UJesu—Ungubani?

IMIBHALO egciniwe yezwe ekhuluma ngoJesu imbalwa. Nokho, eminye ikhona, futhi iThe Encyclopædia Britannica ithi ngayo: “Lemilando ezimele ibonisa ukuthi ezikhathini zasendulo ngisho nababemelene nobuKristu abazange neze bakungabaze ukuba ngokomlando kukaJesu, okwaphikiswana ngakho okokuqala ngqa futhi ngaphandle kwezizathu ezizwakalayo ngababhali abaningana ekupheleni kwekhulu le-18, phakathi nele-19, nasekuqaleni kwelama-20 leminyaka.”

Manje zibuze, Uma ukuba khona kukaJesu kuyinganekwane, kungenzeka yini ukuba kwakungahlala kuze kube sekhulwini lama-18 leminyaka kube yikhona kutholakala? Futhi cabangela iqiniso lokuthi manje abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyisigidi bathi bangabalandeli bakaJesu. Ithonya izimfundiso zakhe eziye zaba nalo empucukweni, emfundweni, nakuhulumeni—phezu kwayo yonke inkambo yomlando wezwe—alinakuphikwa. Ingabe kubonakala kunengqondo ukuthi konke lokhu bekulokhu kuwumphumela wokuthile okungenasisekelo njengenganekwane?

Uma umsunguli wobuSulumane, umprofethi waseArabhu uMuhammad, wayengumuntu ongokoqobo, yisiphi isizathu esizwakalayo esinaso sokukholelwa ukuthi uJesu Kristu, umsunguli wobuKristu, wayengeyena? Kungenzeka ukuthi uye waphila iminyaka engaba ngama-600 ngaphambi kukaMuhammad, kodwa phawula ukuthi umsunguli wobuBuddha, uSiddhārtha Gautama—uBuddha, noma “Okhanyiselwe”—waphila ngisho nangaphambili kwalokho, iminyaka engaphezu kwama-500 ngaphambi kukaJesu. Nokho, uma uBuddha wayengumuntu ongokoqobo, yisiphi isizathu esizwakalayo esinaso sokukholelwa ukuthi uJesu wayengeyena?

Isazi-mlando nowumvubukuli waseJalimane uHans Einsle ubhala ukuthi isazimlando esingumJuda uFlavius Josephus, ababhali baseRoma uSuetonius noPliny, futhi ikakhulukazi isazi-mlando saseRoma uTacitus “bonke bayakuqinisekisa ukuba ngokomlando kukaJesu namaphuzu ayinhloko okuphila kwakhe.”

Ingabe Wayengaphezu Komuntu Nje Ovamile?

UJesu wayekhona—kodwa ngasiphi isimo? Abanye abantu baphikisa ngokuthi wayengumuntu nje ovamile, nakuba bevuma ukuthi kumelwe ukuba wayeyindoda ehlakaniphe kakhulu, eyayikhuluma iqiniso njalo. Ngisho nezitha zakhe zekhulu lokuqala leminyaka zavuma ngokufanayo, zithi: “Mfundisi, siyazi ukuthi . . . awubheki ubuso babantu, kodwa indlela kaNkulunkulu uyifundisa ngeqiniso.”—Marku 12:13, 14.

Nokho, abanye bacabanga ukuthi uJesu kumelwe ukuba wayengaphezu komuntu nje ovamile. Ngani? Ngoba, phakathi kokunye, wayekwazi ukwenza izinto ezingenakwenziwa abantu abavamile. Ngokwesibonelo, uke wahlangana yini nomuntu okwaziyo ukuhamba phezu kwamanzi, ukuguqula amanzi abe iwayini, ukusuthisa cishe abantu abayizi-5 000 ngezinhlanzi ezimbili ezincane nezinkwa zebhali ezinhlanu, ukuphulukisa izimpumputhe, noma ukuvusa abafileyo?—Mathewu 14:25, 26; Marku 8:22-25; Johane 2:1-11; 6:1-13; 11:30-44.

UJesu futhi wayekwazi ukubona izinto abantu abavamile abangenakuzibona. Lapho owesifazane othile emtshela ukuthi wayengenandoda, uJesu waphendula: “Usho kahle ukuthi: Anginandoda; ngoba usuke waba namadoda ayisihlanu; le onayo kalokhu akusiyo indoda yakho.” Emangele, owesifazane wafinyelela kulesiphetho: “Nkosi, ngiyabona ukuthi ungumprofethi wena.” (Johane 4:16-19) Ukuze uthole isibonelo sokubona kusengaphambili kukaJesu okuphawulekayo ngokuphathelene nokuphikwa kwakhe uPetru, bheka uLuka 22:31-34, 54-62.

UJesu wayenamandla angavamile. Abantu “bamangala ngokufundisa kwakhe; ngokuba wabafundisa njengonamandla, kungenjengababhali.” (Marku 1:22) Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJesu wakwazi ukunikeza “abafundi bakhe abayishumi nambili . . . amandla phezu kwawomoya abangcolileyo ukuba babakhiphe, nawokuphulukisa izifo zonke nokugula konke.”—Mathewu 10:1.

Ingabe Singayikholelwa Lemibiko?

‘Kodwa kancane nje,’ ungase usho. Àkukhona yini ukuthi imininingwane ngalokho uJesu akwenza iye yenziwa ihaba?’ Akunjalo ngokukaF. F. Bruce, owayenguprofesa wokuHlaziywa KweBhayibheli Nencazelo Yalo eYunivesithi yaseManchester, obhalayo: “Akukhona okungenzeka ngokuvamile ukubonisa ngezimpikiswano ezingokomlando iqiniso layo yonke imininingwane embhalweni wasendulo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi phakathi noma ngaphandle kweBhayibheli. Kwanele ukuthembela ngokunengqondo ekuthembekeni okuvamile kombhali; uma lokho kuqalisiwe, khona-ke kungokunokwenzeka ngaphandle kokuhlola ukuba imininingwane yakhe iyiqiniso. . . . Ngokufanayo iTestamente Elisha lingathenjelwa ngokomlando ngoba amaKristu alamukela njengencwadi ‘engcwele. “’

Konke kukhulumela ukwethembeka kwababhali bamaVangeli. Nakuba behluka ngezinye izikhathi ekunikezeni kwabo imininingwane, abaphikisani, ngisho nanjengoba ofakazi ababili bengozi yezimoto bengaphikisani lapho omunye ethi imoto ebomvu evela ngakwesobunxele yashayisa imoto eluhlaza evela ngakwesokudla, kanti omunye athi Mercedes eya eningizimu yashayisa iRenault eya enyakatho. Iqiniso lokuthi amaVangeli ayahluka emininingwaneni emincane kubonisa ngokunamandla ukuthi ayiqiniso. Uma ababhali bawo babefuna ukukhohlisa abantu ukuba bakholelwe enganekwaneni, ngokuqinisekile babeyovumelanisa izindaba zabo ngokuseduze kakhulu.

Ngisho nezitha zikaJesu zasekela imibiko ngaye njengeyiqiniso. Siyafunda: “Kwalethwa kuye isimungulu esinedemoni. Idemoni selikhishiwe, isimungulu sakhuluma. . . . Kepha abaFarisi bathi: Ukhipha amademoni ngenkosi yamademoni.” (Mathewu 9:32-34) Phawula ukuthi abaFarisi abakuphikisanga ukuthi uJesu wayenzé isimangaliso. Bamane nje benqaba ukuvuma ukuthi ikhono lakhe lokwenza kanjalo lalingenxa yokusebenza komoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu.

Ubufakazi obuqhubekayo bokuthi imibhalo egciniwe ngoJesu iyiqiniso iphuzu lokuthi uma izimiso ezihlanganiswe ezimfundisweni zakhe zilandelwa, ziyasebenza ngempela. Ziphumela ekuphileni okuphumelelayo nokujabulisayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iziprofetho eziningi zesikhathi eside ezashiwo uJesu, njengalezo ezilotshwe kuMathewu isahluko 24, uMarku isahluko 13, noLuka isahluko 21, ziye zagcwaliseka osukwini lwethu.

UJesu—“UJehova WeTestamente Elidala”?

Ngokusobala, uJesu wayengeyena umuntu ovamile. Wayehlukile ngoba, njengoba iBhayibheli lisitshela, wajabulela ukuphila ezulwini ngaphambi kokuza emhlabeni. (Johane 6:38, 62) Ngaleyondlela wayenolwazi namakhono angaphezu kwalawo abantu abavamile. Lokhu kusiza ekuchazeni izimangaliso zakhe nokuhlakanipha kwakhe okuvelele.

Kodwa ingabe ukuphila kukaJesu kwangaphambi kobuntu kusho ukuthi wayenguNkulunkulu? Incwadi yomfundisi isho kanjalo, ithi: “Noma nini lapho uJesu abhekisela kuYe ngokwakhe ethi ‘ngikhona’ . . . , Wazibiza ngokuthi unguJehova weTestamente Elidala.” Ingabe lokhu kuyiqiniso?

Ngokwendlela uEksodusi 3:13, 14 ahunyushwe ngayo eBhayibhelini lesiZulu Elivamile, uMose wabuza: “Lapho ngifika kubantwana bakwaIsrayeli, ngithi kubo: UNkulunkulu wawoyihlo ungithumile kini, bese bethi kimi: Ngubani igama lakhe? ngizakuthini kubo na? UNkulunkulu wathi kuMose: Nginguye enginguye. Wathi: Uzakusho njalo kubantwana bakwaIsrayeli, uthi: UNgikhona ungithumile.” Ngalelivesi, iThe Pentateuch and Haftorahs (Umbhalo wesiHeberu onenguqulo nencazelo yesiNgisi, ohlelwe nguDkt. J. H. Hertz) ithi enkulumweni ethi “Nginguye enginguye . . . ukugcizelelwa kusekubonakalisweni okunamandla kokuba khona kukaNkulunkulu.” Ngakho-ke ukusetshenziswa kwayo njengesiqu noma igama likaNkulunkulu kwakufaneleka ngoba ngokubakhulula ebugqilini baseGibithe, uNkulunkulu wayesezobonakalisa ubukhona bakhe ngenxa yabantu bakhe ngendlela evelele. UHertz uthi “abantu abaningi banamuhla balandela uRashi [umhlaziyi odumile wenkathi ephakathi weBhayibheli IesiFulentshi namaSiko ObuJuda] lapho ehumusha ngokuthi ‘Ngiyoba yilokho engiyoba yikho.’” Lokhu kuvumelana nokuhumusha kweNew World Translation, okufundeka kanje: “NGIYAKUZIBONAKALISA NGIYILOKHO ENGIYAKUZIBONAKALISA NGIYIKHO.”

KuJohane 8:58, iKing James Version iyaphinda futhi iveza uJesu esebenzisa inkulumo yokuthi “nginguye” ebhekisela kuye, ethi, “Engakabikho uAbrahama, nginguye.” Kodwa lapha lenkulumo ihluke ngokuphelele kwesetshenziswe kuEksodusi 3:14. UJesu akazange ayisebenzise njengegama noma isiqu kodwa njengendlela nje yokuchaza ukuphila kwakhe kwangaphambi kobuntu. Ngakho-ke, ngokweNew World Translation, ukuhunyushwa okunembe ngokwengeziwe kukaJohane 8:58 yilokhu: “Ngaphambi kokuba uAbrahama abe khona, ngangikhona.”

Ngokusobala, asikho isisekelo esingokomBhalo esikhona sokuzisholo kokuthi uJesu uyefana noJehova wemiBhalo yesiHeberu. Ngisho nencwadi yomfundisi ecashunwe ngaphambili iyavuma: “Ukuthi uKristu wayekhona ngaphambi kokuzalwa kwaKhe eBetlehema kukodwa akubonisi ukuthi wayenguNkulunkulu (Wayengaphila njengengelosi).” Eqinisweni, yilokhu okufundiswa iBhayibheli. Ekuphileni kwakhe kwangaphambi kobuntu, uJesu ‘wayengunkulunkulu,’ noma umuntu waphezulu, kodwa hhayi uNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu umninimandla onke uJehova.—Johane 1:1-3; 1 Thesalonika 4:16.

Njengoba engeyena uNkulunkulu, khona-ke uJesu ungubani ngempela?

[Izithombe ekhasini 5]

Izimangaliso zikaJesu zabonisa ukuthi wayengaphezu komuntu nje ovamile