Uthengawu unkafika pamtima anthu amene ankabwera kudzamvetsera. Anthu ambiri anazindikira kuti ankafunika kusintha zochita zawo komanso mmene ankaganizira ndipo anasiya zoipa zimene ankachita. Anthuwa ankachokera ku “Yerusalemu ndi ku Yudeya konse ndiponso . . . m’midzi yonse yapafupi ndi Yorodano.” (Mateyu 3:5) Anthu ambiri amene ankamvetsera uthenga wa Yohane analapa ndipo anawabatiza powamiza m’madzi, mumtsinje wa Yorodano. N’chifukwa chiyani ankawabatiza?

Ubatizowo unali ngati chizindikiro chakuti kuchokera pansi pamtima alapa machimo awo omwe anawachita chifukwa chosamvera Chilamulo cha Mulungu, chomwe chinali pangano pakati pa iwowo ndi Mulungu. (Machitidwe 19:4) Koma si onse amene anabatizidwa. Mwachitsanzo Afarisi ndi Asaduki atapita kukaona Yohane, iye anawatchula kuti “ana a njoka.” Iye ananenanso kuti: “Ndiyetu mubale zipatso zosonyeza kulapa. Musamadzinyenge kuti, ‘Tili ndi atate wathu Abulahamu.’ Pakuti ndikukuuzani kuti Mulungu angathe kuutsira Abulahamu ana kuchokera kumiyala iyi. Nkhwangwa yaikidwa kale pamizu yamitengo. Chotero mtengo uliwonse wosabala zipatso zabwino udulidwa ndi kuponyedwa pamoto.”—Mateyu 3:7-10.

Choncho, uthenga umene Yohane ankalalikira wakuti: “Lapani, pakuti ufumu wakumwamba wayandikira,” unali woyenereradi. (Mateyu 3:2) Uthengawu unathandiza anthu onse kudziwa kuti ntchito imene Yesu Khristu anabwerera pa dziko lapansi inali itatsala pang’ono kuyamba.