Isahluko 38
Ngaba UYohane Wayeswele Ukholo?
UYOHANE uMbhaptizi, ngoku obesentolongweni malunga nonyaka, ufumana ingxelo engokuvuswa konyana womhlolokazi waseNayin. Kodwa uYohane ufuna ukuva ngokuphuma ngqo kuYesu ngokubhekisele kwintsingiselo yoku, ngoko uthuma abafundi bakhe ababini ukuba baye kubuza: “Wena ungulowo uzayo na, silinde omnye, sini na?”
Lo mbuzo usenokubonakala ungaqhelekanga, ingakumbi ekubeni uYohane wayewubonile umoya kaThixo uthululekela kuYesu waza weva nelizwi likaThixo lokukholiswa nguye xa wayembhaptiza phantse kwiminyaka emibini ngaphambili. Umbuzo kaYohane usenokubabangela abanye bagqibe kwelokuba ukholo lwakhe luye lwaba buthathaka. Kodwa oku akunjalo. UYesu ebengayi kumncoma kangako uYohane, nto leyo ayenzayo ngesi sihlandlo, ukuba uYohane ebeqala ukuthandabuza. Ngoko, kutheni uYohane ebuza lo mbuzo nje?
Kusenokuba uYohane ufuna nje isiqinisekiso esivela kuYesu sokuba Yena unguMesiya kusini na. Oku bekuya kumomeleza kakhulu uYohane njengokuba ebandezelekile entolongweni. Kodwa kuyabonakala ukuba kukho okungakumbi kunoko kumbuzo kaYohane. Ngokucacileyo ufuna ukwazi enoba kukho ongomnye ozayo, ngokungathi kunjalo, olilandela, oya kuphelelisa ukuzaliseka kwazo zonke izinto ezaxelwa kwangaphambili ezimele zenziwe nguMesiya.
Ngokutsho kweziprofeto zeBhayibhile aqheleneyo nazo uYohane, Lowo unguMthanjiswa kaThixo uza kuba ngukumkani, umhlanguli. Kanti uYohane usesentolongweni, iinyanga ezininzi gqitha emva kokubhaptizwa kukaYesu. Ngoko ngokucacileyo uYohane ubuza uYesu esithi: ‘Ngaba ungulowo umisela uBukumkani bukaThixo kwigunya elibonakalayo, okanye ngaba kukho omnye owahlukileyo, olilandela, esifanele simlindele ukuba azalisekise zonke iziprofeto ezihlobene nozuko lukaMesiya?’
Endaweni yokuxelela abafundi bakaYohane oku, ‘Kakade ndingulowo uzayo!’ kanye ngaloo yure uYesu uzibonakalisa ngokuphawulekayo ngokuphilisa abantu abaninzi abanezifo neziphene zazo zonke iintlobo. Wandula ke axelele abafundi ukuthi: “Hambani niye kumbikela uYohane izinto enizivayo nenizibonileyo: iimfama zibuya zibone, neziqhwala ziyahamba; abaneqhenqa bayahlanjululwa, nezithulu ziyeva; abafileyo bayavuswa, namahlwempu ayazishunyayezwa iindaba ezilungileyo.”
Ngamanye amazwi, umbuzo kaYohane usenokuthetha ukulindela ukuba uYesu enze okungakumbi kunoko akwenzayo, ibe mhlawumbi uya kukhulula uYohane ngokwakhe. Noko ke, uYesu uxelela uYohane ukuba angalindeli okungakumbi kunemimangaliso uYesu ayenzayo.
Xa abafundi bakaYohane behamba, uYesu uphethukela kwizihlwele aze azixelele ukuba uYohane ‘ungumthunywa’ kaYehova owaxelwa kwangaphambili kuMalaki 3:1 nokuba ukwangumprofeti uEliya owaxelwa kwangaphambili kuMalaki 4:5, 6. Ngaloo ndlela uyamphakamisa uYohane njengolingana naye nawuphi na umprofeti owayephila ngaphambi kwakhe, echaza esithi: “Inene ndithi kuni, Phakathi kwabo bazelweyo ngabafazi, akuvelanga mkhulu kunoYohane umbhaptizi; kanti ke nomncinane kwabanye ebukumkanini bamazulu mkhulu kunaye. Kususela ke kwimihla kaYohane umbhaptizi kude kube kalokunje, ubukumkani bamazulu buyagonyamelwa, bathi abagonyameli babuthimbe.”
Apha uYesu ubonisa ukuba uYohane akayi kuba kuBukumkani basemazulwini, ekubeni apho omncinane emkhulu kunoYohane. UYohane walungiselela uYesu indlela, kodwa wafa ngaphambi kokuba uKristu atywine umnqophiso, okanye isivumelwano nabafundi bakhe, sokuba babe ngabalawuli abazizinxulumani kunye naye eBukumkanini bakhe. Kungenxa yoko le nto uYesu esithi uYohane akayi kuba kuBukumkani basezulwini. Endaweni yoko uYohane uya kuba ngumlawulwa wasemhlabeni woBukumkani bukaThixo. Luka 7:18-30; Mateyu 11:2-15.
▪ Kutheni uYohane ebuza enoba uYesu unguLowo Uzayo okanye enoba kufanele kulindelwe omnye owahlukileyo kusini na?
▪ Ziziphi iziprofeto athi uYesu zazalisekiswa nguYohane?
▪ Kutheni uYohane uMbhaptizi engayi kuba sezulwini noYesu?