Ufundisa UNikodemo Ebusuku

Xa uYesu eye kwiPasika eYerusalem ngo-30 C.E., wenza imimangaliso. Ngenxa yaloo nto abantu baba nokholo kuye. UNikodemo ongumFarisi nokwinkundla ephakamileyo yamaYuda ebizwa ngokuba yiSanhedrin, uyayithanda le nto. Ngenxa yokuba efuna ukufunda izinto ezininzi, uya kuYesu ebusuku kuba engafuni ukubonwa zezinye iinkokheli zakwaYuda.

UNikodemo uthi: “Mfundisi, siyazi ukuba uthunywe nguThixo, kuba akekho umntu onokwenza le mimangaliso ingaka ngaphandle kokuba uncedwa nguThixo.” UYesu uthi kuNikodemo, ukuze umntu abufumane uBukumkani BukaThixo kufuneka “azalwe kwakhona.”​—Yohane 3:2, 3.

UNikodemo uthi: “Umntu angaphinda azalwe njani xa sele emdala? Kaloku akanakuphinda angene esibelekweni sikamama wakhe aze azalwe, andithi?”​—Yohane 3:4.

Hayi akuthethi loo nto ukuzalwa kwakhona. UYesu uthi: “Umntu akanakungena eBukumkanini bukaThixo ngaphandle kokuba azalwe ngamanzi nangomoya.” (Yohane 3:5) Xa uYesu ebebhaptizwa waza umoya oyingcwele wehla phezu kwakhe, singathi uzelwe “ngamanzi nangomoya.” Kuphume nelizwi ezulwini lisithi: “Lo nguNyana wam endimthandayo, nondivuyisayo.” (Mateyu 3:16, 17) Ngale ndlela uThixo ubonise ukuba uYesu uthanjisiwe ibe uza kufumana uBukumkani basezulwini. Ngo-33 C.E., abanye ababhaptiziweyo baza kufumana umoya oyingcwele, baze ‘bazalwe kwakhona’ babe ngoonyana bakaThixo bomoya.​—IZenzo 2:1-4.

UNikodemo akayiqondi kakuhle le nto ayifundiswa nguYesu ngoBukumkani. Ngoko uYesu umxelela umsebenzi wakhe apha emhlabeni njengoNyana KaThixo. Uthi: “Njengokuba uMoses wayixhomayo inyoka entlango, noNyana womntu umele axhonywe, ukuze wonke umntu okholwayo kuye afumane ubomi obungunaphakade.”​—Yohane 3:14, 15.

Kudala, amaSirayeli awayelunywe yinyoka ayemele ajonge inyoka yekopolo eyayixhonywe nguMoses ukuze asinde. (Numeri 21:9) Ngendlela efanayo, bonke abantu kufuneka babonise ukholo kuNyana KaThixo ukuze basinde baze bakhululeke kwisono nokufa baze bafumane ubomi obungunaphakade. Ukuze abonise indlela uYehova abathanda ngayo abantu, uYesu uthi kuNikodemo: “Kuba uThixo walithanda kakhulu ihlabathi kangangokuba wanikela ngoNyana wakhe ekuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze wonke umntu ozikholelwayo izinto azifundisayo aze azenze, angatshabalali, kodwa afumane ubomi obungunaphakade.” (Yohane 3:16) Yiyo loo nto emva kweenyanga ezintandathu uYesu eqalile ukushumayela, eyenza icace into yokuba nguye oza kunceda abantu basindiswe.

UYesu uthi kuNikodemo: “UThixo akamthumelanga uNyana wakhe ukuze aligwebe ihlabathi.” UYesu wayengazanga uzokugweba abantu ukuba batshatyalaliswe ngokungenabulungisa, endaweni yoko uthi ‘uthunywe ukuze ihlabathi lisindiswe ngaye.’​—Yohane 3:17.

UNikodemo uza kuYesu xa kumnyama kuba esoyika. Ibangela umdla into yokuba uYesu ayivale incoko yabo ngokuthetha ngokukhanya esithi: “Nasi isizathu sokugwetywa kwabantu: kuye kwafika ukukhanya emhlabeni kodwa abantu baye bathanda ubumnyama kunokukhanya, kuba benza izinto ezingalunganga. Kuba nabani na owenza izinto ezingcolileyo uyakucaphukela ukukhanya, ibe akasondeli ekukhanyeni, ukuze izinto azenzayo zingabonwa ngabantu. Kodwa nabani na owenza izinto ezilungileyo uyeza ekukhanyeni, ukuze izinto azenzayo zibonwe ukuba ziyavumelana nokuthanda kukaThixo.”​—Yohane 3:19-21.

Ngoku uNikodemo ongumFarisi, nofundisa kwaSirayeli, umele acinge ngezi zinto azifundiswe nguYesu aze enze isigqibo.