Ubani Ubaba Wawo, U-⁠Abrahama Noma UDeveli?

Njengoba eseseJerusalema eMkhosini wamaTabernakele (noma Wamadokodo) uJesu uyaqhubeka efundisa amaqiniso abalulekile. Amanye amaJuda ayekulowo mkhosi ayesanda kuthi kuye: “Thina siyinzalo ka-Abrahama futhi asikaze sibe yizigqila zamuntu.” UJesu uyawaphendula: “Ngiyazi ukuthi niyinzalo ka-Abrahama. Kodwa nifuna ukungibulala, ngoba izwi lami aliyitholi indawo phakathi kwenu. Ngikhuluma izinto engizibone ngesikhathi nginoBaba, kodwa nina nenza izinto enizizwe kuyihlo.”—Johane 8:33, 37, 38.

Iphuzu likaJesu licacile: UBaba wakhe uhlukile kunobaba wawo. Engaqondi ukuthi uJesu usho ukuthini, amaJuda ayaphinda athi: “Ubaba wethu ngu-Abrahama.” (Johane 8:39; Isaya 41:8) Ayinzalo ka-Abrahama. Ngakho acabanga ukuthi akholelwa ezintweni umngane kaNkulunkulu u-Abrahama ayekholelwa kuzo.

Kodwa uJesu uwatshela into eshaqisayo: “Ukube beningabantwana baka-Abrahama, beniyokwenza imisebenzi ka-Abrahama.” Ngempela, indodana ilingisa uyise. UJesu uqhubeka athi: “Kodwa manje nifuna ukungibulala, mina muntu onitshele iqiniso engilizwe kuNkulunkulu. U-Abrahama akazange akwenze lokhu.” UJesu ube esesho into edidayo: “Nina nenza imisebenzi kayihlo.”—Johane 8:39-41.

Namanje amaJuda awaqondi ukuthi uJesu ukhuluma ngobani. Athi angamadodana angokomthetho: “Thina asizalwanga ngobufebe; sinoBaba munye, uNkulunkulu.” Kodwa ingabe ngempela uNkulunkulu unguBaba wawo? UJesu uthi: “Ukube uNkulunkulu ubenguYihlo, beniyongithanda, ngoba ngilapha nje ngivela kuNkulunkulu. Angizizelanga ngokwami, kodwa ngathunywa nguYe.” UJesu ubuza umbuzo aphinde awuphendule: “Kungani ningakuqondi lokhu engikushoyo? Ngoba anikwazi ukulalela izwi lami.”—Johane 8:41-43.

UJesu uzamile ukubonisa amaJuda imiphumela yokumenqaba. Kodwa manje uthi kuwo: “Nina nivela kuyihlo uDeveli, nifisa ukwenza izifiso zikayihlo.” Unjani ubaba wawo? UJesu umchaza ngokucacile: “Yena wayengumbulali kusukela ekuqaleni, akazange abambelele eqinisweni.” UJesu uyenezela: “Ovela kuNkulunkulu uyawalalela amazwi kaNkulunkulu. Yingakho nina ningalaleli, ngoba aniveli kuNkulunkulu.”—Johane 8:44, 47.

Kuyawacasula amaJuda lokhu akushoyo, bese ethi: “Asisho yini kufanele ukuthi, ‘Wena ungumSamariya nokuthi unedemoni’?” Ngokubiza uJesu ngokuthi “umSamariya” abonisa ukuthi ayamdelela. Kodwa uJesu akayinaki indelelo yawo, uyaphendula: “Anginalo idemoni mina, kodwa ngidumisa uBaba, nokho nina niyangihlaza.” Ukubaluleka kwale ndaba kungabonakala esithembisweni sikaJesu esimangazayo: “Uma umuntu egcina izwi lami, akasoze akubona ukufa.” Akaqondile ukuthi abaphostoli kanye nabanye abamlandelayo ngeke bafe ngokoqobo. Kunalokho, ngeke babhujiswe phakade, okusho “ukufa kwesibili,” bengenalo ithemba lovuko.—Johane 8:48-51; IsAmbulo 21:8.

Kodwa amaJuda awathatha njengoba enjalo amazwi kaJesu, bese ethi: “Manje sesiyazi ukuthi unedemoni. U-Abrahama wafa, ngokufanayo nabaprofethi, kodwa wena uthi, ‘Uma umuntu egcina izwi lami, akasoze akunambitha ukufa.’ Awumkhulu wena kunobaba wethu u-Abrahama, owafa, akunjalo? . . . Wena uthi ungubani?”—Johane 8:52, 53.

Kuyacaca ukuthi uJesu uzama ukuveza ukuthi unguMesiya. Kodwa kunokuba aphendule umbuzo wawo othi ungubani, uJesu uthi: “Uma ngizikhazimulisa mina, inkazimulo yami iyize. NguBaba ongikhazimulisayo, lowo nina enithi unguNkulunkulu wenu. Nokho anizange nimazi, kodwa mina ngiyamazi. Uma ngingathi angimazi, ngiyobe ngingumqambimanga njengani.”—Johane 8:54, 55.

UJesu manje uphinde akhulume ngesibonelo sikakhokho wawo owayethembekile: “U-Abrahama uyihlo wajabula kakhulu ngethemba lokubona usuku lwami, futhi walubona wajabula.” Yebo, u-Abrahama wayekubheke ngabomvu ukufika kukaMesiya ngoba wayekholelwa esithembisweni sikaNkulunkulu. Emangele amaJuda athi: “Awukabi naneminyaka engu-50, kodwa usumbonile u-Abrahama?” UJesu uyawaphendula: “Ngiqinisile impela ngithi kini, ngaphambi kokuba u-Abrahama abe khona, ngase ngikhona.” Ukhuluma ngokuthi ngaphambi kokuba abe ngumuntu, wayeyingelosi enamandla ezulwini.—Johane 8:56-58.

Ukusho kukaJesu ukuthi wayekhona ngaphambi kuka-Abrahama kuwenza abhodle umlilo amaJuda, afune ukumkhanda ngamatshe. Kodwa uJesu uhamba engenamyocu.