Isahluko 38
Ingabe UJohane Wayentula Ukholo?
UJOHANE uMbhapathizi, osekuyisikhathi esingangonyaka manje esejele, uthola umbiko ngokuvuswa kwendodana yomfelokazi eNayini. Kodwa uJohane ufuna ukuzizwela ngokuqondile kuJesu ukuthi lokhu kusho ukuthini, ngakho uthumela ababili babafundi bakhe ukuba babuze: “Wena unguye ozayo, noma sobheka omunye na?”
Lokho kungase kubonakale kuwumbuzo oxakile, ikakhulukazi njengoba uJohane abona umoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela kuJesu futhi wezwa izwi likaNkulunkulu lokwamukela lapho embhapathiza cishe eminyakeni emibili ngaphambili. Umbuzo kaJohane ungase ubangele abanye ukuba baphethe ngokuthi ukholo lwakhe selubuthakathaka. Kodwa lokhu akunjalo. UJesu wayengeke akhulume kahle kangaka ngoJohane, njengoba enza kulesenzakalo, ukuba uJohane wayeseqale ukungabaza. Khona-ke, kungani uJohane ebuza lombuzo?
Kungenzeka ukuthi uJohane umane ufuna ukuqinisekiswa okuvela kuJesu kokuthi unguMesiya. Lokhu kuyoba okuqinisa kakhulu kuJohane njengoba enjengolahliwe ejele. Kodwa ngokusobala lombuzo kaJohane uhilela okungaphezu kwalokho. Ngokusobala ufuna ukwazi ukuthi ukhona yini ozokuza, njengokungathi ozomlandela, oyofeza ukugcwaliseka kwakho konke okwakubikezelwe ukuthi kwakuyofezwa uMesiya.
Ngokweziprofetho zeBhayibheli uJohane ajwayelene nazo, oGcotshiweyo kaNkulunkulu kumelwe abe inkosi, umkhululi. Nokho, uJohane usalokhu eyisiboshwa, ngisho nangemva kwezinyanga eziningi uJesu ebhapathiziwe. Ngakho ngokusobala uJohane ubuza uJesu ukuthi: ‘Ingabe unguye ngempela ozomisa uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngamandla abonakalayo, noma kunomunye ohlukile, ozolandela, okumelwe simlindele ukuba agcwalise zonke iziprofetho ezimangalisayo eziphathelene nenkazimulo kaMesiya?’
Kunokuba atshele abafundi bakaJohane ukuthi, ‘Yebo nginguye okwakumelwe eze!’ ngaso lesosikhathi uJesu wenza isibonakaliso esiphawulekayo ngokuphulukisa abantu abaningi, ebaphilisa kuzo zonke izinhlobo zezifo nokugula. Khona-ke utshela labafundi: “Hambani nimlandise uJohane lokho enikubonile nenikuzwile ukuthi: Izimpumputhe ziyabona, izinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko bayahlanjululwa, izithulu ziyezwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, abampofu bayashunyayezwa ivangeli.”
Ngamanye amazwi, umbuzo kaJohane ungase usikisele ukulindela ukuba uJesu uzokwenza okwengeziwe kunalokho akwenzayo mhlawumbe akhulule uJohane ngokwakhe. Nokho, uJesu utshela uJohane ukuba angalindeli okungaphezu kwezimangaliso uJesu azenzayo.
Lapho abafundi bakaJohane behamba, uJesu uphendukela esixukwini futhi usitshela ukuthi uJohane ‘uyisithunywa’ sikaJehova esabikezelwa kuMalaki 3:1 futhi ungumprofethi uEliya owabikezelwa kuMalaki 4:5, 6. Ngakho uphakamisa uJohane njengolingana nanoma imuphi umprofethi owayephila ngaphambi kwakhe, echaza: “Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Kwabazelwe ngabesifazane akuvelanga omkhulu kunoJohane uMbhapathizi; kepha omncane embusweni wezulu mkhulu kunaye. Kepha kusukela emihleni kaJohane uMbhapathizi kuze kube-manje umbuso wezulu uyafuzulwa.”
Lapha uJesu ubonisa ukuthi uJohane ngeke abe seMbusweni wasezulwini, njengoba omncane lapho mkhulu kunoJohane. UJohane walungiselela uJesu indlela kodwa ufa ngaphambi kokuba uKristu amise isivumelwano nabafundi bakhe, ukuba babe ababusi kanye naye eMbusweni wakhe. Yingakho uJesu ethi uJohane ngeke abe seMbusweni wasezulwini. Kunalokho uJohane uyoba isikhonzi sasemhlabeni soMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Luka 7:18-30; Mathewu 11:2-15.
▪ Kungani uJohane ebuza ukuthi uJesu unguye ozayo noma kumelwe kulindelwe omunye ohlukile?
▪ Iziphi iziprofetho ezishiwo uJesu ezagcwaliswa uJohane?
▪ Kungani uJohane uMbhapathizi engeke abe sezulwini noJesu?