Isahluko 18
UYohane Uyancipha, UYesu Uyanda
EMVA kwePasika ngentwasahlobo yowama-30 C.E., uYesu nabafundi bakhe bayayishiya iYerusalem. Noko ke, abagoduki ukubuyela eGalili kodwa baya kummandla welakwaYuda, apho babhaptiza khona abathile. UYohane uMbhaptizi sekulixesha elimalunga nonyaka ngoku esenza kwalo msebenzi, yaye usenabafundi abanxulumana naye.
Enyanisweni, uYesu akabhaptizi ngokwakhe, kodwa kubhaptiza abafundi bakhe besalathiswa nguye. Ubhaptizo lwabo lunentsingiselo enye nolo lwenziwa nguYohane, ukufuzisela ukuguquka kwamaYuda kwizono ezinxamnye nomnqophiso woMthetho kaThixo. Noko ke, emva kokuvuswa kwakhe, uYesu uyalela abafundi bakhe ukuba babhaptize ngobhaptizo olunentsingiselo eyahlukileyo. Ubhaptizo lwamaKristu namhlanje lungumfuziselo wokuzahlulela kukabani ukuba akhonze uYehova uThixo.
Noko ke, ngeli thuba lokuqalisa kobulungiseleli bukaYesu, yena noYohane, nangona bengasebenzi kunye, bafundisa baze babhaptize abo baguqukayo. Kodwa abafundi bakaYohane baba nomona baze bakhalaze kuye ngokubhekisele kuYesu besithi: “Rabhi . . . yabona, yena uyabhaptiza; beza kuye ke bonke.”
Kunokuba abe nomona, uYohane iyamvuyisa impumelelo kaYesu yaye ukwafuna abafundi bakhe bavuye. Uyabakhumbuza esithi: “Nani ngokwenu niyandingqinela kuba ndathi, Andinguye uKristu mna; ndathi, Ndithunyiwe phambi kwakhe.” Wandula ke asebenzise umzekeliso omhle esithi: “Lowo unomtshakazi ngumyeni; isihlobo ke somyeni, esimiyo simve, sivuya kunene ngenxa yezwi lomyeni; ngoko olu luvuyo lwam luzalisekile.”
UYohane, njengomhlobo woMyeni, wavuya malunga neenyanga ezintandathu ngaphambilana xa wazisa abafundi bakhe kuYesu. Abathile babo babeza kuba ngamalungu odidi lomtshakazi kaKristu wasezulwini owayeza kubunjwa ngamaKristu athanjiswe ngomoya. UYohane ufuna ukuba naba bafundi bakhe bakhoyo balandele uYesu, ekubeni injongo yakhe ikukulungisa indlela ukwenzela ubulungiseleli bukaKristu obunempumelelo. Njengokuba uYohane uMbhaptizi ecacisa: “Yena umelwe kukuthi ande, ndinciphe ke mna.”
Umfundi kaYesu asandul’ ukumfumana uYohane, ngaphambili obengumfundi kaYohane uMbhaptizi, ubhala mayela nemvelaphi kaYesu nendima Yakhe ebalulekileyo ekusindisweni koluntu, esithi: “Lowo ungowasezulwini ungaphezu kwabo bonke; . . . UYise uyamthanda uNyana; uzinikele zonke izinto esandleni sakhe. Lowo ukholwayo kuNyana, unobomi obungunaphakade; ke lowo ungamviyo uNyana, akayi kubona bomi; ingqumbo kaThixo ihleli phezu kwakhe.”
Kungekudala emva kokuba uYohane uMbhaptizi exubushe ngokuncipha komsebenzi wakhe uyabanjwa nguKumkani uHerode. UHerode uye wathabatha uHerodiya, umkaFilipu umntakwabo, wamenza umkakhe, yaye xa uYohane esibhenca ekuhleni njengesingafanelekanga isenzo sakhe, uHerode uyalela ukuba afakwe entolongweni. Xa uYesu esiva ngokubanjwa kukaYohane, uyalishiya elakwaYuda nabafundi bakhe baye eGalili. Yohane 3:22–4:3; IZenzo 19:4; Mateyu 28:19; 2 Korinte 11:2; Marko 1:14; 6:17-20.
▪ Lwalufuzisela ntoni ubhaptizo olwenziwa phantsi kolwalathiso lukaYesu ngaphambi kokuvuswa kwakhe? Yaye lwafuzisela ntoni emva kokuvuswa kwakhe?
▪ UYohane ukubonakalisa njani ukuba ukukhalaza kwabafundi bakhe akunasizinzi?
▪ Sisiphi isizathu esibangela ukuba uYohane afakwe entolongweni?