Amagugu Avela EVangelini LikaJohane
UMOYA kaJehova waphefumlela uJohane osegugile ukuba abhale umlando oshukumisayo wokuphila kukaJesu Kristu nenkonzo yakhe. Lelivangeli labhalwa e-Efesu noma ngakhona cishe ngonyaka ka-98 C.E. Kodwa uluhlobo luni lomlando? Futhi yimaphi amanye amagugu owaqukethe?
Uyathasisela Ngokuyinhloko
UJohane wayengokhethayo, ephinda okumbalwa kokwabhalwa uMathewu, uMarku noLuka. Ngempela, umlando wakhe wokuzibonela ngokuyinhloko uyathasisela ngoba amaphesenti angaphezu kwangu-90 awo ahlanganisa izinto ezingathintwanga kwamanye amaVangeli. Ngokwesibonelo, nguye yedwa ositshela ngokubakhona kukaJesu kwangaphambi kokuba abe ngumuntu nokuthi “uLizwi waba-yinyama.” (1:1-14) Lapho abanye ababhali bamaVangeli bethi uJesu wahlanza ithempeli ekupheleni kwenkonzo yakhe, uJohane uthi uKristu wakwenza lokho nasekuqaleni kwayo. (2:13-17) Umphostoli osegugile yedwa ositshela ngezinye izimangaliso ezenziwa uJesu, njengokuphendula amanzi abe yiwayini, ukuvusa uLazaru ofile, nokubanjwa kwezinhlanzi okuyisimangaliso ngemva kokuvuswa kwakhe.—2:1-11; 11:38-44; 21:4-14.
Bonke ababhali bamaVangeli balandisa ngendlela uJesu amisa ngayo iSikhumbuzo sokufa kwakhe, kodwa uJohane kuphela obonisa ukuthi uJesu wanikeza abaphostoli isifundo sokuthobeka ngokubageza izinyawo ngalobobusuku. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJohane yedwa obika izinkulumo ezingathi sína uJesu azinikeza nomthandazo awenza ngenxa yabo ngalesosikhathi.—13:1–17:26.
KuleliVangeli igama elithi Johane libhekisela kuMbhapathizi, umbhali yena ezibiza ngokuthi ‘umfundi uJesu amthandayo.’ (13:23) Umphostoli ngokuqinisekile wayemthanda uJesu, futhi uthando lwethu ngoKristu luyakhuliswa lapho uJohane emchaza njengoLizwi, isinkwa sokuphila, ukukhanya kwezwe, uMalusi oMuhle, indlela, iqiniso nokuphila. (1:1-3, 14; 6:35; 8:12; 10:11; 14:6) Lokhu kugcwalisa injongo eyashiwo uJohane: “Lezi[zinto] zilotshiwe ukuba nikholwe ukuthi uJesu unguKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, nokuba nikholwe, nibe-nokuphila egameni lakhe.”—20:31.
Ukuthobeka Nenjabulo
IVangeli likaJohane lethula uJesu njengoLizwi neWundlu elihlawulela izono futhi licaphuna izimangaliso ezimfakazela njengo“Ngcwele kaNkulunkulu.” (1:1–9:41) Phakathi kokunye, umlando ubonisa ukuthobeka nokujabula kukaJohane uMbhapathizi. Wayengumanduleli kaKristu kodwa wathi: “Omchilo wesicathulo sakhe ngingafanele ukuwuthukulula.” (1:27) Izicathulo zaziboshwa ngemichilo yesikhumba, noma ngezintambo. Isigqila sasingaziqaqa izintambo zezicathulo zomunye umuntu bese simphathela zona, njengoba lona kwakungumsebenzi ophansi. Kanjalo uJohane uMbhapathizi wabonisa ukuthobeka nokuziqaphela ukuba ngomncinyane uma eqhathaniswa neNkosi yakhe. Isifundo esihle, ngoba abathobekile kuphela abafanelekele inkonzo kuJehova naseNkosini yakhe yobuMesiya!—IHubo 138:6; IzAga 21:4.
Esikhundleni sokucasukela uJesu ngokuqhosha, uJohane uMbhapathizi wathi: “Umhlobo womyeni omiyo emuzwa uthokoza nokuthokoza ngezwi lomyeni. Lentokozo yami isiphelele.” (3:29) Njengommeleli womyeni, umngane womyeni nguyena owayemkhongela, ngezinye izikhathi enza amalungiselelo omshado futhi ehambisa izipho kumakoti nelobolo kuyise. Lommeleli wayenesizathu sokujabula lapho umsebenzi wakhe usufezekile. Ngokufanayo, uJohane wakujabulela ukuhlanganisa uJesu namalungu okuqala omlobokazi waKhe. (IsAmbulo 21:2, 9) Njengoba umsebenzi womngane womyeni wawuthatha isikhathi esifushane nje kuphela, ngakho-ke umsebenzi kaJohane waphela ngokushesha. Waqhubeka encipha, lapho uJesu eqhubeka ekhula.—Johane 3:30.
Ukukhathalela KukaJesu Abantu
Emthonjeni eduze nomuzi waseSikhari, uJesu watshela owesifazane waseSamariya ngamanzi angokomfanekiso anikeza ukuphila okuphakade. Lapho abafundi bakhe befika, “bamangala ngokuba ekhuluma nowesifazane.” (4:27) Kungani basabela ngalendlela? Nokho, amaJuda ayewadelela amaSamariya futhi engadlelani nawo. (4:9; 8:48) Kwakungavamile futhi ngomfundisi ongumJuda ukuba akhulume nowesifazane obala. Kodwa ukukhathalela kukaJesu kwesihawu abantu kwamshukumisela ukuba anikeze lobubufakazi, futhi ngenxa yalokho, izakhamuzi ‘zeza kuye.’—4:28-30.
Ukukhathalela kukaJesu abantu kwamshukumisela ukuba athi: “Uma ekhona owomileyo, akeze kimi, aphuze.” (7:37) Ngokusobala, ngalokho wayebhekisela esikweni elinezelwe eMkhosini wamaDokodo wezinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili. Njalo ekuseni ezinsukwini eziyisikhombisa, umpristi wayekha amanzi echibini laseSilowama awathele ealtare lethempeli. Phakathi kokunye, lokhu kwakuthiwa kumelela ukuthululwa komoya. Kusukela ngePentekoste lika-33 C.E., umoya kaNkulunkulu washukumisela abalandeli bakaJesu ukuba bahambise amanzi anikeza ukuphila kubantu emhlabeni kabanzi. KukuJehova kuphela, “umthombo wamanzi aphilileyo,” ngoKristu lapho noma ubani engathola khona ukuphila okuphakade.—Jeremiya 2:13; Isaya 12:3; Johane 17:3.
UMalusi OMuhle Uyanakekela!
Ukukhathalela kukaJesu abantu kubonakala endimeni yakhe njengoMalusi oMuhle onakekela abalandeli bakhe abanjengezimvu. Ngisho nanjengoba ukufa kwakhe kwakusondela, uJesu wanikeza abafundi bakhe izeluleko zothando futhi wabathandazela. (10:1–17:26) Ngokungafani nesela noma umphangi, ungena esibayeni sezimvu ngomnyango. (10:1-5) Isibaya sezimvu sasiyindawo ebiyelweyo lapho izimvu zazigcinwa khona ukuze zivikeleke ebusuku emaseleni nasezilwaneni ezidla inyama. Sasinezindonga zamatshe, mhlawumbe namagatsha ameva ngaphezulu, nendlela yokungena igadwe umgcini-mnyango.
Imihlambi yabelusi abaningi yayingase igcinwe esibayeni sezimvu esisodwa, kodwa izimvu zisabela kuphela ezwini likamalusi wazo. Encwadini yakhe ethi Manners and Customs of Bible Lands, uFred H. Wight uthi: “Lapho kudingeka kwehlukaniswe imihlambi yezimvu eminingi, umalusi uzosukuma ngemva komunye amemeze: ‘Tahhoo! Tahhoo!’ noma ngendlela efuze leyo yokumemeza azikhethela yona. Izimvu ziphakamisa amakhanda azo, futhi ngemva kokubhuduzela okuvamile, iqale ngayinye ukulandela umalusi wayo. Zijwayelene kakhulu nezwi likamalusi wazo. Abafokazi kaningi baye bamemeza ngendlela efanayo, kodwa imizamo yabo yokwenza izimvu zibalandele njalo ayiphumeleli.” Ngokuthakazelisayo, uJesu wathi: “Izimvu zami ziyalizwa izwi lami; nami ngiyazazi, ziyangilandela; ngizinika ukuphila okuphakade.” (10:27, 28) Kokubili “umhlambi omncane” kanye “nezinye izimvu” zisabela ezwini likaJesu, zilandela ukuhola kwakhe, futhi zijabulela ukunakekela kwakhe komusa.—Luka 12:32; Johane 10:16.
INdodana KaNkulunkulu Elokhu Ithembekile
UKristu wayelokhu ethembekile kuNkulunkulu futhi eyisibonelo njengomalusi onothando kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe kwasemhlabeni. Isihawu sakhe sabonakaliswa nasekubonakaleni kwangemva kovuko. Kwakuwukukhathalela kwesihawu ngabanye ngalesosikhathi okwashukumisela uJesu ukuba acelisise uPetru ukuba ondle izimvu zaKhe.—18:1–21:25.
Njengesisulu sokubethelwa, uJesu wasibekela isibonelo esisemqoka sokwethembeka kuze kube sekufeni. Esinye isihlamba asibekezelela ekugcwalisekeni kwesiprofetho ngesokuthi amabutho ‘abelana ngezingubo zakhe.’ (IHubo 22:18) Enza inkatho ukuze abone ukuthi ubani owayezothola ingubo yakhe yangaphansi enhle (ngesiGreki, khi·tonʹ), eyayelukwe ngaphandle komthungo. (19:23, 24) Ingubo enjalo ingelukwa ngovolo noma ngelineni esiqeshini esisodwa futhi ingaba mhlophe noma ibe imibala ehlukahlukene. Ngokuvamile ingenamikhono, yayingagqokwa ngaphansi futhi ifinyelele emadolweni ngisho nasemaqakaleni. Yebo, uJesu wayengeyena othanda izinto ezibonakalayo, kodwa wayegqoka ingubo yohlobo oluhle kanjalo, ingubo yakhe engenamthungo.
Phakathi nokunye kokubonakala kukaJesu kwangemva kovuko, wabingelela abafundi bakhe ngalamazwi: “Ukuthula makube-kinina.” (20:19) Phakathi kwamaJuda, lokhu kwakuwukubingelela okuvamile. (Mathewu 10:12, 13) Kwabaningi, ukusetshenziswa kwamazwi anjalo kungenzeka kwakungeke kusho lutho. Kodwa akunjalo ngoJesu, ngoba ngaphambidlana wayetshele abalandeli bakhe: “Ukuthula ngikushiya kinina, ukuthula kwami nginipha khona.” (Johane 14:27) Ukuthula uJesu akunikeza abafundi bakhe kwakusekelwe okholweni lwabo kuyena njengeNdodana kaNkulunkulu futhi kwasiza ekuthuliseni izinhliziyo nezingqondo zabo.
Ngokufanayo, singakujabulela “ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu.” Kwangathi singakwazisa lokhu kuthula okungenakulinganiswa okuvela ebuhlotsheni obuseduze noJehova ngeNdodana yakhe ethandekayo.—Filipi 4:6, 7.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.