Kwakusasa ngeCawa uMariya waseMagadala, uMariya unina kaYakobi kwakunye noSalome, uYohana nabanye abafazi, beza nobulawu engcwabeni ukuze baqhole umzimba kaYesu. Endleleni bathi omnye komnye: “Ngubani na oya kusiqengqela ilitye, lisuke emnyango wengcwaba?” Kodwa bakufika, bafumanisa ukuba kuye kwakho inyikima yaye isithunywa sikaYehova siye saliqengqa ilitye. Abalindi abakho, yaye ingcwaba lize! Mateyu 27:57–28:2; Marko 15:42–16:4; Luka 23:50–24:3, 10; Yohane 19:14, 31–20:1; 12:42; Levitikus 23:5-7; Duteronomi 21:22, 23; INdumiso 34:20; Zekariya 12:10.

Isahluko 128

UYesu Uyaphila!

XA ABAFAZI belifumana ingcwaba likaYesu lingenanto, uMariya waseMagadala uyabaleka ukuya kuxelela uPetros noYohane. Noko ke, ngokucacileyo abanye abafazi bashiyeka engcwabeni. Kungekudala, kuvela isithunywa sezulu size sibabizele ngaphakathi.

Bakuba bengenile aba bafazi babona esinye isithunywa sezulu, ibe esinye sezithunywa zezulu sithi kubo: “Musani ukoyika nina; kuba ndiyazi ukuba nifuna uYesu, lowo ubebethelelwe [emthini, NW]. Akakho apha; kuba uvukile, njengoko watshoyo; yizani niyibone indawo apho ibilele khona iNkosi. Yiyani ngokukhawuleza, nibaxelele abafundi bakhe ukuthi uvukile kwabafileyo.” Ngoko benoloyiko novuyo olukhulu, aba bafazi nabo bayabaleka.

Ngeli thuba, uMariya umfumene uPetros noYohane, kwaye ubaxelela oku: “Bayisusile iNkosi engcwabeni; asazi nalapho bayibeke khona.” Bengaphozisanga maseko aba bapostile babini bayagqotsa ukuya apho. UYohane unamendu angaphezulu—ngokucacileyo kuba eselula—yaye ufika kuqala engcwabeni. Ngeli thuba abafazi sele behambile, ngoko akukho mntu ukhoyo. Egobile, uYohane ukroba engcwabeni aze abone izisongelo, kodwa uma ngaphandle.

Xa uPetros efika, akathandabuzi kodwa ungena ngaphakathi. Ubona izisongelo zilapho kwaneqhiya ebekubotshwe ngayo intloko kaYesu. Isongwe yandawonye. Ngoku noYohane ungena engcwabeni, yaye uyayikholelwa ingxelo kaMariya. Kodwa uPetros noYohane abayicingi into yokuba uYesu uvusiwe, kwanakuba Yena wayebaxelele ngokufuthi ukuba wayeza kuvuka. Bedidekile, aba babini bayagoduka, kodwa uMariya, obuyele engcwabeni, uyasala.

Ngeli thuba, abanye abafazi bamaphikana ukuya kuxelela abafundi ukuba uYesu uvusiwe, njengoko izithunywa zezulu zibayalele ukuba benjenjalo. Ngoxa bebaleka ngamandla kangangoko banako, uYesu udibana nabo aze athi: “Bhotani!” (NW) Bawa ezinyaweni zakhe, bequbuda kuye. Wandula ke uYesu athi: “Musani ukoyika; yiyani kubatyela abazalwana bam ukuba baye eGalili; bondibona khona apho.”

Ngaphambilana, xa bekukho inyikima kwaza kwabonakala izithunywa zezulu, amasoldati awayelindile othuka aza afa isiqaqa. Akuba eqabukile zisuka nje aya esixekweni aza axelela ababingeleli abakhulu oko kwenzekileyo. Bakuba bethethathethene “namadoda amakhulu” angamaYuda, bafikelela kwisigqibo sokuba bazame ukuwufihla lo mbandela ngokunyoba loo masoldati. Ayalelwa oku: “Ze nithi, Abafundi bakhe beza ngobusuku, bamba silele.”

Ekubeni amasoldati aseRoma esenokohlwaywa ngokufa ngenxa yokulala emsebenzini wawo, ababingeleli bawathembisa oku: “Nokuba ithe yavakala le [ngxelo yokulala kwenu] kwirhuluneli, thina soyithomalalisa, senze ningabi naxhala nina.” Ekubeni imali abawanyobe ngayo ininzi ngokwanelisayo, la masoldati enza njengoko eyalelwe. Ngenxa yoko, ingxelo ebubuxoki engokubiwa komzimba kaYesu yasasazeka ngokubanzi phakathi kwamaYuda.

UMariya waseMagadala, osala ngasemva engcwabeni, ubuhlungu gqitha. Unokuba uphi uYesu? Egoba ukuze akhangele engcwabeni, ubona izithunywa zezulu ezibini eziphinde zavela, zambethe ezimhlophe! Esinye sihleli ngasentloko yaye esinye sihleli ngasezinyaweni apho ubulele khona umzimba kaYesu. Ziyambuza, “Mfazi, ulilelani na?”

UMariya uyaphendula, “Bayisusile iNkosi yam; andazi apho bayibeke khona.” Uyandula ke ajike aze abone uthile ophinda abuze lo mbuzo: “Mfazi, ulilelani na?” Ibe lo uyabuza kwakhona athi: “Ufuna bani na?”

Ecinga ukuba lo mntu ngumgcini-myezo elikuwo eli ngcwaba, uthi kuye: “Nkosi, ukuba umsusile apha, ndixelele apho umbeke khona; mna ndiye kumthabatha.”

Lo mntu uthi, “Mariya!” Ibe, ngenxa yendlela eqhelekileyo athetha ngayo naye, kwangoko uyaqonda ukuba nguYesu. Udanduluka athi, “Rabhoni!” (oku kukuthi, “Mfundisi”). Yaye ngovuyo olukhulu, uyamtsibela. Kodwa uYesu uthi: “Ungandichukumisi; kuba andikanyuki ndiye kuBawo; ke yiya kubazalwana bam, uthi kubo, Ndiyenyuka, ndiya kuBawo, kuYihlo; kuThixo wam, kuThixo wenu.”

Ngoku uMariya uyabaleka ukuya apho abapostile nabafundi abangoowabo bahlanganisene khona. Wongezelela ingxelo yakhe kuleyo ibisele inikelwe ngabafazi engokubona uYesu ovusiweyo. Kodwa, la madoda, angakhange abakholelwe abafazi bokuqala, ngokucacileyo akamkholelwa noMariya. Mateyu 28:3-15; Marko 16:5-8; Luka 24:4-12; Yohane 20:2-18.

▪ Emva kokufumana ingcwaba lingenanto, yintoni eyenziwa nguMariya waseMagadala, ibe kwenzeka ntoni kwabanye abafazi?

▪ Basabela njani uPetros noYohane bakuba befumanise ingcwaba lingenanto?

▪ Badibana nantoni abanye abafazi endleleni eya kunikela ingxelo ngoYesu ovusiweyo kubafundi?

▪ Kwenzeka ntoni kumasoldati angabalindi, ibe basabela njani ababingeleli kwingxelo yabo?

▪ Kwenzeka ntoni xa uMariya waseMagadala eyedwa engcwabeni, ibe basabela njani abafundi kwiingxelo zabafazi?

ABAFUNDI basadakumbile. Abayiqondi intsingiselo yengcwaba elize, yaye bengazikholelwa neengxelo ezifike nabafazi. Kuthi ke kamva ngeCawa, uKleyopa nomnye umfundi banduluke eYerusalem besinge e-Emawusi, ekumgama omalunga neekhilomitha ezili-11.

Endleleni, ngoxa bencokola ngeziganeko zaloo mini, umhambi othile uyabathelela. Uyababuza, “Ziindawo zini na ezi nincokola ngazo, nihamba?”

Abafundi bayema, ubuso babo bumatshekile, aze uKleyopa aphendule athi: “Umhambi eYerusalem apha nguwe wedwa na, ukuba ungazazi nje izinto ezihle khona ngazo ezi mini?” Lo mhambi uyabuza: “Ziphi na?”

“EzingoYesu waseNazarete,” bamphendula ngelitshoyo. ‘Ababingeleli abakhulu nabaphathi bethu bamnikele ukuba agwetywe afe, bambethelela [nasemthini, NW]. Ke kaloku, thina besithembe ukuba nguye oza kukhulula uSirayeli.’

UKleyopa neqabane lakhe bachaza izinto ezimangalisayo ezenzekileyo ngaloo mini—ingxelo engaqhelekanga engokubonwa kwezithunywa zezulu neyengcwaba elize—kodwa bathi ke bachaze ukudideka kwabo mayela nentsingiselo yezi zinto. Lo mhambi uyabakhalimela: “Oyi! basweli-kuqonda, bantliziyo zizeka kade ukukholwa kuko konke abakuthethayo abaprofeti! UKristu ebengamelwe na kukuthi abuve obu bunzima, aze angene eluzukweni lwakhe?” Uthi ke abachazele iindawo ezisezibhalweni ezimayela noKristu.

Ekugqibeleni bafika kufutshane ne-Emawusi, yaye lo mhambi wenza ngathi uyegqitha. Befuna ukuva okungakumbi, abafundi bayambongoza: “Hlala nathi; ngokuba kuza kuhlwa.” Ngoko uyahlala ukuze badle. Njengoko ethandaza yaye aqhekeze isonka aze abanike, bayaqonda ukuba ngokwenene unguYesu ekumzimba womntu. Kodwa wandula ke athi shwaka.

Ngoku bayasiqonda isizathu sokuba lo mhambi abe ebesazi izinto ezininzi kangaka! Bayabuza: “Intliziyo yethu ibingavuthi na ngaphakathi kwethu, xa ebethetha nathi endleleni, naxa ebesityhilela izibhalo?” Ngaphandle kokulibazisa, bayaphakama baze bangxame ukubuyela eYerusalem, apho bafumana abapostile bendawonye kunye nabo bebenabo. Ngaphambi kokuba uKleyopa neqabane lakhe bathethe, abanye bechulumancile babaxelela oku: “INkosi inene ivukile, yabonakala kuSimon.” Baze ke aba babini babalise indlela uYesu abonakale ngayo nakubo. Esi sisihlandlo sesine ngaloo mini athe ngaso wabonakala kubafundi bakhe abahlukahlukeneyo.

Ngequbuliso uYesu ubonakala okwesihlanu. Nangona iminyango itshixiwe ngenxa yokuba abafundi besoyika amaYuda, uyangena, eme phakathi kwabo, aze athi: “Uxolo malube nani.” Bangenwa luloyiko, becinga ukuba babona umshologu. Ngoko, ebachazela ukuba akangomshologu, uYesu uthi: “Yini na ukuba nikhathazeke? Kungani na ke ukuba kunyuke izicamango ezintliziyweni zenu? Khangelani izandla zam neenyawo zam, ngokuba ndim kanye; ndicofeni, nikhangele; ngokuba umshologu awunanyama namathambo, njengokuba nindibona ndinawo mna.” Sekunjalo, bakholwa bengakholwa.

Ukubanceda baqonde ukuba ngokwenene unguYesu, uyababuza: “Ninanto na idliwayo apha?” Akuba amkele intwana yentlanzi eyosiweyo aze ayidle, uthi: “Ngawo la amazwi endawathethayo kuni ndisenani [ngaphambi kokufa kwam], okokuba zimelwe kukuzaliseka zonke izinto ezibhaliweyo ngam emthethweni kaMoses, nasebaprofetini, nasezindumisweni.”

Eqhubeka noko, enyanisweni, kusisifundo seBhayibhile kunye nabo, uYesu uyabafundisa: “Kubhaliwe ngokunjalo, umelwe ngokunjalo uKristu kukuthi eve ubunzima, abuye avuke kwabafileyo ngomhla wesithathu; nokuba kuvakaliswe egameni lakhe inguquko noxolelo lwezono kuzo zonke iintlanga, kuqalelwa eYerusalem. Nina ke ningamangqina ezi zinto.”