Iwo Anafupidwa Chifukwa Choyenda Mosachimwa

YEHOVA amadalitsa ndi kufupa atumiki ake okhulupirika. Iwo angafunikire kuyembekezera nthaŵi yaitali kuti aone kuchitika kwa zifuno za Mulungu, koma zimakhala zokondweretsa chotani nanga pamene madalitso ake alandiridwa!

Zimenezi zinachitiridwa bwino chithunzi pafupifupi zaka zikwi ziŵiri zapitazo m’chochitika cha wansembe Wachiyuda Zakariya ndi mkazi wake, Elisabeti, onse aŵiri a banja la Aroni. Mulungu anali atalonjeza kudalitsa Aisrayeli ndi mbadwa ngati akamtumikira mokhulupirika. Iye anati ana ali cholandira. (Levitiko 26:9; Salmo 127:3) Komabe, Zakariya ndi Elisabeti anali opanda mwana ndipo anakalamba.​—Luka 1:1-7.

Malemba amanena kuti Zakariya ndi Elisabeti “onse aŵiri anali olungama mtima pamaso pa Mulungu, namayendabe m’malamulo onse ndi zoikika za Ambuye osachimwa.” (Luka 1:6) Iwo anakonda Mulungu kwambiri kwakuti sikunali kolemetsa kwa iwo kulondola njira yolungama ndi kusunga malamulo ake.​—1 Yohane 5:3.

Madalitso Osayembekezeredwa

Tiyeni tibwerere kumapeto a ngululu kapena kuchiyambi kwa chilimwe m’chaka cha 3 B.C.E. Herode Wamkulu akulamulira monga mfumu mu Yudeya. Tsiku lina, wansembe Zakariya aloŵa Mopatulika mwa kachisi m’Yerusalemu. Pamene anthu asonkhana akupemphera kunja kwa kachisiyo, iye akufukiza zonunkhira pa guwa lansembe lagolidi. Mwinamwake polingaliridwa kukhala utumiki wolemekezeka koposa pa mautumiki atsiku ndi tsiku, uwo umachitidwa pambuyo pa kupereka nsembe. Wansembe angakhale ndi mwaŵi umenewu kamodzi kokha m’moyo wake.

Zakariya sakukhulupirira zimene akuona. Eya, mngelo wa Yehova ali kuimirira kulamanja kwa guwa la nsembe la zonunkhira! Wansembe wokalambayo akuvutika maganizo ndi kuchita mantha. Koma mngeloyo akuti: “Usawope Zakariya, chifukwa kuti lamveka pemphero lako, ndipo mkazi wako adzakubalira mwana wamwamuna, ndipo udzamutcha dzina lake Yohane.” Inde, Yehova wamva mapemphero oona mtima a Elisabeti ndi Zakariya.​—Luka 1:8-13.

Mngeloyo akuwonjezera kuti: “Udzakhala nako kukondwera ndi msangalalo; ndipo anthu ambiri adzakondwera pa kubadwa kwake. Pakuti iye adzakhala wamkulu pamaso pa Ambuye, ndipo sadzamwa konse vinyo kapena kachasu; nadzadzazidwa ndi mzimu woyera, kuyambira asanabadwe.” Yohane adzakhala Mnaziri wodzazidwa ndi mzimu woyera wa Mulungu kwa moyo wonse. Mngeloyo akupitiriza kuti: “Iye adzatembenuzira ana a Israyeli ambiri kwa Ambuye Mulungu wawo. Ndipo adzamtsogolera Iye, ndi mzimu ndi mphamvu ya Eliya, kutembenuzira mitima ya atate kwa ana awo, ndi osamvera kuti atsate nzeru ya olungama mtima; kukonzeratu Ambuye anthu okonzeka.”​—Luka 1:14-17.

Zakariya akufunsa kuti: “Ndidzadziŵitsa ichi ndi chiyani? Pakuti ndine nkhalamba, ndipo zaka zake za mkazi wanga zachuluka.” Mngeloyo akuyankha kuti: “Ine ndine Gabrieli, woimirira pamaso pa Mulungu; ndipo ndinatumidwa kwa iwe kudzalankhula nawe, ndi kuuza iwe uthenga uwu wabwino. Ndipo taona, udzakhala wotonthola ndi wosakhoza kulankhula, kufikira tsiku limene zidzachitika izi, popeza kuti sunakhulupirira mawu anga, amene adzakwanitsidwa pa nyengo yake.” Pamene Zakariya atuluka m’kachisi, iye sakutha kulankhula, ndipo anthu azindikira kuti waona masomphenya. Zokha zimene iye akuchita ndi kupereka zizindikiro, akumagwiritsira ntchito majesichala kupereka malingaliro ake. Pamene utumiki wake wapoyera watha, iye akubwerera kunyumba.​—Luka 1:18-23.

Chochititsa Chisangalalo

Monga momwe kunalonjezedwera, posakhalitsa Elisabeti ali ndi chifukwa chosangalalira. Iye akukhala ndi pakati, kuchotsa chitonzo cha kukhala wosabala. Wachibale wake Mariya akukondweranso, popeza kuti mngelo mmodzimodziyo, Gabrieli, akumuuza kuti: “Taona, udzakhala ndi pakati, nudzabala mwana wamwamuna, nudzamutcha dzina lake Yesu. Iye adzakhala wamkulu, nadzatchedwa Mwana wa Wamkulukulu: ndipo Ambuye Mulungu adzampatsa Iye mpando wachifumu wa Davide atate wake.” Mariya ali wofunitsitsa kuchita ntchito ya “mdzakazi wa Ambuye.”​—Luka 1:24-38.

Mariya akuthamangira kunyumba kwa Zakariya ndi Elisabeti mu mzinda wa dziko lamapiri la Yudeya. Pamene akumva moni wa Mariya, mwana amene ali m’mimba mwa Elisabeti akutsalima. Pansi pa chisonkhezero cha mzimu woyera wa Mulungu, Elisabeti akufuula mokweza kuti: “Wodalitsika iwe mwa akazi, ndipo chodalitsika chipatso cha mimba yako. Ndipo ichi chichokera kuti kudza kwa ine, kuti adze kwa ine amake wa Ambuye wanga? Pakuti ona, pamene mawu a kulankhula kwako analoŵa m’makutu anga, mwana anatsalima ndi msangalalo m’mimba mwanga. Ndipo wodala ali iye amene anakhulupirira; chifukwa zidzachitidwa zinthu zimene Ambuye analankhula naye.” Mariya akuvomereza ndi chisangalalo chachikulu. Kucheza kwake ndi Elisabeti kukutenga pafupifupi miyezi itatu.​—Luka 1:39-56.

Yohane Abadwa

M’kupita kwa nthaŵi mwana wamwamuna akubadwa kwa Elisabeti ndi Zakariya okalambawo. Patsiku lachisanu ndi chitatu, mwanayo akudulidwa. Achibale akufuna kutcha mnyamatayo Zakariya, koma Elisabeti akuti: “Iyayi; koma adzatchedwa Yohane.” Kodi mwamuna wake wosalankhulayo akuvomereza? Iye akulemba pa gome kuti: “Dzina lake ndi Yohane.” Pomwepo, lilime la Zakariya limasuka, ndipo ayamba kulankhula, akumadalitsa Yehova.​—Luka 1:57-66.

Atadzazidwa ndi mzimu woyera, wansembe wosangalalayo akulosera. Iye akulankhula ngati kuti Mpulumutsi wolonjezedwayo​—‘nyanga ya chipulumutso m’nyumba ya Davide’​—wadzutsidwa kale mogwirizana ndi pangano la Abrahamu lonena za Mbewu yodalitsira mitundu yonse. (Genesis 22:15-18) Monga kalambula bwalo wa Mesiya, mwana weniweni wobadwa mozizwitsa wa Zakariya ‘adzatsogolera Ambuye kuwapatsa anthu adziŵitse chipulumutso.’ Pamene zaka zinapita, Yohane anapitiriza kukula ndi kukhala wamphamvu mumzimu.​—Luka 1:67-80.

Anafupidwa Kwambiri

Zakariya ndi Elisabeti anali zitsanzo zabwino za chikhulupiriro ndi kuleza mtima. Iwo anapitiriza kutumikira Yehova mokhulupirika ngakhale kuti anafunikira kudikira pa Mulungu, ndipo madalitso awo aakulu koposa anadza pamene anali atakalamba.

Komabe, ndi madalitso otani nanga amene Elisabeti ndi Zakariya anasangalala nawo! Pansi pa chisonkhezero cha mzimu wa Mulungu, onse aŵiri analosera. Iwo anapatsidwa mwaŵi wakukhala makolo ndi alangizi a kalambula bwalo wa Mesiya, Yohane Mbatizi. Ndiponso, Mulungu anawaona kukhala olungama. Mofananamo, awo amene lerolino akulondola njira yaumulungu angakhale ndi kaimidwe kolungama ndi Mulungu ndipo adzalandira mphotho zambiri zodalitsidwa chifukwa cha kuyenda osachimwa m’malamulo a Yehova.