IBhayibhili alisitsheli. Kodwa kukhona elisitshela khona okusinceda sibone ukuthi kuyini okungabe kwenza ukuthi bakhethe ukuhlala eBhethilehema.

Ingilosi yatshela uMariya ukuthi wayezazithwala futhi abelethe umntwana. Ngesikhathi ingilosi itshela uMariya lokho, uMariya loJosefa babehlala eNazaretha. INazaretha kwakulidolobho lakibo kaJosefa njalo laliseGalile. (Luk. 1:26-31; 2:4) Ngemva kwesikhathi bathi sebevela eGibhithe babuyela eNazaretha. UJesu wakhulela khona futhi wayebizwa ngokuthi ngumNazaretha. (Mat. 2:19-23) Lokhu yikho okwenza ukuthi nxa kukhulunywa ngoJesu loJosefa loMariya sicabange ngeNazaretha.

UMariya wayelesihlobo okuthiwa ngu-Elizabethi esasihlala koJuda. U-Elizabethi wayeyinkosikazi yomphristi okwakuthiwa nguZakhariya futhi waba ngunina kaJohane uMbhabhathizi. (Luk. 1:5, 9, 13, 36) UMariya wavakatshela u-Elizabethi wahlala laye okwezinyanga ezintathu eJudiya. Ngemva kwalokho wabuyela eNazaretha. (Luk. 1:39, 40, 56) Yikho uMariya wayeyazi indawo yeJudiya.

Ngemva kwesikhathi kwathiwa abantu ‘bayebhalisa.’ UJosefa walalela wasesuka eNazaretha waya eBhethilehema. IBhethilehema yayibizwa ngokuthi ‘lidolobho likaDavida’ futhi yikho lapho isiphrofetho esasithe uMesiya uzazalelwa khona. (Luk. 2:3, 4; 1 Sam. 17:15; 20:6; Mik. 5:2) UMariya wathi esebelethe uJesu, uJosefa wayengeke athi ahambe umango omude ebuyela eNazaretha yena eselosane. Ngakho bahlala eBhethilehema futhi yayingaba ngamakhilomitha angu-9 ukusuka eJerusalema. Lokhu kwakuzakwenza ukuthi kube lula ukuthi bahambe losane lwabo ethempelini besiyakwenza iminikelo eyayitshiwo eMthethweni.—Levi. 12:2, 6-8; Luk. 2:22-24.

Ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yayitshele uMariya ukuthi indodana yakhe yayizaphiwa “isihlalo sobukhosi sikayise uDavida” lokuthi ‘yayizakuba yiNkosi.’ Mhlawumbe uJosefa loMariya bakubona kuqakathekile ukuthi uJesu uzalelwe edolobheni likaDavida. (Luk. 1:32, 33; 2:11, 17) Kungenzakala ukuthi bakubona kungcono ukuthi baqhubeke behlala khona, bamelele ukuthi uNkulunkulu abatshele okunye okwakumele bakwenze.

Asikwazi ukuthi basebehlale isikhathi esinganani eBhethilehema ngesikhathi kufika izazi zezinkanyezi. Ngalesosikhathi basebehlala endlini futhi iBhayibhili lithi indodana yabo ‘yayisingumntwana omncane’ hatshi usane olusanda kuzalwa. (Mat. 2:11) Ngakho kukhanya angani abazange babuyele eNazaretha eyayisenyakatho kodwa bazihlalela eBhethilehema bekhululekile.

UHerodi wathi ‘kubulawe bonke abafana eBhethilehema kusukela kwabaleminyaka emibili kusiya phansi.’ (Mat. 2:16) Njengoba uJehova wayexwayise uJosefa ngalokho okwakuzakwenziwa nguHerodi, uJosefa loMariya babaleka baya eGibhithe loJesu bafika bahlala khona uHerodi waze wafa. Ngemva kwesikhathi uJosefa wathatha imuli yakhe wasesiya eNazaretha. Manje kungani bengabuyelanga eBhethilehema? U-Akhelawu indodana kaHerodi nguye owayesebusa eJudiya futhi wayelolunya. Kanti njalo ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yayixwayise uJosefa imtshela ukuthi kuyingozi ukuya khona. INazaretha yayiyindawo evikelekileyo lapho uJosefa ayengawondla khona uJesu emncedisa ukuthi akhonze uNkulunkulu weqiniso.—Mat. 2:19-22; 13:55; Luk. 2:39, 52.

Kodwa kukhanya uJosefa wafa uJesu engakavuli indlela yokuthi abanye abantu bayephila ezulwini. Ngakho uJosefa uzavuka aphile emhlabeni. Abanengi bazambona abesebaxoxela okunengi ngokuthi kungani yena loMariya baqhubeka behlala eBhethilehema ngemva kokuzalwa kukaJesu.