ULazaru Uyavuswa

Ngemva kokuthi uJesu ahlangene noMarta noMariya eduze neBhethaniya, baya ethuneni lakaLazaru. Ithuneli, lirholo elivalwe ngelitje. UJesu uthi, “Susani ilitje.” UMarta kuyamtshwenya lokho, akazwisisi ukuthi uJesu ufuna ukwenzani. Uthi, “Kosi, kufuze bona sekayanuka nje, ngombana sekumalanga amane.” Kodwana uJesu uthi kuye: “Akhenge ngikutjele na ukuthi nawungakholwa uzokubona iphazimulo kaZimu?”—Jwanisi 11:39, 40.

Ilitje liyasuswa. Ngemva kwalokho, uJesu uqala ezulwini uyathandaza uthi: “Baba, ngiyathokoza ukuthi ungizwile. Kwamambala, bengazi ukuthi uhlala ungizwa; kodwana ngikhulume ngebanga lesiqubuthu esijame lapha, ukwenzela bona sikholwe ukuthi ungithumile.” Ngokuthandaza tjhatjhalazi, uJesu utjengisa ababukeleko ukuthi lokho azokwenza, ukwenza ngamandla avela kuZimu. Ngemva kwalokho, uJesu uyarhuwelela uthi: “Lazaru, phuma!” Nambala uLazaru uyaphuma, iinyawo nezandla zakhe zisatantelwe ngamatjhila nobuso bakhe butantelwe ngetjhila. UJesu uthi, “Mtjhaphululeni nimlise akhambe.”—Jwanisi 11:41-44.

AmaJuda amanengi eze ukuzokutjhiyira uMariya noMarta ayayibona ikarisomraro le begodu akholwa kuJesu. Kodwana amanye ayakhamba ayokutjela abaFarisi ngento eyenziwe nguJesu. AbaFarisi nabaphristi abakhulu babamba umhlangano wekhotho ephakemeko yamaJuda, iSanhedrini. Nomphristi ophakemeko uKhayafasi, ulilunga lekhotho le. Abanye babo bathi: “Sizokwenzani, ngombana umuntu lo wenza iimbonakaliso ezinengi? Nasingamlisa arage ngendlela enza ngayo le, boke abantu bazomkholwa, namaRoma azokuza athathe kokubili indawethu nesitjhaba sethu.” (Jwanisi 11:47, 48) Naphezu kokuzwa imibiko evela ebantwini abazibonele ngawabo ukuthi uJesu “wenza iimbonakaliso ezinengi,” amadoda la awathabi ngalokho uZimu akwenzako ngaye. Into eqakatheke khulu kiwo, sikhundla namandlawo.

Indaba yokuvuswa kwakaLazaru ekufeni, ibasilinga khulu abaSadusi abangakholelwa ekuvusweni kwabafileko. Nje-ke uKhayafasi omSadusi, uthi: “Nina anazi litho, begodu akhenge nilemuke ukuthi kuzuzisa nina ukuthi umuntu munye afele isitjhaba kunokuthi isitjhaba soke sirhayilwe.”—Jwanisi 11:49, 50; IzEnzo 5:17; 23:8.

Ngombana uKhayafasi mphristi omkhulu, uZimu usebenzisa yena bona atjho amezwi la, akawatjho “ngokusuka kuye.” UKhayafasi utjho ukuthi, uJesu kufuze abulawe bona avinjwe ukuthi anganyazi amandla wabadosiphambili bekolo yobuJuda ukuya phambili. Nokho isiphorofido sakaKhayafasi sitjengisa ukuthi ngokufa kwakhe, uJesu uzokuba sihlengo, ingasi samaJuda kwaphela, kodwana ‘sabantwana bakaZimu ebebahlakazekile.’—Jwanisi 11:51, 52.

UKhayafasi uyaphumelela ekwenzeni bona iSanhedrini iluke amano wokubulala uJesu. Kghani uNikhodemusi olilunga leSanhedrini nowazana noJesu, uzamtjela ngamano wokumbulala la? Kinanyana ngikuphi, uJesu uyakhamba endaweni yeJerusalema, ngokwenza njalo ugegeda ukufa ngaphambi kwesikhathi esibekwe nguZimu.