1. UJohane manje ubhalela bani, futhi obani namuhla okufanele bathole isigijimi sakhe singesithakazelisa kakhulu?

OKULANDELAYO kufanele kuthakazelise kakhulu kubo bonke abahlanganyela namabandla abantu bakaNkulunkulu namuhla. Okulapha uchungechunge lwezigijimi. Zisebenza ngokukhethekile njengoba “isikhathi esimisiwe” sisondela. (IsAmbulo 1:3) Kungokwenzuzo yethu yaphakade ukulalela lawo mazwi. Umbhalo ufundeka kanje: “UJohane emabandleni ayisikhombisa esifundeni sase-Asiya: Kwangathi ningaba nomusa ongafanelwe nokuthula okuvela ‘kuLowo okhona nowayekhona nozayo,’ nasemimoyeni eyisikhombisa ephambi kwesihlalo sakhe sobukhosi, nakuJesu Kristu.”—IsAmbulo 1:4, 5a.

 3. (a) Ekubingeleleni kukaJohane, uvelaphi ‘umusa ongafanelwe nokuthula’? (b) Iyiphi inkulumo kamphostoli uPawulu efana nokubingelela kukaJohane?

³ ‘Umusa ongafanelwe nokuthula’—yeka ukuthi lokhu kufiseleka kanjani futhi ikakhulukazi uma siwuqonda umthombo wakho! Lowo okuvela kuye yiNkosi EnguMbusi uJehova ngokwakhe, ‘iNkosi engunaphakade,’ ephila “kusukela nini nanini kuze kube nini nanini.” (1 Thimothewu 1:17; IHubo 90:2) Okuhilelekile lapha futhi, ‘imimoya eyisikhombisa,’ okuyigama elibonisa ukusebenza okuphelele kwamandla kaNkulunkulu ayisiphekupheku, noma umoya ongcwele, njengoba uletha ukuqonda nesibusiso kubo bonke abasinakayo lesi siprofetho. Futhi osesikhundleni esiyinhloko “uJesu Kristu,” uJohane kamuva abhala ngaye: “Wayegcwele umusa ongafanelwe neqiniso.” (Johane 1:14) Kanjalo, ukubingelela kukaJohane kunezici ezifanayo nalezo umphostoli uPawulu aziphawula ekuphetheni incwadi yakhe yesibili eya ebandleni laseKorinte: “Umusa ongafanelwe weNkosi uJesu Kristu nothando lukaNkulunkulu nokuba nesabelo emoyeni ongcwele makube nani nonke.” (2 Korinte 13:14) Sengathi lawo mazwi angasebenza futhi kithi sonke esithanda iqiniso namuhla!—IHubo 119:97.

“UFakazi Othembekileyo”

 4. UJohane uqhubeka emchaza kanjani uJesu Kristu, futhi kungani la mazwi achazayo efaneleka kangaka?

⁴ Ngemva kukaJehova, uJesu ungumuntu okhazimula kakhulu kuyo yonke indalo, njengoba uJohane evuma, emchaza ngokuthi “‘uFakazi Othembekileyo,’ ‘Izibulo kwabavela kwabafileyo,’ ‘noMbusi wamakhosi omhlaba.’” (IsAmbulo 1:5b) Njengenyanga emazulwini, uye wamiswa ngokuqinile njengoFakazi omkhulu kakhulu wobuNkulunkulu bukaJehova. (IHubo 89:37) Ngemva kokuba egcine ubuqotho kwaze kwaba sekufeni njengomhlatshelo, waba owokuqala esintwini ukuba avuselwe ekuphileni komoya okungenakufa. (Kolose 1:18) Manje esekanye noJehova, uphakanyiselwa ngaphezu kwawo wonke amakhosi omhlaba, enikezwa “lonke igunya ezulwini nasemhlabeni.” (Mathewu 28:18; IHubo 89:27; 1 Thimothewu 6:15) Ngo-1914 wamiswa njengeNkosi ukuba abuse phakathi kwezizwe zomhlaba.—IHubo 2:6-9.

 5. (a) UJohane uqhubeka kanjani ebonisa ukwazisa ngeNkosi uJesu Kristu? (b) Obani abazuzayo esiphweni sikaJesu sokuphila kwakhe kobuntu okuphelele, futhi amaKristu agcotshiwe aye ahlanganyela kanjani esibusisweni esikhethekile?

⁵ UJohane uyaqhubeka ebonisa ukwazisa ngeNkosi uJesu Kristu ngala mazwi akhazimulayo: “Kuye osithandayo nowasikhulula ezonweni zethu ngegazi lakhe siqu—wasenza saba ngumbuso, abapristi kuNkulunkulu wakhe noYise—yebo, inkazimulo namandla makube kuye kuze kube phakade. Amen.” (IsAmbulo 1:5c, 6) UJesu wanikela ngokuphila kwakhe kobuntu okuphelele ukuze labo bezwe lesintu ababonisa ukholo kuye babuyiselwe ekuphileni okuphelele. Wena, mfundi othandekayo, ungahlanganiswa kulokhu! (Johane 3:16) Kodwa ukufa kukaJesu njengomhlatshelo kwavula indlela yesibusiso esikhethekile ngalabo ababa amaKristu agcotshiwe njengoJohane. Laba kuye kwathiwa balungile ngesisekelo somhlatshelo wesihlengo kaJesu. Bedela wonke amathemba okuphila kwasemhlabeni, njengoba uJesu enza, labo bomhlambi omncane baye bazalwa ngomoya kaNkulunkulu, benethemba lokuvuswa kwabafileyo ukuba bakhonze njengamakhosi nabapristi kanye noJesu Kristu eMbusweni wakhe. (Luka 12:32; Roma 8:18; 1 Petru 2:5; IsAmbulo 20:6) Yeka ilungelo elihle! Akumangalisi ukuthi uJohane wababaza ngokugcizelela kangaka ethi inkazimulo namandla kungokukaJesu!