Ekuseni kakhulu ngeSonto uMariya Magdalena, uMariya unina kaJakobe, kanye noSalome, uJowana, nabanye besifazane, baletha amakha ethuneni ukuze bagcobe isidumbu sikaJesu. Endleleni bathi komunye nomunye: “Ngubani oyakusigingqela itshe, lisuke emnyango wethuna na?” Kodwa lapho befika, bathola ukuthi kuye kwazamazama umhlaba futhi ingelosi kaJehova iligingqile itshe yalisusa. Abalindi abekho, futhi ithuna alinalutho! Mathewu 27:57–28:2; Marku 15:42–16:4; Luka 23:50–24:3, 10; Johane 19:14, 31–20:1; 12:42; Levitikusi 23:5-7; Duteronomi 21:22, 23; IHubo 34:20; Zakariya 12:10.

Isahluko 128

UJesu Uyaphila!

LAPHO abesifazane bethola ithuna likaJesu lingenalutho, uMariya Magdalena uyagijima ayobikela uPetru noJohane. Nokho, laba abanye besifazane ngokusobala basala ethuneni. Ngokushesha, kubonakala ingelosi futhi iyabangenisa.

Lapha abesifazane babona enye futhi ingelosi; futhi enye yalezingelosi ithi kubo: “Ningesabi nina; ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi nifuna uJesu obebethelwe [esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa, NW]; kakho lapha, ngokuba uvukile njengokusho kwakhe; zanini nibone indawo lapho ebelele khona. Hambani masinyane, nitshele abafundi bakhe ukuthi uvukile kwabafileyo.” Ngakho benokwesaba nokuthokoza okukhulu, laba besifazane nabo bayagijima.

Ngalesikhathi, uMariya usebatholile oPetru noJohane, futhi uyababikela: “Bayisusile iNkosi ethuneni, asazi lapha beyibeké khona.” Ngokushesha labaphostoli ababili bayagijima. UJohane unejubane kakhudlwana​—⁠ngokusobala njengoba kunguye omncane⁠—​futhi ufika kuqala ethuneni. Ngalesikhathi abesifazane sebehambile, ngakho akukho muntu eduzane. Ekhothama, uJohane ulunguza ethuneni futhi abone izindwangu, kodwa akangeni.

Lapho uPetru efika, akathandabuzi kodwa ungena phakathi ngokuqondile. Ubona izindwangu phansi kanye neduku obekusongwe ngalo ikhanda likaJesu. Ligoqwe lodwa kwenye indawo. UJohane manje naye uyangena ethuneni, futhi uyawukholelwa umbiko kaMariya. Kodwa uPetru noJohane abakuqondi ukuthi uJesu uvukile, ngisho nakuba ayebatshele kaningi ukuthi wayezovuka. Bedidekile, laba ababili baphindela ekhaya, kodwa uMariya, osebuyile ethuneni, uyasala.

Phakathi nalesikhathi, abanye besifazane bayagijima bayobikela abafundi ukuthi uJesu uvusiwe, njengoba izingelosi zibayalile ukuba benze kanjalo. Njengoba begijima ngokusemandleni abo, uJesu uyabahlangabeza futhi athi: “Sanibona.” Bewa ngasezinyaweni zakhe, bayakhuleka kuye. Khona-ke uJesu uthi: “Ningesabi; hambani, nibikele abafowethu ukuba bahambe baye eGalile; bayakungibona khona.”

Ngaphambili, ngenkathi kuba nokuzamazama komhlaba futhi kubonakala izingelosi, amasosha ayelindile ethuka futhi aba njengabafileyo. Lapho ephaphama, aya emzini ngokushesha futhi abikela abapristi abakhulu ngalokho okwenzekile. Ngemva kokubonisana “namalunga” amaJuda, kwenziwa isinqumo sokuba lendaba igqitshwe ngokufumbathisa amasosha. Ayayalwa: “Shonini ukuthi abafundi bakhe beza ebusuku, bameba silele.”

Njengoba amasosha angamaRoma engase ajeziswe ngokufa ngokulala ezindaweni zawo zokulinda, abapristi bayathembisa: “Uma kuzwakala lokho [umbiko wokulala kwenu] kumbusi, siyakuncengana naye thina, nina ningakhathazeki.” Njengoba imali afunjathiswe ngayo inkulu ngokwanele, amasosha enza njengoba eyaliwe. Ngenxa yalokho, umbiko ongamanga ngokwebiwa kwesidumbu sikaJesu wasakazeka kabanzi phakathi kwamaJuda.

UMariya Magdalena, osele ethuneni, ufikelwa ukudabuka. Ingabe uJesu ukuphi? Ekhothama ukuze abuke ethuneni, ubona izingelosi ezimbili ezembethe okumhlophe, eseziphinde zabonakala futhi! Enye ihlezi ngasekhanda futhi enye ihlezi ngasezinyaweni lapho isidumbu sikaJesu besilele khona. “Mame, ukhalelani na?” ziyabuza.

“Bayithathé iNkosi yami,” kuphendula uMariya, “futhi angazi ukuthi bayibekephi.” Khona-ke uyaphenduka futhi ubona othile owuphindayo lombuzo: “Mame, ukhalelani na?” Futhi lona uphinde abuze: “Ufuna-bani na?”

Ecabanga ukuthi lomuntu ungumphathi wensimu okukuyo ithuna, uthi kuye: “Nkosi, uma umsusile, ngitshele ukuthi umbekephi, ngiye ngiyakumthatha mina.”

“Mariya!” kusho lomuntu. Futhi ngokushesha uyamkhumbula, ngendlela ejwayelekile akhuluma naye ngayo, ukuthi nguJesu. “Rabuni!” (okusho ukuthi “Mfundisi!”) ememeza. Futhi ngenjabulo engalawuleki, uyambamba. Kodwa uJesu uthi: “Ungangithinti, ngokuba angikenyukeli kuBaba. Kepha yana kubazalwane bami, ubatshele ukuthi ngenyukela kuBaba noYihlo, kuNkulunkulu wami noNkulunkulu wenu.”

Manje uMariya ugijimela lapho abaphostoli nabanye abafundi bebuthene khona. Wenezela ukulandisa kwakhe embikweni abanye besifazane asebewunikezile kakade mayelana nokubona kwabo uJesu ovusiwe. Nokho, lamadoda, angazange abakholwe abesifazane bokuqala, ngokusobala awamkholelwa noMariya. Mathewu 28:3-15; Marku 16:5-8; Luka 24:4-12; Johane 20:2-18.

▪ Ngemva kokuthola ithuna lingenalutho, yini uMariya Magdalena ayenzayo, futhi yikuphi okuhlangenwe nakho laba abanye besifazane ababa nakho?

▪ UPetru noJohane basabela kanjani lapho bethola ithuna lingenalutho?

▪ Yini abanye besifazane abahlangabezana nayo endleleni lapho beya kobika ngokuvuka kukaJesu kubafundi?

▪ Kwenzekani kubalindi abangamasosha, futhi abapristi basabela kanjani embikweni ovela kubo?

▪ Yini eyenzekayo lapho uMariya Magdalena eyedwa ethuneni, futhi abafundi basabela kanjani emibikweni evela kwabesifazane?

ABAFUNDI basakhathazekile. Abakuqondi okushiwo ithuna elingenalutho, futhi abayikholelwa imibiko yabesifazane. Ngakho kamuva ngeSonto, uKleyophase nomunye umfundi bayasuka eJerusalema baya e-Emawuse, okuyibanga elicishe libe amakhilomitha ayishumi nanye.

Endleleni, lapho besaxoxa ngezenzakalo zosuku, omunye umfokazi uhambisana nabo. “Zindaba zini lezi enikhuluma ngazo omunye nomunye nihamba na?” ebuza.

Abafundi bayama, ubuso babo bunyukubele, futhi uKleyophase uyaphendula: “Wena uyisihambi eJerusalema, ungoyedwa ongazazi izinto ezenzekileyo khona ngalezizinsuku na?” Uyabuza: “Zinto zini na?”

“NgoJesu waseNazaretha,” bephendula. “Abapristi abakhulu nababusi bethu bamkhaphela ukunqunyelwa ukufa, baze bambethela. Thina-ke besethemba ukuthi nguye ozakuhlenga uIsrayeli.”

UKleyophase nomngane wakhe bachaza izenzakalo ezimangalisayo zosuku​—⁠umbiko ngombono ongaphezu kowemvelo wezingelosi nethuna elingenalutho⁠—​kodwa-ke bayakuvuma ukumangala kwabo ngokuqondene nencazelo yalezinto. Lomfokazi uyabakhuza: “O nina eningaqondiyo nenilibele enhliziyweni ukukholwa yikho konke abakushilo abaprofethi! UKristu ubengamelwe yini ukuhlupheka ngalokho, aze angene enkazimulweni yakhe na?” Khona-ke ubachazela izindinyana ezivela embhalweni ongcwele eziphathelene noKristu.

Ekugcineni bafika eduze kwase-Emawuse, futhi lomfokazi wenza sengathi uyadlula. Befuna ukuzwa okwengeziwe, labafundi bayanxusa: “Hlala nathi, ngokuba sekuzakuhlwa.” Ngakho uhlalela isidlo. Njengoba ethandaza futhi ehlephula isinkwa ebanikeza sona, bayaqaphela ukuthi ngempela unguJesu esemzimbeni obonakalayo wobuntu. Kodwa wabe uyanyamalala.

Manje bayaqonda ukuthi kukanjani lesosihambi sasazi okuningi kangaka! “Inhliziyo yethu ibingavuthi yini phakathi kwethu,” bebuza, “lapho ekhuluma kithi endleleni, nalapho esivulela imibhalo, na?” Ngaphandle kokulibala, bayavuka futhi baphuthuma emuva eJerusalema, lapho bethola khona abaphostoli nalabo abahlangene nabo. Ngaphambi kokuba uKleyophase nomngane wakhe basho okuthile, abanye babika ngokujabula: “Impela iNkosi ivukile, ibonakele kuSimoni.” Khona-ke laba ababili balandisa indlela uJesu abonakale ngayo nakubo. Lokhu kwenza izikhathi ezine phakathi nosuku abonakale ngazo kwabahlukahlukene babafundi bakhe.

Ngokushesha uJesu ubonakala okwesihlanu. Ngisho nakuba iminyango ihluthulelwe ngenxa yokuthi abafundi besaba amaJuda, uyangena, uma khona kanye phakathi kwabo, futhi uthi: “Ukuthula makube-kinina.” Bayesaba, becabanga ukuthi babona umungcwi. Ngakho, echaza ukuthi akasona isithunzi, uJesu uthi: “Nikhathazekeleni na? Kuvelelani izizindlo ezinhliziyweni zenu na? Bhekani izandla zami nezinyawo zami ukuthi yimina uqobo; ngiphatheni, nibone, ngokuba [umungcwi, NW] a[wu]nanyama namathambo, njengokuba ningibona nginakho.” Nakuba kunjalo, bayangabaza ukukholwa.

Ukuze abasize baqonde ukuthi ngempela unguJesu, uyabuza: “Ninakho ukudla lapha na?” Ngemva kokwamukela iqatha lenhlanzi eyosiwe nokulidla, uthi: “Yiwo lawomazwi ami engawakhuluma kini ngisenani [ngaphambi kokufa kwami] okuthi: Kumelwe ukugcwaliseka konke okulotshwé ngami emthethweni kaMose, nakubaprofethi, nasemaHutsheni.”

Eqhubeka nalokho, eqinisweni, okufana nesifundo seBhayibheli kanye nabo, uJesu uyafundisa: “Kulotshiwe kanje ukuthi uzakuhlupheka uKristu, avuke kwabafileyo ngosuku lwesithathu, kushunyayelwe egameni lakhe ukuphenduka, kube-ngukuthethelelwa kwezono ezizweni zonke, kuqalwe eJerusalema. Nina-ke ningofakazi balezizinto.”