Ivuko LakaJesu—Lenzeka Kwamambala?

UHERODOTUS, isazimlando esimGirigi esaphila eminyakeni ezi-2 500 eyadlulako, wakhuluma indaba ethileko ngamaGibhide wangesikhathi sakhe. Watlola wathi: “Emnyanyeni weenjinga, ngemva kokudla kwantambama indoda ethileko beyiphethe umfanekiso wesidumbu ngebhoksi, esisikwe kuhle sapendwa safana tswe nesamambala, esiyihafu yemitha nofana imitha eyodwa ubude. Yasitjengisa woke umuntu obekalapho, yathi ‘Selani nizithabise, ngombana nenifako nizokufana nesithombe nasi.’”

Umbono onjalo malungana nokufa nokuphila bewujayelekile ebantwini beGibhide. Namhlanje, umtjhwana othi ‘Idla, usele bewuzithabise’ sewusidina. Nengabe ipilo iphelela ekufeni kubayini-ke ungazithabisi nawusakghonako? Kubayini ulinga ngamandla ukwenza okuhle? Nengabe ukufa kuqeda yoke into, ukuphilela lanamhlanje kunetlha. Umpostoli uPowula watjho into efanako. Wahlathulula indlela yabantu abangakholelwa evukweni wathi: “Nakube abafileko angeze bavuswe, khona-ke asizaliseni ikulumo ethi: “Asigomeni, sisele ngombana ngomuso siyokufa.’”—1 Korinte 15:32.

Kwamambala, uPowula ngokwakhe bekangakholelwa bona abahlongakeleko angeze basakhunjulwa. Bekaqiniseka bona abahlongakeleko bazokuphila godu, banethemba lokuphila okungapheliko. Ubufakazobo bafumaneka esehlakalweni esiqakatheke khulu, iqiniso elinganakuphikiswa—ivukoa lakaJesu Krestu. Kuhle kuhle, ivukweli bekukuphela kwesehlakalo esikhulu esaqinisa ikholo labafundi bokuthoma.

Nokho, litjho ukuthini ivuko lakaJesu kithi namhlanje? Sazi njani bona kwamambala lenzeka? Akhe sibone bonyana uPowula wathini ngendaba le nekatlolela amaKrestu weKorinte.

KHUTHIWANI UKRESTU NENGABE AZANGE AVUSWE?

Amanye amaKrestu weKorinte yekadeni bewararene ngendaba le, abanye bebangakholelwa evukweni lamambala. Encwadinakhe yokuthoma emaKrestwini walapho, umpostoli uPowula wabala imiphumela ebeyingaba khona nengabe ivuko belingekho. Watlola: “Nakube akukho ukuvuka kwabafileko, khona-ke kutjho bona noKrestu azange avuswe. Nje-ke nakube uKrestu azange avuswe, khona-ke ukutjhumayela kwethu kulilize lakolize, nokukholwa kwenu kunjalo. Ngaphezu kwalapho, kutjho bona sifunyaniswa sibofakazi bamanga . . . Ukukholwa kwenu kulilize, nisahlezi ezonweni zenu. . . . Yeke nalabo esele balala bakuKrestu kutjho bona balahlekile.”—1 Korinte 15:13-18.

“Wabonakala kubazalwana abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu ngesikhathi esisodwa. . . . Godu wabonakala kuJakopo, ngemva kwalapho wabonakala kibo boke abapostoli. Ekugcineni wabonakala nakimi.”—1 Korinte 15:6-8

UPowulu wavula ngamezwi okubudisi ukuwaphikisa: Nakube abafileko abavuswa, khona-ke kutjho bona noKrestu azange avuswe. Nakube uKrestu akhenge avuswe, bewuzokuba yini umphumela? Ngalokho-ke, ukutjhumayela iindaba ezimnandi bekuzokuba lilize, amala ahlaza tlabha. Ngaphezu kwakho koke, ukuvuka kwakaKrestu bekusisekelo sekholo lamaKrestu, nengabe uKrestu akhenge avuswe, lokhu kuthinta indlela esizwisisa ngayo ezinye iimfundiso zeBhayibheli eziqakathekileko. Nengabe ivuko akhenge lenzeke, umlayezo uPowula nabanye abapostoli abawutjhumayelako bewuzokuba lilize, amezwi anganamsebenzi.

Bekuzokulandela eminye imiphumela. Nengabe uKrestu akhenge avuswe kwabafileko, ikholo lamaKrestu belizokuba lilize, elisekelwe emangeni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uPowula nabanye bebazobe bakhuluma amanga, ingasi ngokuvuswa kwakaJesu kwaphela, kodwana nangaloyo okuthiwa wamvusa, uJehova uZimu. Ukungezelela kilokho, indaba yokobana uKrestu “wafela izono zethu” nayo beyizokuba mamala—ngombana nengabe umSindisi ngokwakhe akhenge avuswe kwabafileko, bengekhe asindise abanye. (1 Korinte 15:3) Lokho bekuzokutjho bona amaKrestu ahlongakeleko, ngezinye iinkhathi abulawelwa ikholo, akhohliswa kwathiwa azokuvuswa.

UPowula waphetha ngokuthi: “Nakube ithemba lethu kuKrestu lingelokuphila lokho kwaphela, khona-ke singebokulilelwa ukudlula boke abantu.” (1 Korinte 15:19) UPowula, njengamanye amaKrestu, walahlekelwa, waqalana nokutjhutjhiswa, wakghodlhelelela ubudisi waqalana nokufa ngombana bekakholelwa evukweni nalokho okuhlanganisa lona. Qala bona kulilize kangangani nengabe ivuko bekumamala!

KUBAYINI KUFUZE UKHOLWE?

UPowula bekangacabangi bona lokho amaKrestu ebekakukholelwa bekusekelwe emangeni. Bekazi bona uJesu bekavuswe kwabafileko, begodu wahlathululela beKorinte ubufakazobu, obuthi, “kobana uKrestu wafela izono ukuya ngokwemitlolo, wabulungwa, wavuka kwabafileko ngelanga lesithathu, njengombana isitjho. Wabonakala kuPitrosi, godu wabonakala kubapostoli abalitjhumi nambili.”b UPowula wangezelela: “ngemva kwalapho, wabonakala kubazalwana abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu ngesikhathi esisodwa, inengi labo elisaphilako, nanyana-ke abanye sebalala nje. Godu wabonakala kuJakopo, ngemva kwalapho wabonakala kibo boke abapostoli. Ekugcineni wabonakala nakimi.”—1 Korinte 15:3-8.

UPowula wathoma ngomutjho onamandla wokobana uKrestu wafela izono zethu, wabulungwa begodu wavuswa. Yini eyenza uPowula waqiniseka ngalokho? Esinye sonobangela bufakazi obunengi bokuzibonela. UJesu ovusiweko wabonakala kwabambalwa (kuhlanganise noPowula), eenqhemeni ezincani nesiqhemeni sabantu abangaba ma-500, abanengi egade bangakholwa nebezwa ngeendaba zokobana uJesu uvusiwe! (Lukasi 24:1-11) Abanengi abazibonele ngawabo bebasaphila ngesikhathi sakaPowula begodu bebangabuzwa. (1 Korinte 15:6) Oyedwa namtjhana ababili babofakazi bekungabalula ukuphika, kodwana ingasi kibofakazi abama-500 namtjhana ngaphezulu.

Godu, tjheja, bona uPowula watjho kabili bona ukufa, ukubulungwa nokuvuswa kwakaJesu ‘bekungokomtlolo.’ Izenzakalwezo zaqinisekisa bona iimphorofido eziseMitlolweni yesiHebheru ezimalungana noMesiya bezizalisekile, ngalokho bekubufakazi bokobana kwamambala uJesu bekanguMesiya othenjisiweko.

Naphezu kobufakazi bokuzibonela neMitlolo, bekusese nalabo begodu basesekhona labo abazazako bona uJesu wavuswa. Abanye bathi umzimbakhe wetjwa bafundi bakhe labo abathi bofakazi evukweni. Nokho, abafundi bebanganawo amandla namtjhana umthelela wokudlula kibonagada beRoma ebebajame emnyango wethuna. Abanye bathi ivuko bekumbono omamala. Okuphambene nombono loyo kukobana uJesu wabonakala ebantwini abanengi ngeenkhathi ezingafaniko. Godu, inga-kghani kunehloko na ukukholelwa embonweni omamala wokupheka nokuphakulula ifesi, njengombana kwenza uJesu ovusiweko eGalile? (Jwanisi 21:9-14) Inga-kghani umbono omamala ozenza umuntu ungamema ababukeleko bona bamthinte?—Lukasi 24:36-39.

Abanye basacabanga bona ivuko bekumamala athonywa bafundi. Kodwana bebangazuza ini ekwenzeni lokho? Ukunikela ubufakazi ngevuko kwenza abafundi bona banyefulwe, batlhoriswe begodu babulawe. Kubayini bebafuna ukuzifaka engozini kangaka ukusekela amala? Ngaphezu kwalokho, kokuthoma banikela ngobufakazi eJerusalema, khona ebaphikisini babo, ebebakulungele ukubeka nanyana ngimuphi unobangela bona babakhandele.

Ivuko ngilo elanikela abafundi isibindi sokumemezela ngobufakazi malungana neKosi yabo naphezu kwetjhutjhiso elibudisi. Iqiniso levuko laba yikaba yekholo lamaKrestu. AmaKrestu wekhulu lokuthoma azange afake ukuphila kwawo engozini ngokufundisa ngomfundisi ohlakaniphileko owabulawako. Bafaka ukuphila kwabo engozini ngokutjhumayela ngevuko lakaJesu ngombana belifakazela bona unguKrestu, iNdodana kaZimu, onamandla, umuntu ophilako owabasekelako begodu wabanqophisa. Ivuko lakhe belitjho bona nabo bazokuvuka kwabafileko. Kwamambala, nengabe uJesu zange avuke, bekungekhe kube nobuKrestu. Nengabe uJesu zange avuke, kungenzeka bengekhe sizwe ngaye.

Nokho, litjho ukuthini ivuko lakaJesu kithi namhlanje?