNikhodemu wayengaqonda ukuthi uJesu wayengabhekiseli emanzini nje, kodwa emanzini okubhapathizwa kuwo.a

Ukubhapathizwa “Ngomoya Ongcwele”

Uma “ukuzalwa ngamanzi” kuhlobene nokubhapathizwa emanzini, kusho ukuthini ‘ukuzalwa ngomoya’? Ngaphambi kokuba uJesu axoxe noNikhodemu, uJohane uMbhapathizi wayememezele ukuthi kwakungewona amanzi kuphela kodwa nomoya owawuyofeza indima ekubhapathizweni kwabantu. Wathi: “Mina nginibhapathizé ngamanzi, kodwa [uJesu] yena uzonibhapathiza ngomoya ongcwele.” (Marku 1:7, 8) Umlobi weVangeli uMarku uchaza isenzakalo sokuqala lapho abantu babhapathizwa khona ngaleyo ndlela. Uyabhala: “Phakathi nalezo zinsuku uJesu weza evela eNazaretha laseGalile, wabhapathizwa nguJohane eJordani. Masinyane lapho ekhuphuka emanzini wabona amazulu ehlukana phakathi, nomoya wehlela kuye njengejuba.” (Marku 1:9, 10) Lapho uJesu ebhapathizwa eJordani, wabhapathizwa ngamanzi. Ngesikhathi ethola umoya ovela ezulwini, wabhapathizwa ngomoya ongcwele.

Cishe ngemva kweminyaka emithathu ebhapathiziwe, uJesu waqinisekisa abafundi bakhe: “Nizobhapathizwa ngomoya ongcwele ezinsukwini ezingeziningi ngemva kwalokhu.” (IzEnzo 1:5) Kwenzeka nini lokho?

Ngosuku lwePhentekoste lonyaka ka-33 C.E., abafundi bakaJesu abangaba ngu-120 babebuthene emzini othile eJerusalema. “Kungazelelwe kwezwakala umsindo uvela ezulwini ufana nje nowesivunguvungu esinamandla, wagcwala yonke indlu ababehlezi kuyo. Kwabonakala kubo okunjengamalangabi . . . , bonke bagcwala umoya ongcwele.” (IzEnzo 2:1-4) Ngalo kanye lolo suku, abanye eJerusalema bakhuthazwa ukuba babhapathizwe emanzini. Umphostoli uPetru watshela isixuku: “Phendukani, yilowo nalowo kini abhapathizwe egameni likaJesu Kristu ngenjongo yokuthethelelwa kwezono zenu, khona-ke nizokwamukela isipho sesihle somoya ongcwele.” Sasabela kanjani? “Labo abamukela izwi lakhe ngenhliziyo yonke babhapathizwa, futhi ngalolo suku kwanezelwa imiphefumulo ecishe ibe yizinkulungwane ezintathu.”—IzEnzo 2:38, 41.

Inqubo Ekabili

Lokhu kubhapathizwa kwembulani ngokuzalwa okusha? Kubonisa ukuthi ukuzalwa okusha kwenzeka ngenqubo ekabili. Phawula ukuthi uJesu waqale wabhapathizwa emanzini. Kamuva wathola umoya ongcwele. Ngokufanayo, abafundi bokuqala babeqale ngokubhapathizwa emanzini (abanye bebhapathizwa uJohane uMbhapathizi), base bethola umoya ongcwele. (Johane 1:26-36) Ngokufanayo, abafundi abasha abangu-3 000 baqale babhapathizwa emanzini, babe sebethola umoya ongcwele.

Uma sicabanga ngokubhapathizwa kwabantu okwenzeka ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., kufanele silindele ukuba kwenzeke kanjani ukuzalwa okusha namuhla? Ngendlela efanayo nokwenzeka ngayo kubaphostoli bakaJesu nabafundi bokuqala. Okokuqala, umuntu uyaphenduka ezonweni zakhe, alahle inkambo engalungile, anikezele ukuphila kwakhe kuJehova ukuze amkhulekele futhi amkhonze, abese ebonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwakhe obala ngokubhapathizwa emanzini. Khona-ke, uma uNkulunkulu emkhetha ukuba abe umbusi eMbusweni waKhe, ugcotshwa ngomoya ongcwele. Ingxenye yokuqala yale nqubo ekabili (ukubhapathizwa emanzini) iqalwa umuntu ngokwakhe; ingxenye yesibili (ukubhapathizwa ngomoya) ivela kuNkulunkulu. Uma umuntu ebhapathizwa ngalezi zindlela ezimbili, usuke esezelwe kabusha.

Kodwa kungani uJesu asebenzisa inkulumo ethi “ukuzalwa ngamanzi nomoya” lapho exoxa noNikhodemu? Ukuze agcizelele ukuthi labo ababhapathizwa ngamanzi nangomoya kwakuyodingeka bashintshe kakhulu. Isihloko esilandelayo sicabangela leso sici sokuzalwa okusha.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

UJohane wabhapathiza ama-Israyeli aphendukile emanzini