Ukufa Kayisiso Siphetho!

IBhethani kwakulidolobho elincane elalikhatshana leJerusalema ngamakhilomitha amathathu. (UJohane 11:18) Edolobheni lelo kwaba lomonakalo sekusele amaviki amalutshwana ukuthi uJesu afe. ULazaro, umngane kaJesu ayemthanda wagula kakhulu okwesikhatshana nje wasesifa.

Lapho uJesu ethola umbiko lo, watshela abafundi bakhe ukuthi uLazaro ulele njalo yena uJesu wayefuna ukumvusa. (UJohane 11:11) Kodwa abafundi bakaJesu babengakuzwisisi ukuthi utshoni, yikho uJesu wabatshela ngamazwi alula wathi: “ULazaro usefile.”​—UJohane 11:14.

UJesu wafika eBhethani esiyaduduza uMatha, udadewabo kamuyi, sekudlule amalanga amane uLazaro engcwatshiwe. UMatha wathi: “Aluba ubukhona lapha ngabe umnewethu kafanga.” (UJohane 11:17, 21) UJesu waphendula wathi: “Mina ngiyikuvuka kwabafileyo lokuphila. Lowo okholwa kimi uzaphila, loba ezakufa.”​—UJohane 11:25.

UJesu waqonda engcwabeni wafika wamemeza wathi: “Lazaro, phuma!” ukuze atshengise ukuthi amazwi ayewakhuluma ayeliqiniso. (UJohane 11:43) Ababekhangele bamangala kakhulu sebebona indoda eyayifile iphuma.

UJesu wayeke wavusa abantu ababili ababefile kungakenzakali lokhu. Omunye wabo kwakuyindodakazi kaJayirosi. Engakayivusi, uJesu waqala watshela abantu ukuthi ilele.​—ULukha 8:52.

Nanzelela ukuthi uJesu ekhuluma ngokufa kukaLazaro kanye lokwendodakazi kaJayirosi, wafanisa ukufa lokulala. Ukufa kuhambelana lokulala sibili. Ngani? Ngoba umuntu oleleyo kazi lutho njalo ukulala kuwucacisa kuhle umcijo wokuthi umuntu uyabe esephumulile ukuzwa ubuhlungu lokuhlupheka. (UmTshumayeli 9:5; khangela ibhokisi elithi “Ukufa Kunjengobuthongo Obukhulu.”) Abafundi bakaJesu bokuqala babekuzwisisa kuhle ukuthi kwenzakalani nxa umuntu angafa. I-Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics ithi: “Abalandeli bakaJesu babebona ukufa njengokulala, lengcwaba njengendawo yokuphumula . . . kulabo ababefe besokholweni.”a

Kuyasiduduza ukwazi ukuthi abafileyo balele emangcwabeni njalo abahlupheki. Yikho-ke sesikwazi ukuthi kwenzakalani nxa singafa njalo akusela sizatho sokuthi sesabe.

‘UMUNTU ANGAFA ANGAPHINDA APHILE NA?’

Lanxa sikukholisa ukulala ebusuku, akulamuntu ongafuna ukulala kuze kube nini lanini. Likhona yini ithemba lokuthi abafileyo abalele emangcwabeni bazavuka njengoLazaro lendodakazi kaJayirosi?

UJobe wabuza umbuzo lo esebona ukuthi sezakufa. Wabuza wathi: ‘Umuntu angafa angaphinda aphile na?’​—UJobe 14:14.

UJobe waphinda wawuphendula umbuzo lo lapho ekhuluma loNkulunkulu uSomandla esithi: “Uzabiza lami ngizasabela; uzasifisa lesosidalwa esenziwa yizandla zakho.” (UJobe 14:15) UJobe wayengakuthandabuzi ukuthi uJehova ululindele usuku lapho ayezavusa khona inceku yakhe ethembekileyo. UJobe wayekhuluma ngento engeke yenzakale yini? Hatshi.

Lapho evusa abafileyo, uJesu wakucacisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayemnike amandla okunqoba ukufa. IBhayibhili lithi khathesi uJesu ‘uselezivulo kumbe amakhiye okufa.’ (ISambulo 1:18) Yikho-ke uJesu uzavula amasango amangcwaba njengoba wacela ukuthi ilitshe elalisengcwabeni likaLazaro likhitshwe.

EBhayibhilini sisithola kanenginengi isithembiso sokuthi abafileyo bazavuswa. Ingilosi yaqinisekisa umphrofethi uDanyeli yathi: “Uzaphumula, besekusithi ekucineni kwezinsuku uzavuka ukuba wamukele elakho ilifa olabelweyo.” (UDanyeli 12:13) UJesu watshela abaSadusi, abakhokheli bamaJuda ababengakholwa ukuthi abafileyo bazavuswa wathi: ‘Liyalahleka ngokuba kaliyazi iMibhalo lamandla kaNkulunkulu.’ (UMathewu 22:23, 29) Umphostoli uPhawuli wathi: ‘Ngilalona lelothemba kuNkulunkulu ukuthi kuzakuba lokuvuka kwabafileyo, abalungileyo lababi.’​—ImiSebenzi 24:15.

ABAFILEYO BAZAVUSWA NINI?

Abalungileyo labangalunganga bazavuswa nini? Ingilosi yatshela uDanyeli owayelungile ukuthi wayezavuka “ekucineni kwezinsuku.” UMatha laye wayekholwa ukuthi umnewabo uLazaro, ‘wayezavuka ekuvukeni kwabafileyo ngosuku lokucina.’​—UJohane 11:24.

IBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi ‘usuku lokucina’ lolu luhambelana lokubusa kukaKhristu. UPhawuli wabhala wathi: ‘Ngoba [uKhristu] kumele abuse, uNkulunkulu aze azibeke zonke izitha zakhe ngaphansi kwezinyawo zakhe. Isitha sokucina esizachithwa, yikufa.’ (1 KwabaseKhorinte 15:25, 26) Lesi yisizatho esikhulu esenza sithandazele ukuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu uze lokuthi intando yakhe yenziwe emhlabeni.b

UJobe wayekwazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu ufuna ukuvusa abafileyo. Nxa esekwenzile lokhu, ukufa akusoze kube khona futhi. Akulamuntu ozaphinda akhathazeke ngokuthi, ‘Umuntu angafa kuphelela khonapho yini?’