Ukuphila NeNkonzo KaJesu
Ingabe UJohane Wantula Ukholo?
UJOHANE uMbhapathizi, obesejele cishe unyaka manje, uthola umbiko wokuvuswa kwendodana yomfelokazi eNayini. Kodwa uJohane ufuna ukuzizwela kuJesu ngokuqondile mayelana neqiniso lalokhu, ngakho uthumela ababili babafundi bakhe ukuba babuze: “Wena unguye ozayo, noma sobheka omunye na?”
Kungase kubonakale kuwumbuzo omangalisayo, ikakhulukazi njengoba uJohane abona umoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela kuJesu futhi wezwa izwi lokuvuma likaNkulunkulu 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, okuyilokho akwenzayo manje, uma uJohane ayeseqale ukungabaza. Khona-ke, kungani uJohane ebuza lombuzo?
Kungenzeka ukuthi uJohane umane ufuna ukuqinisekiswa okuvela kuJesu kokuthi unguMesiya. Lokhu kwakuyomqinisa kakhulu uJohane ngoba wayesephelelwa amandla ejele. Kodwa ngokusobala kunokwengeziwe embuzweni kaJohane kunalokho. Ngokusobala ufuna ukwazi uma kwakuyoba nomunye ozayo, umlandeli, njengoba kwakungaba njalo, oyophetha ukugcwaliseka kwazo zonke izinto okwakubikezelwe ngazo ezaziyofezwa 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 ozomisa umbuso kaNkulunkulu ngamandla abonakalayo, noma kunomunye ohlukile, umlandeli, okumelwe simlindele ukuba agcwalise zonke iziprofetho eziphathelene nenkazimulo kaMesiya?’
Kunokuba atshele abafundi bakaJohane ukuthi, ‘Yebo nginguye ozayo!’ ngalona kanye lelohora uJesu wenza isibonakaliso esimangalisayo ngokuphulukisa abantu abaningi ezinhlotsheni zonke zezifo nokugula. Khona-ke utshela abafundi: “Hambani nimlandise uJohane lokho enikubonile nenikuzwile ukuthi: Izimpumputhe ziyabona, izinyonga ziyahamba, abanochoko bayahlanjululwa, izithulu ziyezwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, abampofu bayashunyayezwa ivangeli; ubusisiwe ongayikukhubeka ngami.”
Ngamanye amazwi, njengoba umbuzo kaJohane ungase ugudlisele ekulindeleni ukuba uJesu enze okwengeziwe kunalokho akwenzayo, njengokukhulula uJohane ngokwakhe, uJesu utshela uJohane ukuba angalindeli okwengeziwe kunakho konke lokhu.
Lapho abafundi bakaJohane behamba, uJesu uphendukela esixukwini futhi usitshela ukuthi uJohane ‘uyisithunywa’ sikaJehova okwabikezelwa ngaso kuMalaki 3:1 futhi ungumprofethi uEliya owabikezelwa kuMalaki 4:5, 6. Ngakho utusa uJohane njengalowo olingana nanoma imuphi umprofethi owaphila ngaphambi kwakhe, echaza:
“Ngiqinisile ngithi: Kwabazelwe ngabesifazane akuvelanga omkhulu kunoJohane uMbhapathizi; kepha omncane embusweni wezulu mkhulu kunaye. Kepha kusukela emihleni kaJohane uMbhapathizi kuze kube-manje umbuso wezulu uyafuzulwa, nabafuzulayo bayawuphanga.”
Lapha uJesu ubonisa ukuthi uJohane ngeke abe sembusweni wasezulwini, njengoba omncinyane lapho emkhulu 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 owehlukile?
◆ Iziphi iziprofetho uJesu azishoyo ezagcwaliswa uJohane?
◆ Kungani uJohane uMbhapathizi engeke abe sezulwini noJesu?