Ukufa KukaJesu Kusho Ukuthini Kuwe?

“WONKE amabutho ake amasha, yonke imikhumbi yempi eyake yakhiwa, wonke amaphalamende ake abhunga, nawo wonke amakhosi ake abusa, kuhlangene, akukuthintanga ukuphila komuntu kulomhlaba ngokunamandla njengoba kuye kwenza lomuntu eyedwa.” Wabhala kanjalo umlobi uJames A. Francis ngokuqondene noJesu Kristu.

Abantu babheka uJesu ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene, kodwa iBhayibheli limbonakalisa njengeNdodana kaNkulunkulu nanjengomuntu onothando lokuzidela. UJesu wakhomba indlela eyinhloko abonisa ngayo lolothando lapho ethi ngaye ngokwakhe: “INdodana yomuntu [ayi]zelanga ukukhonzwa kepha ukukhonza nokunikela ukuphila kwayo, kube-yisihlengo sabaningi.”—Mathewu 20:28.

Sibaluleke ngani lesihlengo? Kungani sasidingeka? Ubani ohlengwayo? Ngempela, ukufa kukaJesu kusho ukuthini kuwe?

Siyini?

Isihlengo singokuthile okukhululayo. Ukuhlenga umuntu kusho ukumkhulula ebugqilini noma esijezisweni ngokukhokha inhlawulo. Ngomqondo ongokomoya, “ukuhlenga” kusho ukukhulula esonweni nasesijezisweni saso. Yingakho uJesu afa. Njengoba umphostoli uPawulu ongumKristu abhala: “Inkokhelo yesono ingukufa, kepha isipho somusa sikaNkulunkulu singukuphila okuphakade kuKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu.”—Roma 6:23.

Inhlawulo yokusindisa ngokomBhalo ihlangene nokukhokha isihlengo. IHubo 49:6-9 lithi: “Labo abathemba imfuyo yabo bezigabisa ngomcebo wabo omkhulu, na? Umuntu angemhlenge umfowabo, angemnike uNkulunkulu inhlawulo [isihlengo, NW] ngaye. Ngokuba ukuhlengwa [inani lesihlengo, NW] komphefumulo wabo kubiza kakhulu; akunakuphela nanini ukuba aphile njalo, angaboni ukubola.” Isihlengo siwukusindisa okwenziwa uNkulunkulu, akwenziwa yinoma yimuphi umuntu ongaphelele.

Kungani Sidingeka?

Isihlengo siyadingeka ngoba ubaba wethu wokuqala ongumuntu, uAdamu, wenza isono. Ngaleyondlela walahlekelwa ukuphila okuphelele okungapheli, ngokufanelekile wagwetshelwa ukufa, futhi ekugcineni wafa. (Genesise 2:15-17; 3:1-7, 17-19; 5:5) Njengoba siyinzalo yakhe, siye sazuza ngefa isono nokufa. “Isono sangena ezweni ngamuntu munye,” kubhala uPawulu, “ngokunjalo ukufa kwafikela abantu bonke, lokhu bonke bonile.” (Roma 5:12) Yebo, “kuAdamu bonke bayafa.” (1 Korinte 15:22) Ngakho umhubi uDavide washo ngakhona ukuthi: “Ngazalelwa ebubini, umame wangithabatha esonweni.”—IHubo 51:5.

Ukukhululwa ekulahlelweni esonweni nasekufeni kubalulekile ukuze noma iyiphi inzalo ka-Adamu enesono ithole ukuphila okuphakade. Nakuba abantu abangaphelele bengenakulikhokha lelinani lesihlengo, ngothando uJehova wenza kanjalo ngoJesu Kristu. Kodwa, yini ethengwayo ngalesihlengo? Nokho, lapho uAdamu enza isono, walahlekelwa ukuphila okuphakade okuphelele kobuntu, nawo wonke amalungelo akho namathemba. Ngakho-ke, lokho kuphila kwasindiswa ngomhlatshelo kaJesu wesihlengo.

Lokho Esikwenza Kube Nokwenzeka

Ukwahlulela ngokulunga kwaneliswa ngokuba isintu sibhekane nokufa, isijeziso sesono. Ngakho isihlengo siyisenzo somusa kaNkulunkulu nomusa wothando. Ukuphila okuphelele kukaJesu kobuntu, nawo wonke amalungelo namathemba akho, kwabekwa phansi ekufeni futhi kwangabuyiswa, ngoba akavuswanga njengomuntu wenyama negazi kodwa njengesidalwa somoya esingenakufa. (1 Korinte 15:50; 1 Petru 3:18) Ngakho-ke ukuphila kukaJesu Kristu kobuntu okwenziwa umhlatshelo kwaqhubeka kubanamandla okusindisa, noma ukuhlenga.

Njengomuntu ongenasono, uJesu waba sesimweni esifanayo naleso uAdamu ophelele ayekuso ekuqaleni. Ngenxa yokulalela uNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba sekufeni, uJesu wenziwa umPristi Omkhulu ophakeme, futhi wayisa inani lomhlatshelo wokuphila kwakhe okuphelele kobuntu ezulwini. (Heberu 9:24-26) Ngenxa yokuthi uNkulunkulu wamukela lelinani elihlengayo, uJesu wayengasindisa inzalo ka-Adamu ekholwayo esonweni nokufa ngokusebenzisa inzuzo yomhlatshelo wakhe ngenxa yayo. (1 Korinte 6:20; 7:23; 1 Johane 2:1, 2) Ngaleyondlela uJesu “waba-yisisusa sokusindiswa okuphakade kubo bonke abamlalelayo.” (Heberu 5:8, 9) Lokhu kwenza kube nokwenzeka ngabo ukuba bazuze ukuma okulungile phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngeNdodana yakhe.

Ubani Ohlengwayo?

Khona-ke, obani abazuzayo kulesihlengo? Abantu ababa nokholo kulelilungiselelo futhi ngaleyondlela babe sekuvumelaneni noNkulunkulu. Ngokumkhonza ngokwethembeka, bangakhululwa esonweni nasesijezisweni saso esiwukufa futhi bathole ukuphila okuphakade.—Johane 17:3.

Umuntu wokuqala wayenganquma ukuthi amlalele yini uNkulunkulu noma angamlaleli. Wakhetha ukungalaleli. “UAdamu kakhohliswanga,” kodwa wafa eyisoni sangamabomu. (1 Thimothewu 2:14) Kodwa, kuthiwani ngenzalo ka-Adamu. Ingakhetha ukuba ikhonze uNkulunkulu ngendlela engcono kakhulu esimweni sayo sokungapheleli noma ingamlaleli uMdali wayo.—Joshuwa 24:15.

UJesu wezela “[u]kunikela ukuphila kwa[khe], kube-yisihlengo sabaningi.” (Marku 10:45) Kodwa bangobani laba “abaningi”? Ngokusobala uAdamu akahlanganisiwe kubo ngenxa yokuthi wayengumuntu ophelele owakhetha ngamabomu ukungamlaleli uNkulunkulu futhi wafa njengesoni esingafuni ukuphenduka, sangamabomu. Kodwa kuthiwani ngomkhaya wakhe omkhulu, olinganiselwa ezinkulungwaneni zezigidi? Ngenani elilingana nsé, uJesu Kristu wenana ukulahlwa okuzuzwe ngefa okuphezu komkhaya wesintu. (Qhathanisa neyoku-1 Thimothewu 2:5, 6.) UJesu usebenzisa inzuzo yenhlawulo yakhe ehlengayo ngenxa ‘yabaningi’ abakholwayo.

Abakholwayo abahlengwayo bahlanganisa kokubili amaJuda nabeZizwe, noma abantu bezizwe. UPawulu uthi: “Njengokuba ngasiphambeko sinye kwaba-khona ukulahlwa kubantu bonke, kanjalo ngasenzo sinye sokulunga kwaba-khona ukulungisiswa kukho ukuphila kubantu bonke.” (Roma 5:18) Ngokufa esigxotsheni, “uKristu [wahlenga] [amaJuda] esiqalekisweni somthetho, ebenziwe isiqalekiso ngenxa [yawo], ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Baqalekisiwe bonke abalenga emthini.” (Galathiya 3:13; Duteronomi 21:23) AmaRoma 4:11 abhekisela kwabeZizwe lapho ethi nakuba uAbrahama, ukhokho wamaJuda, ayengakasokwa, waba “nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo bengasokile.” Khona-ke, umhlatshelo kaJesu wesihlengo uzuzisa amaJuda akholwayo nabeZizwe.

Inkambo ethathwa umuntu ngamunye iyanquma ukuthi uyozuza yini emhlatshelweni kaJesu noma ngeke. NjengoAdamu, abantu ababa babi ngamabomu abaphoqelelwa ngenzuzo yesihlengo nokuphila okuphakade. Njengoba uKristu asho: “Okholwa yiNdodana unokuphila okuphakade; kepha ongakholwa yiNdodana kayikubona ukuphila, kodwa intukuthelo kaNkulunkulu ihlezi phezu kwakhe.” (Johane 3:36) Isihlengo futhi senza kube nokwenzeka ukuvuswa kwalabo abafile abasenkumbulweni kaNkulunkulu. (Johane 5:28, 29) Uma bezibonakalisa belalela futhi benokwazisa, ukusebenza kwezinzuzo zomhlatshelo kubo kusho ukuthi bayophila phakade. Kodwa ngalabo abaphila ‘kulezinsuku zokugcina,’ kungenzeka ukuba baphile phakade ngaphandle kokuba kudingeke bafe nokufa.—2 Thimothewu 3:1-5; Mathewu 24:3-14, 21, 34; Johane 11:25, 26.

Izizathu Zokubonga

Noma ubani ofisa ukuzuza esihlengweni kumelwe abe nokwazisa okujulile ngaso. Futhi yeka ukuthi ukubonga okunjalo kufaneleke kanjani! Kakade, isihlengo sadinga uthando olukhulu ngoNkulunkulu nangoKristu.

UJehova uNkulunkulu wabonisa uthando olukhulu ngokulungiselela isihlengo ngokufa kweNdodana yakhe. UJesu wathi: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe [lesintu] kangaka, waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe-nokuphila okuphakade. Ngokuba uNkulunkulu kayithumelanga iNdodana ezweni ukuba yahlulele izwe, kodwa ukuba izwe lisindiswe ngayo.” (Johane 3:16, 17) Akufanele yini ukwazise lokhu kubonakaliswa kothando lukaNkulunkulu?

Cabanga futhi ngokujula kothando lukaJehova ngokwenza ilungiselelo lesihlengo. Ngaphambi kokuba iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ithunyelwe emhlabeni ukuba iphile futhi ife njengomuntu ophelele, yayiphila ngaphambi kokuba ibe umuntu. ‘Yayiyizibulo lezidalwa zonke,’ okwenzeka ngayo ukuba “konke okusezulwini nasemhlabeni, okubonwayo nokungenakubonwa,” kudalwe. (Kolose 1:13-16) Yeka ukuthi uJehova wayeyithanda kanjani iNdodana yakhe! Noma kunjalo, uNkulunkulu akazange athumele nje noma iyiphi yezigidi zezingelosi ezilungile emhlabeni. Uthando lwakhe ngesintu lwalulukhulu kangangokuthi wathumela iNdodana yakhe eyizibulo.

Futhi, cabangela uthando olujulile uJesu alubonisa ngesihlengo. Njengesidalwa somoya ezulwini, ‘wayeyingcweti’ kaNkulunkulu. Ngempela, “intokozo [yeNdodana kaNkulunkulu] [yayi]kanye namadodana abantu.” (IzAga 8:22-31) Kodwa, kwakungelula ngaye ukuba ashiye izulu, njengoba linezimo ezinhle kakhulu ebudlelwaneni noYise nezigidigidi zezingelosi ezilungile. Isendaweni yasezulwini, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu yayizibona izimo ezimbi emhlabeni nokonakalisa kwesono nokufa esintwini. Yayazi nokuthi ukulungiselela isihlengo kwakuyodinga ukuba ife. Kodwa, ‘yathabatha isimo senceku, yenziwe ngomfanekiso wabantu; ngaphezu kwalokho, . . . yazithoba, ilalela kwaze kwaba sekufeni.’ Ngenxa yokuthembeka okunjalo, uJesu wavuselwa ekuphileni okukhazimulayo kwasezulwini. (Filipi 2:5-11) Yeka uthando alubonisa ngokuqondene nesihlengo! Ingabe uyakwazisa lokho uJesu akwenza?

Yini Oyoyenza?

Umbhishobhi oyiNgisi uRichard waseChichester (c. 1198-1253) wake wathandazela ukuba amadoda nabesifazane bafinyelele “ekwazini uJesu Kristu ngokucace ngokwengeziwe, bamthande kakhudlwana, futhi bamlandele ngokuseduze ngokwengeziwe.” Umhlatshelo kaJesu wesihlengo ngokuqinisekile unikeza umuntu isizathu esizwakalayo sokumazi, ukumthanda, nokumlandela.

Uma bekungengenxa yesihlengo, njengezoni besiyofa singenathemba, ngoba “udosi lokufa yisono.” (1 Korinte 15:56) Ngakho, ukuze usindiswe ekufeni obekuyoba umphumela wokuntinyelwa isono, yini okumelwe uyenze? Kudingeka ufunde ngelungiselelo likaNkulunkulu lensindiso ngoJesu Kristu. Khona-ke kumelwe ubonise ukuthi unokholo kulesosihlengo. Kanjani? Ngokubonisa ukwazisa okusuka enhliziyweni ngaso, uzinikele kuNkulunkulu, futhi utshele abanye ngalelilungiselelo elimangalisayo lokusindiswa.

Lenkambo ingakubeka phakathi ‘kwesixuku esikhulu esiphuma osizini olukhulu, . . . nesiye sahlanza izingubo zaso sazenza zaba mhlophe egazini leWundlu,’ uJesu Kristu. (IsAmbulo 7:9, 14) Ithemba lokuphila okuphakade epharadesi lasemhlabeni lingelabo. (Luka 23:43) Yebo, nawe ungaba yingxenye yalesosixuku esijabulayo, uma ukufa kukaJesu ngempela kungokuthile okuyigugu kuwe.

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

UJesu ongenasono waba sesimweni esifana naleso uAdamu ophelele ayekuso ekuqaleni

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

Ingabe uyakwazisa lokho okushiwo ukufa kukaJesu ngempela?