UJesu labafundi bakhe sebelensuku ezintathu befike eBhethani bevela eJerikho. Khathesi sekunguNisani 10 futhi kungoMvulo njalo uJesu labafundi bakhe baqonda eJerusalema ekuseni kakhulu. UJesu uselambile, yikho uthi ebona isihlahla somkhiwa asilande. Kodwa isihlahla leso silazo yini izithelo?

Khathesi sekusiyaphela uMarch kodwa isikhathi sezithelo zomkhiwa singoJune. Lanxa kunjalo isihlahla lesi silamahlamvu aphangise ukuhluma. Yikho uJesu ubona angani sesiqalisile ukuba lezithelo. Kodwa uthi efika afice singela ngitsho lesisodwa. Amahlamvu yiwo enze uJesu wabona angani sekulezithelo. Uthi kuso: “Akungabi lamuntu ozaphinda adle isithelo kuwe futhi.” (UMakho 11:14) Isihlahla lesi sihle siqalise ukubuna njalo ukuthi lokho kutshoni kuzachasiswa ngelanga elilandelayo.

UJesu labafundi bakhe bafika eJerusalema ngesikhatshana nje. Uqonda ethempelini ake alihlola izolo emini. Lamuhla kalihloli kuphela kodwa wenza lokho ake wakwenza eminyakeni emithathu eyadlulayo ngePhasika lika-30 C.E. (UJohane 2:14-16) Uxotshela phandle ‘abathengisayo labathengayo’ ethempelini. Uphinda agenqule ‘amatafula alabo abantshintsha imali kanye lamabhentshi alabo abathengisa amajuba.’ (UMakho 11:15) Kavumeli lokuthi umuntu othwele izinto zakhe esiya kwelinye icele ledolobho aqume egumeni lethempeli.

Kungani uJesu engathikazi ukuxotsha labo abantshintsha imali labathengisa inyamazana ethempelini? Uthi: “Akubhalwanga yini ukuthi, ‘Indlu yami izabizwa ngokuthi yindlu yokuthandazela yezizwe zonke’? Kodwa lina seliyenza ubhalu lwamasela.” (UMakho 11:17) Uthi abantu laba bangamasela ngenxa yokuthi bathengisa inyamazana zomhlatshelo ngemali emba eqolo. UJesu ubona abakwenzayo kuyibuqili loba ubusela.

Abaphristi abakhokhelayo, lababhali kanye labakhokheli besizwe bathi besizwa lokho uJesu akwenzileyo balole amacebo abo okuthi abulawe. Kodwa bahlangana lohlupho. Kabenelisi ukumbulala ngoba abantu lokhu bembuthanela.

AmaJuda kayisiwo wodwa alande umkhosi wePhasika kodwa kubuye labantu abaphendukele okholweni lwesiJuda, njalo abanye bakhona ngamaGrikhi. Mhlawumbe amaGrikhi la akhangwa libizo likaFiliphu lesiGrikhi abesemlanda acele ukubona uJesu. UFiliphu uqala akhulume lo-Andreya ngoba kungenzeka uyazibuza ukuthi kuqondile yini ukuwabizela uJesu. Abafundi laba balanda uJesu okungenzakala ukuthi lokhu esethempelini, bafike bamtshele ngalokho.

UJesu uyakwazi ukuthi sekusele amalanga amalutshwana ukuthi afe yikho lesi kayisiso sikhathi sokuchasisela abantu izinto kumbe esokufuna ukudunyiswa. Uphendula abaphostoli laba ababili ngokubalandisela umzekeliso. Uthi: “Isikhathi sokuthi iNdodana yomuntu ikhazinyuliswe sesifikile. Ngiqinisile sibili ngithi kini, nxa uhlamvu lwengqoloyi lungazange luwele emhlabathini lufe, luhlala luluhlamvu olulodwa nje. Kodwa nxa lungafa, luthela amabele amanengi.”​—UJohane 12:23, 24.

Uhlamvu olulodwa lwengqoloyi lungakhanya lungancedi kangako. Lanxa kunjalo, nxa lungahlanyelwa “lufe” luyamila futhi lukhule, lucine lusiba lenhlamvu ezinengi. UJesu laye ngumuntu oyedwa ongelasono. Loba kunjalo, nxa angaqhubeka ethembekile aze afe uzanika abantu abanengi abazidelayo njengaye ukuphila okungapheliyo. Yikho esithi: “Loba ngubani othanda ukuphila kwakhe uyakutshabalalisa, kodwa loba ngubani ozonda ukuphila kwakhe emhlabeni lo uzakulondoloza athole ukuphila okungapheliyo.”​—UJohane 12:25.

UJesu kakhulumi ngokuzakwenziwa nguye kuphela kodwa ukhuluma langokuzatholwa ngabanye, uthi: “Nxa umuntu efuna ukuba yinceku yami, kangilandele. Lapho engikhona lenceku yami izakuba lapho. Nxa umuntu efuna ukuba yinceku yami, uBaba uzamupha udumo.” (UJohane 12:26) Lo ngumvuzo omkhulu sibili. Abazanikwa udumo nguBaba bazakuba loKhristu eMbusweni.

UJesu uyakwazi ukuthi kumele ahlupheke kakhulu njalo afe ngendlela ebuhlungu, yikho uthi: “Khathesi ngikhathazekile, pho ngingathini? Baba ngisindisa kulelihola.” Kodwa uJesu kafuni ukubalekela ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu, uthi: “Lanxa kunjalo, lokhu yikho okwenze ngafika kulelihola.” (UJohane 12:27) Uvumelana lakho konke uNkulunkulu akuhlosileyo njalo uzimisele lokufa esiba ngumhlatshelo.

UJesu ukhuluma ngokufa kwakhe okuzayo ethempelini kungoMvulo ngoNisani 10. Ukhathazeke ngokuthi nxa esebulewe abantu bazathini ngoNkulunkulu, yikho uthi: “Baba khazimulisa ibizo lakho.” Kuzwakala ilizwi elikhulu livela ezulwini lisithi: “Ngilikhazimulisile futhi ngizaphinda ngilikhazimulise.”​—UJohane 12:27, 28.

Abantu abakhonapho basala bedidekile. Abanye bazwe angani kube lomdumo wezulu. Abanye bathi: “Ingilosi ikhulume laye.” (UJohane 12:29) Kodwa ilizwi abasanda kulizwa ngelikaJehova njalo abantu kabaqalisi ukulizwa selokho uJesu waqalisa inkonzo yakhe emhlabeni.

UJohane uMbhabhathizi wathi ebhabhathiza uJesu eminyakeni emithathu lengxenye edlulileyo wezwa uNkulunkulu esithi ngoJesu: “Le yiNdodana yami engiyithandayo futhi engiyamukelayo.” Ngemva kwePhasika lika-32 C.E. uJesu waguquka isimo phambi kukaJakhobe loJohane kanye loPhetro. Amadoda la amathathu ezwa uNkulunkulu esithi: “Le yiNdodana yami engiyithandayo futhi engiyamukelayo. Yilaleleni.” (UMathewu 3:17; 17:5) Kodwa khathesi uJehova ukhuluma abantu abanengi besizwa.

UJesu uthi: “Ilizwi leli lizwakele ukuze lincede lina, hatshi mina.” (UJohane 12:30) Litshengisa ukuthi uJesu nguye sibili iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uMesiya okwakukhulunyiwe ukuthi uzakuba khona.

Indlela uJesu aphila ngayo itshengisa ukuthi abantu kumele baphile njani njalo yenza kukhanye ukuthi umbusi womhlaba lo uSathane uDeveli kumele abulawe. UJesu uthi: “Khathesi kulokwahlulelwa komhlaba lo; umbusi womhlaba lo uzaxotshwa.” Uphinda athi: “Kodwa nxa mina sengiphakanyisiwe emhlabeni, ngizadonsela yonke imihlobo yabantu kimi.” (UJohane 12:31,32) Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi ukufa kukaJesu kuzabanceda abantu. Uzabadonsela kuye futhi abavulele indlela yokuphila okungapheliyo.

Ixuku lithi lisizwa uJesu ekhuluma ‘ngokuphakanyiswa’ lithi: “Thina sezwa eMthethweni ukuthi uKhristu uzahlala kuze kube nini lanini. Pho kungani usithi iNdodana yomuntu kumele iphakanyiswe? Ingubani leyo Ndodana yomuntu?” (UJohane 12:34) Kulobufakazi obunengi obutshengisa ukuthi uJesu nguye sibili iNdodana yomuntu, uMesiya okwakukhulunyiwe ukuthi uzakuba khona, futhi amaJuda azizwele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu. Lanxa kunjalo, amanengi kawamamukeli uJesu.

UJesu uyaphinda ukuzithi ‘uyikukhanya.’ (UJohane 8:12; 9:5) Utshela ixuku athi: ‘Ukukhanya kuzakuba kini okwesikhatshana nje. Hambani liseselokukhanya ukuze ubumnyama bungalikhuleli. Nxa ukukhanya liseselakho, tshengisani ukuthi lilokholo ekukhanyeni ukuze libe ngamadodana okukhanya.’ (UJohane 12:35, 36) Ngemva kwalokho uJesu uyasuka ngoba uNisani 10 kayisilo ilanga okumele afe ngalo. Kumele ‘aphakanyiswe,’ okutsho ukubethelwa esigodweni, ngePhasika elingoNisani 14.​—KwabaseGalathiya 3:13.

Kusegcekeni ukuthi ukungakholwa kwamaJuda ngesikhathi uJesu esenza inkonzo yakhe kwagcwalisa isiphrofetho. U-Isaya wayephrofethile ukuthi amehlo abantu ayezakwenziwa ukuthi angaboni lezinhliziyo zabo zazizakuba lukhuni ukuze bangaphenduki basiliswe. (U-Isaya 6:10; UJohane 12:40) AmaJuda amanengi ayiziqholo sibili ngoba kawafuni ukwamukela ubufakazi bokuthi uJesu nguye uMkhululi wawo ozakwenza athole ukuphila.

UNikhodemu loJosefa wase-Arimathiya kanye lababusi abanengi “baba lokholo” kuJesu. Kodwa bazakwenza izinto ezitshengisa ukuthi balokholo yini kumbe bazayekela ngenxa yokwesaba ukuxotshwa esinagogeni loba ngenxa ‘yokuthanda inkazimulo yabantu’?​—UJohane 12:42, 43.

UJesu uyachasisa ukuthi ukuba lokholo kuye kugoqelani. Uthi: “Loba ngubani oba lokholo kimi, kabi lokholo kimi kuphela kodwa lakulowo ongithumileyo, njalo loba ngubani obona mina ubona laLowo ongithumileyo.” Iqiniso uNkulunkulu atshela uJesu ukuthi alifundise abantu futhi uJesu aqhubeka elifundisa liqakatheke okokuthi uze athi: “Ukhona ozakwahlulela loba ngubani ongelandaba lami njalo ongamukeli amazwi ami. Ilizwi engilikhulumileyo yilo elizamahlulela ngelanga lokucina.”​—UJohane 12:44, 45, 48.

UJesu uphetha ngokuthi: “Kangikhulumi lokho engizicabangele khona. Kodwa uBaba ongithumileyo nguye ongiphe umlayo wokuthi ngithini futhi ngifundiseni, njalo ngiyakwazi ukuthi umlayo wakhe unika ukuphila okungapheliyo.” (UJohane 12:49, 50) UJesu uyakwazi ukuthi igazi lakhe lizachitheka ukuze libe ngumhlatshelo wabantu abalokholo kuye.​—KwabaseRoma 5:8, 9.